Next Act Theatre Names Two New Staff Members

Next Act Theatre has hired two new staff members. Tawnie Thompson will join the company as Development Manager, while Caroline Norton has been hired as Administrative and Artistic Manager. Both will start their positions in mid-July 2023.

Thompson joins the Next Act team as Development Manager after the departure of Jane Flieller, who left the position of Development Director in March 2023. She comes to Next Act with three years of experience in the non-profit sector and was most recently the grant writer for Meta House, which seeks to empower women to overcome substance use disorders. