Theater Forward

Interview w/ Suzan Fete - Artistic Director of Renaissance Theaterworks

Suzan Fete is a founder and Artistic Director of Renaissance Theaterworks in Milwaukee, WI, celebrating their 33rd season of producing plays while promoting the work of women, both on and offstage. As Suzan approaches retirement from Renaissance, we invited her to reflect on her career, the evolving role of feminism on stage, and her dreams for the future of American theater. 

The Algorithm vs. The Arts: Marketing for Theater in 2026

In this episode, we turn the mic around! We invited our own Marketing Director and podcast producer Scott Haden into the studio for a candid conversation about what it takes to promote live theater in 2026.

We talk about how the landscape has shifted over the past decade, and how arts organizations are working harder than ever to connect with audiences in a crowded digital world. We also explore how people are discovering shows, how they decide what’s worth their time, and what it means for theaters when traditional previews and reviews may no longer guide the way.

The Write Stuff: A Conversation About Developing New Work

Put on your scuba gear, because this conversation goes DEEP. We sit down with Milwaukee-based dramaturg and author Deanie Vallone to talk about the "heart and the art" involved in developing new work. If you didn't know, we LOVE new plays. New plays are a celebration of the aliveness of our artform! A dramaturg plays a major role in their development, providing insight and expertise to help them evolve to the next level.

We dive into the delicate balance of collaborating with directors, the pitfalls of rewrites and "workshopping to death," and the rewards of successfully moving a new play forward. 

This episode is also a reminder to stay tuned for the return of World Premiere Wisconsin, a statewide festival featuring new plays and musicals. 

If you like this episode, be sure to scroll through our archives and check out Episode 65, featuring an in-depth interview with dramaturg Khalid Long!

Our 2026 New Year's Theater Resolutions

Join us for our end-of-year episode, in which we share our theater-related resolutions for 2026 (that we swear we won't break).

We talk about theatergoing roadtrips to places we've never been, exploring productions by our favorite playwrights, helping actors master the business side of show business, and continuing in our mission to build a strong theater community in the state of Wisconsin.

What We're Grateful for in 2025

As the holidays approach, we share everything we loved about 2025, including stellar productions, new endeavors, the ever-expanding support of our audiences, and the brilliant artists that make everything we do possible.

Interview: Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Repertory Theater Executive Director

We are excited to welcome Chad Bauman, the Ellen & Joe Checota Executive Director of Milwaukee Repertory Theater!

Milwaukee Rep has a LOT going on right now - including the debut of their brand-new, state-of-the-art theater center on the heels of an epic flood that threatened to pull the rug out before the season even began. We dive into the highs and lows of the last year at the Rep, the attention Wisconsin theater is getting on a national level, and what's on the horizon for one of our state's flagship theater companies.

Top 10 Most-Produced Plays & Playwrights in 2025-26

We can't wait to give our take on the top 10 most-produced plays and top 20 most-produced playwrights in America this season! These annual lists are generated by American Theater Magazine, and we love to dive in and discuss. We talk about what we expected, what surprised us, and how this list reflects some interesting trends for theater in America.

Spoiler alert: this season we're producing a rolling world premiere from America's #1 most-produced playwright...

Here are the lists so you can follow along!

Top 10 most-produced plays in America in 2025-26

Top 20 most-produced playwrights in America in 2025-26

Discussing Playwright Martyna Majok w/ Directors Marcella Kearns & Jake Penner

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok is one of America's hottest playwrights, and we're excited to experience two of her plays in Wisconsin during the 2025-26 season. We welcome Marcella Kearns and Jake Penner, two directors preparing to stage her work, to discuss Majok’s themes of survival, resilience, and connection.

They share what makes Majok’s plays hit so hard—and why directors are so drawn to her work. We talk about how her plays resonate personally, what challenges them, and why Majok’s stories feel more urgent than ever.

Long Story Short(er): A Debate About LONG PLAYS

We get down to business about one of the most contentious issues in modern American theater - play length and whether or not to have an intermission. Audiences have VERY STRONG feelings about this, and as producers of new plays we see these trends firsthand. As much as we love a 90-min theater experience, are our shrinking attention spans getting in the way of deeper, richer storytelling? Have we lost our theater stamina?

The debate about whether to produce a play based on its length is very real, and in this episode we offer an inside look at how producers address this evolution in theater making. 

Interview w/ BJ Jones, Northlight Theatre Artistic Director

We are excited to welcome BJ Jones, Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre in Skokie, IL. Northlight is among the largest non-profit theaters in the Chicago area, known for their commitment to contemporary works and their extensive youth education program.

In this episode, we discuss the current evolution of regional theater, balancing audience wants with your own artistic vision, the art of "timing the moment" with new and relevant work, and what the future holds for theaters (and audiences) across America.

Check out Northlight's 2025-26 season.