Milwaukee Youth Arts Center – an intuitive perspective

This past season was my first experience with First Stage. And I was more than pleasantly surprised by the quality of the plays presented and the youthful cast members and the skills and enthusiasm that they bring to the stage in every performance.

So I am more than happy to publish their schedule for the 2022/2023 season and recommend them to our readers:

Milwaukee, WI – May 17, 2022 – First Stage, one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families, is excited to announce their 2022/23 season. The full season kicks off in October at the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater with the fun world premiere musical ARTHUR AND FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL! written by First Stage Resident Playwright John Maclay (THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS), with music and lyrics by Brett Ryback. Then in November, RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER™: THE MUSICAL returns to the Todd Wehr to get audiences young and old into the holiday spirit. The new year begins with a loving ode to family, CARMELA FULL OF WISHES, an adaption by First Stage Resident Playwright Alvaro Saar Rios (ON THE WINGS OF A MARIPOSA) and based on the book by Matt de La Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson. (LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET, another play adapted from a Matt de La Peña book, is currently running at Milwaukee Youth Arts Center through June 12, 2022.) In March, the delightfully quirky and hopeful THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL newly adapted for Young Audiences comes to the Todd Wehr, a production bursting at the seams with optimism and loaded with songs from popular musicians like Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend and Panic! At The Disco, to name a few. The final production at the Todd Wehr will be Bob Marley’s THREE LITTLE BIRDS, a timeless tale of peace and love filled with music from the legendary reggae artist.

First Stage has scheduled a variety of offerings in the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center’s newly remodeled theater-in-the-round Goodman Mainstage Hall. Opening in early February 2023 will be the THE HOBBIT, an energetic adaptation by Greg Banks and based on the book The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Directed by Jeff Frank, the play follows Bilbo Baggins on an epic magical journey showing us that courage is about taking on a challenge despite our fears while also reminding us of what it is to be a true friend.

First Stage’s award-winning Young Company will also present two Performance Projects at Milwaukee Youth Arts Center beginning with William Shakespeare’s enchanting comedy A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM in December. That will be followed by a production in March of LITTLE WOMEN, by Kate Hamill, adapted from the celebrated coming-of-age novel by Louisa May Alcott. The final Young Company presentation for the 2022/23 season will be the fully mounted world premiere production of THE GRACIOUS SISTERS, by First Stage Resident Playwright Alice Austen (GIRLS IN THE BOAT), and freely adapted from The Eumenides, by Aeschylus. It is an exploration of the balance of a desire for vengeance and the need for grace. This play is part of World Premiere Wisconsin, a statewide festival celebrating new plays and musicals.

From: The Watsons Go To Birmigham (2021/2022 season) courtesy of First Stage

FIRST STAGE’S 2022/23 SEASON OF PLAYS

ARTHUR AND FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL!
Book and Lyrics by John Maclay, Music and Lyrics by Brett Ryback
Adapted from the books and characters created by Marc Brown

Directed and Choreographed by Khalia Davis
Music Direction by Brett Ryback

October 7 – November 6, 2022
Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater

Sponsored by UPAF.

When archaeological intern Alice falls down an ancient Greek rabbit hole, she discovers the aftermath of a violent murder, with the goddesses of vengeance, or “Furies,” chasing down the accused to exact bloody retribution. Athena, the goddess of wisdom (and war), persuades the Furies that the accused should have a fair trial before a jury. When the jury is divided in a split decision, all must come to terms with the balance of a desire for vengeance, and the need for grace. Suggested for families with young people ages 13+.

From Matt: “I love ancient Greek plays almost as much as I love Shakespeare, so the opportunity to partner with one of First Stage’s playwrights in residence to bring one of these pieces into our modern age was too good to pass up. After her amazing work on GIRLS IN THE BOAT, I knew Alice Austen was the ultimate fit for creating a play for our young people that highlights their unique blend of curiosity and determinism. Especially as we all traverse this incredibly unstable era of modern history.”

This play is part of World Premiere Wisconsin, a statewide festival celebrating new plays and musicals.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and LITTLE WOMEN are Young Company Performance Projects. These actor-driven presentations use elemental production values, enhancing the connection of actor to audience, allowing the words of the play to come alive in exciting ways. These award-winning students will showcase their graduate level skills with full-length material, from Shakespeare to American classics to pieces commissioned specially for them.

Tickets

First Stage offers three ways to purchase tickets for its 2022/23 season. The All-Access Membership will give families the opportunity to purchase tickets at 25% off regular single ticket prices, receive discounts on Theater Academy classes, invitations to special Preview Events and more. The cost of the All-Access Membership is $75 per household and are on sale now. Families can also purchase the traditional Family Package, which offers a 30% discount off regular single ticket prices when building a season package of three or more plays. Family Packages are also now on sale. Single tickets to First Stage’s 2022/23 season will go on sale August 1, 2022.

I suggest reading through these offerings and select those that fit your family age groups and plan your outings to First Stage. From my personal experience and observations while attending shows this past season, children are simply enthralled with these plays and ask some pretty pertinent and aware questions during the talk backs that follow many of the shows. And as an adult, I too was entertained! No reason to feel this is only a kids thing!!

and once more: For additional information about the 2022/23 season, please visit to firststage.org/ or call (414) 267-2961.

From: The Amazing Lemonade Girl (2021/2022 season) courtesy of First Stage

P.S. Amplify Reading Series

Understanding the power of connection that young people feel when they see themselves and their stories on stage, First Stage is excited to begin the next phase of the Amplify series featuring new and developing work from traditionally underrepresented playwrights and directors whose voices offer an opportunity to expand First Stage’s artistic horizons and develop its audience’s perspective. During the 2022/23 season, the focus shifts from producing short plays to presenting readings of three plays in various stages of development. The Amplify Reading Series gives First Stage a chance to explore new work that is being considered for a full production while also engaging the community in discussion about the process of developing new plays. Please note: Dates and title are still being finalized for the Amplify Reading Series. Please visit firststage.org/ for the latest updates.

This is whimsy. This can get silly. This is un-ADULT-erated fun. The staging and lighting and music here will be a real treat for the intended younger audience. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a relevant story here…we are going somewhere…where there is so much to learn. Pitter patter.

Director Johamy Morales must just have had a ball putting this play together and filling out the characters and movement and action in Last Stop On Market Street. And despite the word stop in the title, there is no STOP in the action as the story unfolds over the 55 minutes presentation (without intermission). And Last Stop On Market Street is being presented at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (325 W. Walnut, Milwaukee, WI) in the round in their delightfully intimate theater. So no child will be more than a row or two from the action. No one will miss anything!!

Bubbles Cast: Christian Berman (center) and cast in LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And my goodness, hats off to the technical team at First Stage. They certainly engage everyone’s imagination with their creative use of color, costumes, props, and sets. On the face of it, many of these things verge on the minimal but the audience is never left in doubt about where we are or who the characters are. So subtle while being so descriptive (I have been amazed by this all season, but it is even more apparent in Last Stop On Market Street).

And as in all of their other plays, First Stage is using two casts to give as many young actors a chance to perform as possible. I saw the Rain cast on a lovely Mothers Day morning. The other cast is the Bubbles cast. The photos here were supplied by First Stage and I will use images from both casts.

Rain Cast: Madison Jones, Selena Deer, and Allie Babich in LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

But our story revolves around CJ and his Nana as they travel to church and later across town to the last stop on Market Street. CJ has a solo at church and has a frog in his throat, although to my eyes, more like butterflies, but as most any young performer we can easily relate to the anxiety. But from there we follow CJ through some adventures, both real and imagined, that are obvious focal points in any young persons growth in awareness and experience. A lot of questions get asked, some of them answered directly, but most by observation. And that’s the true nature of the Last Stop On Market Street. Learning through experience, questioning, and observation. Quite a miraculous journey in just those 55 minutes.

The stand out performer here is Samantha D. Montgomery as Nana. She just nails it as a loving caring mentor and teacher for the inquisitive CJ. From the sparkle in her eye and in her voice to the patience she shows…she’s just the woman you’d want for your Nana! And there’s just a sense of awareness of her own mischief underlying her knowledge!

Rain Cast: Madison Jones and Allen D. Edge in LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And those 55 minutes are filled with a lot of action in the form of street activity, dancing, singing, and just watching as the actors move in and out from the stage in seemingly constant motion (making handy use of three different entrance ramps to access the central stage). But pay close attention to costume changes…many actors (particularly the adult actors) are playing multiple roles, and the clever costumes help define the character and their role in our story.

Bubbles Cast: Allie Babich and Christian Berman in LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

This play is aimed at First Stage’s younger audiences: their recommendation is for families with children 3 to 7 and older. More information on the play, First Stage, and tickets can be found here! The play runs from now through June 12, 2022.

Rain Cast: Madison Jones and Samantha D. Montgomery and cast in LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Here’s the playbill!!

But here is an Enrichment Guide with before and post show activities to enrich a young persons engagement with the play.

Bottom line, the young audience in attendance when I was there were very involved with the play and the story. And they asked some very inspired and relevant questions during the talk back with the actors as play’s end.

Category: Milwaukee Youth Arts Center

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