Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Presents THE ISLAND | April 8th-May 1st, 2022

*info provided by Nicole Acosta, Marketing Director
nicole@milwaukeechambertheatre.org
414-276-8842 ext. 4

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Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Presents 

THE ISLAND 

By Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona,  

April 8th-May 1st, 2022 

Studio Theatre, Broadway Theatre Center 

MILWAUKEE, WI – April 5th, 2022 Milwaukee Chamber Theatre is proud to announce full casting and production details for THE ISLAND by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona, directed by Mikael Burke. THE ISLAND opens Saturday, April 9th at 8pm. Preview night is set for Friday, April 8th at 7:30pm. A Pay-What-You-Choose performance is scheduled for Monday, April 11th at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased via the MCT website, milwaukeechambertheatre.org/tickets or by calling 414-291-7800. 

Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona’s THE ISLAND celebrates the depths of human resilience and offers a scathing indictment of the injustice of white supremacy. Inside a notorious maximum-security political prison, two cellmates toil at brutal hard labor by day and rehearse Sophocles’ ANTIGONE for a prison entertainment by night.  When one is unexpectedly granted his release, envy and empathy, triumph and loss, and hope and despair all collide in the concentrated atmosphere as they dig into a two-thousand-year-old play that explores every human’s moral obligation to defiance of unjust government.  After a critically acclaimed run in MCT’s 20/21 virtual season, this modern classic from some of South Africa’s most esteemed theater-makers is back by popular demand for a live in-person run.  

“Dimonte and Sherrick were the first two Wisconsin actors approved by Actors’ Equity Association to rehearse in-person last season when we created our virtual production of THE ISLAND,” shared Artistic Director Brent Hazelton. “It is our honor to close our 21-22 Season by sharing their work in this remarkably moving production with an in-person audience who is able to react, respond, and engage in the conversations this play sparks." 

THE ISLAND is Directed by Mikael Burke, with Composition and Sound Design by Peter Goode, Costume and Makeup Design by Amy Horst, Scenic and Properties Design by Stephen Hudson-Mairet, Lighting Design by Ellie Rabinowitz, Dialect Coaching by Nathan Crocker, Stage Management by Kira Neighbors, and ASM/COVID Safety Management by Sydney Smith. 

“THE ISLAND speaks to our current American moment as if it were written yesterday,” said Burke. “These two men, Winston and John, are sent to the Island to be broken, to have their spirits broken. And even under the most extreme circumstances, these men manage to hold on to their spirits and conviction, through the power of art and story.” 

THE ISLAND is presented by Executive Producers John Shannon and Jan Serr, and Producer J. Michael Reavis. 

TICKET INFORMATION 

THE ISLAND runs April 8-May 1, 2022, in The Studio Theatre located inside the Broadway Theatre Center. To purchase tickets, go to www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/tickets , call 414-291-7800 or visit in person at 158 N. Broadway in the Historic Third Ward. For more information about MCT, the 21/22 season, how to purchase tickets, and how to donate can be found at www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org.  

TALKS AND EVENTS 

Pay What You Choose: April 11th 7:30pm 

Talk Theatre: April 20th 12pm 

TalkBacks: April 14, 21, and 28. All post-performance.  

For more information on talks go to  https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/continuing-the-conversation. 

COVID AND ATTENDEE EXPERIENCE 

Beginning March 28, 2022 the Broadway Theatre Center will no longer require proof of vaccination for admittance to the facility. Milwaukee Chamber Theatre continues to require masks to be worn at all times while inside the Studio Theatre. This policy is in effect for THE ISLAND April 8 - May 1, 2022. For full details of our health and safety plan, go to https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/safety 

ABOUT MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATRE  

Founded in 1975 by Montgomery Davis and Ruth Schudson, guided until 2020 by Michael Wright and Kirsten Finn, and now led by Brent Hazelton and Amy A. Salat, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT) partners with other arts organizations, community-based organizations, and universities to produce thought-provoking productions and innovative outreach programs on an intimate, human scale. As a leader in developing Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s theater community, MCT provides regular employment and a stable artistic home to local theatre professionals through a five-play subscription season, the Young Playwrights Festival (YPF), and the Montgomery Davis Play Development Series (MDPDS). MCT performs at the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward and is a proud Member Group of the United Performing Arts Fund. For more information, to purchase tickets, or to make a donation please visit milwaukeechambertheatre.org. 

