Theater Forward

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. 

Summer Lovin' - What We're Excited to See in 2025

Summertime means outdoor theater! We discuss the productions we're excited to see at some of our favorite summer theaters. We also dive into the 2025-26 season announcements from Wisconsin theaters, and share what we'll be checking out in the year to come. 

Strings Attached: Arts Funding in America

We tackle the sudden and rapidly-shrinking landscape of government arts funding - and what it means for organizations trying to stay afloat without compromising their values. From disappearing grants to the risks involved for the artists and companies that are sitting out (and speaking out), this conversation is candid, urgent, and eye-opening.

But amid the challenges, we also take a hopeful look toward solutions to help change the tide. A tough topic, but one worth confronting - the future of the arts may depend on it.

The 2025-26 Season at Forward Theater

It's season announcement time for theaters across the country, and we're excited to share our slate for the 2025-26 season! A common question we get is, "how do you choose your plays?" We talk about the decision process behind selecting these four productions, and how they fit together in the grand scheme.

The 2025-26 season at Forward Theater. Season tickets now available at ForwardTheater.com.

PRIMARY TRUST by Eboni Booth
Directed by Mikael Burke
September 4-21, 2025

GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL! by Scott Brown & Anthony King
Directed by Jen Uphoff Gray
November 6-23, 2025

IRONBOUND by Martyna Majok
Directed by Marcella Kearns
Jan 29 - Feb 15, 2026

LADY DISDAIN by Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Jen Uphoff Gray
April 9-26, 2026