Milwaukee Theaters Stage Productions in Response to Republican National Convention

The Milwaukee Journal reports that two Milwaukee theater productions in July will offer pointed responses to the presence of the Republican National Convention in the city. One show has roots in pre-World War II America, while the other is ripped from recent headlines.

Wisconsin Writers for Democratic Action (WWDA) is staging five free dramatic readings of "It Can't Happen Here − Again" in the Milwaukee area on July 18 and 19. This adaptation of Nobel Prize winner Sinclair Lewis' 1936 play, drawn from his novel, imagines the rise of a fascist dictator in the United States. Former Theatre X artistic director Wesley Savick contributed to adapting the play into a 30-minute staged reading for five actors.

The WWDA readings are part of a national effort organized by Writers for Democratic Action. According to The Progressive magazine, more than 50 such readings will take place across the country. Local actors and directors participating in one or more readings include James Carrington, Deborah Clifton, Flora Coker, Jonathan Gillard Daly, Victor DeLorenzo, Jaimelyn Gray, John Kishline, Anya Palmer, James Pickering, and Brian Rott.

Local readings of "It Can't Happen Here − Again" are scheduled for:

-6 p.m. July 18 at Anodyne Coffee Roasters, 224 W. Bruce St.
-1 p.m. July 19 at Woodland Pattern, 720 E. Locust St.
-4 p.m. July 19 at Waukesha Public Library, 321 Wisconsin Ave., Waukesha
-7 p.m. July 19 at Zao Church, 2319 E. Kenwood Blvd.
-8 p.m. July 19 at Sugar Maple, 441 E. Lincoln Ave.
-Additionally, there will be a 7 p.m. performance on July 19 at Novel Bay Booksellers, 44 N. 3rd Ave., Sturgeon Bay.

At Quasimondo Physical Theatre, a cast of seven will perform Brian Rott's "Red, White and Coup," a new play about the January 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington, when a mob attacked the Capitol. According to Quasimondo, the play is "assembled from first-hand accounts, memoirs, interviews, transcripts, and Tweets," and it "combines documented evidence with comedy, music, and surrealism."

Quasimondo will perform "Red, White and Coup" at 7 p.m. on July 13-15, 18-20, and 25-27 at North Milwaukee Arthaus, 5151 N. 35th St., second floor. Tickets are $25 when purchased online, $30 at the door, and $20 for students. Visit quasimondo.org for more information.