G-Gifted “Growth” ALBUM / The ComeBack Music Video

The drop of G-Gifted’s sophomore album, Growth, is proof of what a healthy, positive perspective while enduring not only a global pandemic but the evolution of one’s personal life will do. Even in the illustration of the Album’s cover art, we see this theme being brought to life. In front of a clear and cloudy, blue sky there is a half and half image of an animated G-Gifted with one half showing him with a younger face, beardless, with a short haircut and to his right is a baby tree sprouting from the dirt. On the other side, his hair is longer and loc’d up. He has facial hair and to his left, a full grown tree. The intro track “The ComeBack” was released first as a single along with a visual and although only about a minute and 30 seconds long, immediately introduces the theme of the entire album. In the video, simple shots of G-Gifted are captured as he is seen passionately spittin’ rhymes about perseverance, focusing on his grind, and faith. Other superstar tracks like “Terminator” serve as the perfect hype song for any moment where an extra boost of confidence is needed. However, not every song going forward has the serious theme of maturity. Some tracks like “Forever” and “Weekend Mood” are love songs dedicated to the joys of being in the presence of someone you love and growing with them; “Your Melanin isn’t a badge of shame [but] a symbol of greatness, beauty, elegance, and grace. You epitomize Black and Beautiful. One Love.” (G-Gifted, “Forever”). Tell me how YOU feel about “ Growth ” Milwaukee. /Naomi-Re’a for CW

Shoebox Benny- Be Like That [SINGLE]

In anticipation of his latest EP, “Car Bombs”, Shoebox Benny released the video his single “Be Like That”. When the beat drops at the beginning of the song, the head bobbing happens instantly, almost like I knew this song was gonna be cold. Initially, knowing that Shoebox Benny is a Chicago rapper, I was expecting to hear a drill beat or some type of sound that was synonymous with Chicago. But this has a whole different sound. It doesn’t SOUND like drill music but it feels like some sh-t you would listen to get you in that mode. The beat is fire, it gives off a couple different vibes. Like one day you could be listening to it while you’re driving cause it’s smooth as ever. And then the next day you could be in the club with yo friends hyped like “AYE YOU DONT LOVE ME NO MORE, COOL BE LIKE THAT! I’M STILL GRINDING THO CAUSE AIN”T NONE FREE LIKE THAT!” It’s versatile and I love music like that, he speaks on so many things that I feel like alot of people can relate to. So every time you listen to it, you catch something different. Maybe a bar or a reference or a metaphor that you’ve never heard when you listened to it before, and you relate all over again and it’s just a vibe every time. Video production was great, in the video you’ll also see that same element of versatility. I definitely recommend downloading this and y’all let me know if you understand what I’m saying. Shoutout to ShoeBox Benny, this song is amazing and so is the EP!

/Pam from CW Magazine

HomeWorks: Bronzeville Development Initiative is "Re-imagining" Gentrification w/ Artist in Mind

HomeWorks: Bronzeville purchases City-owned foreclosure,

 reviving the decade-long vacancy as part of an artist housing cluster

As renovation will soon be on its way, the Press and community is invited to attend

HomeWorks: Bronzeville “Press Launch”, March 26, 2022 at 10:30am at the north east corner of

N. Vel R. Phillips Avenue & W. Meinecke Avenue.

“Community” development is at an all time high in Milwaukee's Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District. While this development spike has several stakeholders, critics, and polarizing advocates, its existence grants opportunity for communal investment that has not been seen since the disruption and displacement of the 1960’s. One group of creatives has taken on the idea of community development as a personal call to action, understanding the plight of gentrification with longing for urban life that respects new and existing neighbors. They call it HomeWorks: Bronzeville.

As of March 15th, 2022 the long anticipated acquisition of the final property in their piloted three building cluster has been achieved. The site was previously a City of Milwaukee foreclosure that has been vacant for over a decade. HomeWorks: Bronzeville can now begin its renovation of the south-facing duplex and quad demolition at 322-340 West Meinecke. The duplex will be rehabilitated into a two-story single, Artist Live-Work Space for Local and Visiting Artists (3-bedroom upper with lower level art studio) with initial tenant Alexia S. Brunson and CopyWrite Magazine. The quad will temporarily become Greenspace for year-round art installations and programs by Jazale’s Art Studio, MKE<->LAX, Food4All, I Am Milwaukee, and CopyWrite Magazine. 

“While others build a place and then find the people, we find the people and then build the place,” said Vedale Hill of Jazale’s Art Studio in discussing the need for this type of creative development.

HomeWorks: Bronzeville is a development initiative based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that emphasizes community development in its physical, economic, and social form by way of authentic arts and culture applications. At the foundation of this initiative are co-owners Vedale Hill, Sara Daleiden, and Mikal Floyd-Pruitt, who are all active members of the arts community. Their collective experiences in navigating real estate for their professional, communal, and personal creative practices have helped them form an effective ideology on creative placemaking and developing community holistically.

HomeWorks: Bronzeville centralizes their development efforts on specific qualities that are meant to challenge traditional practices and emphasize niche community needs including:

• Client Specific - artist and community cultivators who are also entrepreneurs

• Creating Ownership - providing opportunities to add + retain economic, cultural, and influential value 

• Stability - building directional infrastructure for communal longevity 

• Reimagining Gentrification - by changing the “how” not the “who”

• Narrative Shifting - focusing on ownership as a tool for stability and growth

• Transferable value - facilitating experiences that elevate authentic community practices + interest via a creative economy

• Retaining creative talent pool - through genuine opportunity and consistency for artists

“It’s crucial that our shared values and aspirations frame and guide this initiative. If goals and practices aren’t part of the process, they won’t be part of the product. It’s as simple as that.” - Mikal Floyd-Pruitt, I Am Milwaukee

Their collective ideology through real world experience of displacement, eventually led them to find a location in the heart of Bronzeville with a three building cluster that they will turn into the anchor home they all envision [located at the corner of W. Meinecke Ave & N. Vel R. Phillips Ave]. This will be a place that will hold all the programmatic elements of their respective organizations and businesses, residential property for artist housing, rental studios, and community space. As of 2018, HomeWorks: Bronzeville has completed its first fully developed property in the cluster co-developed with Strong Blocks; a fully gutted duplex turned two-story artist live-work space designed for Vedale Hill and family, featuring a public gallery space on the lower level.

“We seek to cultivate Bronzeville by concentrating on properties that surround America's Black Holocaust Museum in the Harambee neighborhood portion of the district. We honor the re-emergence of the museum as a beacon for change and an archive of pertinent history for this community” - Sara Daleiden, MKE<->LAX

Homeworks: Bronzeville notes that without active collaboration reviving the site's decade-long vacancy under this type of incentive would not have been possible. Collaborators include the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Preservation Fund, Thurman Grant Architect, CopyWrite Magazine, Toki & Associates, Darren Hill, Jeff Lamar Brown, Gray Development Group, Food4All, Strong Blocks and other cultural leaders from the district and the city. The project has also been guided by City leadership including Alderwoman Milele Coggs, the Bronzeville Advisory Committee, the Department of City Development and the Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation in connection with the City’s Bronzeville Redevelopment Plan, the Bronzeville Artist Housing Report and the Art and Resource Community Hub (ARCH) Loan Program. 

Through support from the City’s ARCH Loan Program, Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Wisconsin Preservation Fund, HomeWorks: Bronzeville is actualizing on this artist housing cluster, in alignment with the neighboring America’s Black Holocaust Museum.

As renovation will soon be on its way, the Press and community is invited to attend HomeWorks: Bronzeville “Press Launch”, March 26, 2022 at 10:30am at the north east corner of N. Vel R. Phillips Avenue & W. Meinecke Avenue.

Always learning from the world around them, challenging the systems before them, and advocating for authentic progression in creative place-making, HomeWorks: Bronzeville believes “Community thrives on cultures.”

HomeWorks: Bronzeville is currently looking for investors for their future development projects. You can support them through their non-profit financing partner Wisconsin Preservation Fund.

Press Inquiries

Lexi S. Brunson, CopyWrite Magazine, Media Relations

copywrite.mke@gmail.com

General & Development Inquiries

Vedale Hill, Jazale’s Art Studio, Co-Owner

(414) 403-3000

Sara Daleiden, MKE<->LAX, Co-Owner

(323) 630-7272

home@homeworksbronzeville.com

www.homeworksbronzeville.com

About: 

HomeWorks: Bronzeville is a development initiative based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Titled by its namesake, the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District, this initiative emphasizes community development in its physical, economic, and social form by way of authentic arts and culture applications. Learn more at: https://homeworksbronzeville.com/CHARTER

Clayton “2 PK” EP

Although still a fairly new artist to many, having the confidence to make his presence known and have his story felt with only a few words is the route that Clayton has unapologetically taken. He continues to demonstrate that with his new 2-song EP, “2 PK.” The first half, “Some How Beautiful,” appropriately starts off with an R&B beat that is accompanied by hard hitting drums to complement Clayton’s choice to use a rap flow at the start of his verse. We are further invited into his mind through the mentions of lonely nights in his room and moments spent trying to gain the guts to go above and beyond with his overall growth, particularly with trusting his heart, and gaining the audacity to view life and love differently….In full contrast, for the second half of this EP, “Ghost” slows us down sonically and contextually provides the somber side of Clayton opening his heart, having experienced disappointment after doing so. The song goes from a soft, sad tone supported by a piano, strings, and a light percussion to a chaotic instrumental to match the expression of hurt in Clayton’s voice toward the end. 2 PK provides the audience with a message that though it is always the right thing to act courageously and move forward in all of our passions and despite knowing that even in our losses, there is much to gain, the results will not always please us. Tell me how YOU feel about “ 2PK ” Milwaukee. /Naomi-Re’a for CW

Devv Lo “People Pleaser” [SINGLE]

Devv Lo is, in my opinion, one of Milwaukee’s most underrated gems. For the past year, Devv has been dropping hit after hit. First, with his single “Jordan 1’s”, following up with his album “World on my Shoulders” and now his latest single “People Pleasers” is one to listen to. One thing I can always say about Devv is that his beat selection is crazy. The whole message of the song is something most of us can relate to, being a people pleaser. “A people pleaser, sh-t but who gone please a young n—a”? That’s the million dollar question it seems like, who does for the person who’s always doing for everybody else? He’s diverse with his sound, to the point where he can make 3 songs about the same thing and none of them will sound the same. My favorite line was “don’t sh-t stop Devv, they try to copy me and paste my steps. Moving fast, I gotta pace myself. Sometimes I sit and count money and just thank myself. Sh-t, because without it I just ain’t myself.” His free-styling and writing skills are both great, his beat selection is wild and overall I can truly say you will not be disappointed. In just two minutes and two seconds, you’ll see why I think that Devv Lo is next up in the city. Overall I give the single a 10/10 highly recommended.

Check it out and let me know what y’all think. 

/Pam from CW

Pushin' P this St. Patricks day w/ your /CW Fam.

B Side Recordings Presents: KASE+Klassik [Pre-show Interview w/ Copywrite Mag]

KASE, an improvisationalist jazz trio consisting of Jamie Breiwick, John Christiensen and Jordan Lee, and Milwaukee musician, producer and instrumentalist, Klassik collaborated for a showcase that will be featured on B Side Recordings limited edition cassette tape release. Kase and Klassik sat down with us backstage to talk about the cultivation of their unique sound, the lineage of Black American music and even gave us some of their pre-show rituals.

/CW: How did you guys go from your day jobs, to being members of what some are calling an “acid-jazz trio”? 

JC: Oh is that what people are calling it? Ha ha!

JL: Umm, I think the common thread with everybody is that we’ve all studied and been doing this our whole lives. I don’t think anyone in this room started beyond single digits right? For me it was like 7-8. 

JB: : It was 10 for me. 

JC: We’re tremendous music fans, very diverse wide record collections; jazz, blues, classic rock country. Music was just a part of the house growing up.

JB: I remember when almost every house had a piano in it. We had a piano, my parents didn’t even play.

Klassik: Haha! I concur

CW: I know this has been taped and it’s gonna be on B- Side Recordings Cassette Tape, how does it feel to be a part of something so unique? And how does it feel to be a part of a group of musicians who are also so unique?

 JL: I like that we’ve been able to figure out how to turn our shows into albums. Like…this is an album from a year ago and tonight could be another album.

JC:I feel really SUPER grateful. Jamie and I were commenting on how we started this out with another DJ four or five years ago.

JB: Yeah we were just playing at a little corner dive bar… and we did that for a few years. Then Jordan entered the group and we’re so grateful to have him, he’s got a lot of like…entrepreneurial and that side of things, which I am terrible at,

JC: Yeah, we said if Jordan wasn’t in the group we would be doing this somewhere else. 

JL: Yeah it’s just on a much grander scale, more fitting for this type of music. Cause this is in my family too, my dad was a musician, producer, event productions manager, etc. And like…us having our kids work at our events, that’s how I grew up. For me, this is just what I do, it’s what I did before 88.9, it’s what I’ll continue to do after 88.9. I just can’t stop producing fun things and events. 

Klassik: I mean for someone like me who historically takes quite a long time on a particular body of work at one time, this is a nice welcoming change of pace. To be a part of something that is so effortless. To just kind of step in and get done with the performance and the next day you’re in the group chat like ‘uhh..I think we have an album out. Haha! So it’s definitely refreshing and I always like to place myself in different musical scenarios, it keeps you sharp. As a different type of musician, not just a good musician but an ADAPTIVE musician which I think is like, one of the strongest skills that you can have as a musician. Especially when you’re talking about jazz and improv, the ability to adapt and just be in the moment is important. Let the spirit move you and magic can happen. 

KASE discusses how improv plays a role in all Black American music, especially jazz. Jordan Lee and John Christensen talk about practicing the art form and the uncertainty that comes with improvisational music. 

/CW: How did you guys become an improv jazz group?

JB: We’ve always been, that’s how we started out. John and I were….I guess if you wanna put a term to it genre wise, we’re jazz musicians. And the key element in that type of music is improvisation. 

JL: But that’s in every Black American music art form! 

JC: Yes!

JL:[Klassik] freestyles his ass off! Great blues guitarists take huge solos and amazing traditional drumming has the whole ‘call and response’ element. Like all of the lineage of this is to be improvised, that’s the lineage of Black music. To say like, “hey what do you have to say? Okay cool, here’s what I have to say back to you.” So that’s all we do, we’re all practicing the art form.

JB: But that also comes from years upon years and decades of studying, transcribing, reading, learning and writing and listening. It’s not just out of the blue. It’s a lifelong pursuit.

JC: I think there’s an added element of ‘walking a tightrope’. It’s like okay this might not work? We’re about to do something and we don’t know how it's gonna be. And there’s nothing preconceived. So I do think that that’s different from other bands. Like some people have a form that they improvise on, we’re literally just like get up and go. When it works, it’s amazing.

/CW: So you have bass, trumpets, turntables, etc. Did you guys intentionally create an intersectional sound with your music? Or did it cultivate into that as you guys started working together? 

JC: I think it was intentional. The merging of the acoustic instruments with the turntables and electronics was intentional. 

JL: Yeah if my role doesn’t have the ability to bounce off of theirs then it’s just a straight line really. And that's not improv. 

/CW: How would you guys describe your sound to someone who’s never heard of KASE?

JC: We use the word ‘soundscapes' a lot. I’ve had people tell us that our music takes them on a journey. Because it's not preconceived, it sort of morphs and changes, through the course of a song even. And so, like a landscape, it’s like looking at a landscape and watching the sun change,

The Milwaukee music scene is very diverse. From different genres to different voices and sound types, there’s a variety of art to choose from. KASE and Klassik are the personification of stepping outside the box, as a rapper/singer coming together with acid-jazz, the sound fusion creates an experience like no other. Klassik describes how the showcase was put together.

/CW: How did you guys end up having a showcase with Klassik? 

Klassik; So, the cassette release for tonight is from our first gig together which was at the Stoughton Opera House right outside of Madison last June. And it was a long set, like two hours I think, and we had never played…you know, formally, with one another. And then one day it’s like ‘okay we have an album” and then it very quickly became ‘okay we should do something with this, let’s make this a show, let’s make this a thing. From the design of it to like, coinciding with Jamie’s book release as well, everything kinda just landed and made sense. So we got together, did what we thought was just us doing a gig and it turned into a record and the record turned into another gig which will probably turn into another record. It’s a really interesting and cool synergy that we have.

/CW: Any pre-show rituals?

JB: Kava!

JL: Uhh, actually yes! 

JC: Yeah so our regular gig is usually at the St. Kate Arts Hotel and they have that bubbly champagne bar. So we know they always have good champagne, and when you’re a musician it’s pretty normal at the bars to get drinks on the house. So we’re like why don’t we get really good champagne if we can get drinks on the house. And now it’s just our thing.

Klassik: I drink tea! And um, I usually stretch but this suit is too tight! But those are normally my pre-show rituals, lot of water, honey and stretching and like…mild panic attacks that translate into art. That’s like…something that I wanna leave with the group and something that I carry before every performance. Being aware of that sensation, that nervous thing. You should feel that. And really nervousness is just misplaced excitement and like the more you feel that, take all of that and put it into your work. It’s worked every time! I feel like a bursting ball of energy right now so guess what I’m gonna be when I get onstage? A bursting ball of energy and I know we’re gonna be a bursting ball of energy tonight. 

Eli $tones - “$ticks and $tones” ALBUM

With consistency, grit, and a personal style that granted him a gradual rise to having a notable name in music following the drop of his Debut EP “Elsewhere” in 2016, Eli $tones has shown himself to be Milwaukee's Golden Child. He is not one to be left out of the conversation of great musical artists in Milwaukee’s current scene and he proves that with the drop of “$ticks and $tones.”  This 11 track album speaks to $tones’ genius in his use of melody, lyrical transparency, and ear for instrumentation. The intro track “Came Along” is a moment of honesty for $tones. He gives subtleties of the heartbreaks, fallouts, and karmic lessons that lead him to being who he is today. In a “Behind the Song” lyric video that can be found on his youtube page, he gives a bit of BTS content and goes more into depth on the inspo for the writing of this song. “Everything I got”  is a few tracks later but could unofficially be a continuation of “Came Along” as it provides a perspective that allows us to feel a bit more present in the moments that $tones may have been speaking on in track 1.

His lyricism shines through the more personal he gets; “You showin’ me that it's simple like when people do you foul, hit em’ back with a double-dribble…” Yet, immediately after the turmoil, and even before bracing himself to endure more of the pain that is to follow for the remainder of this album, Eli $tones stops and takes a moment to do what most do; he turns to his mother. “Mama” is a tear jerker. It is an ode that is carried by some simple strings and a sweet melody in $tones’ voice that stays consistent for the song’s entirety. If listening closely, his chosen cadence is similar to T-Pain's, that of which was briefly used on the chorus of Kanye Wests’ “Good Life”... but, like, sadder. He runs down a list of promises to, and appreciation for, his mother, whom he makes clear to be the one who fuels his passion and inspires the necessary sacrifices made while making his way through the grind (and how appropriate for Women's Month).  Tell me how YOU feel about “ $ticks and $tones ” Milwaukee (And don't forget the Dolla Sign!).

/Naomi-Re’a for CW

What People Wear In Milwaukee - What People Wear EP. 2- Black Lens | THE CREATIVE COLLECTIVE: A PANEL DISCUSSION AND NETWORKING EXPERIENCE

/Kyndal J for /CW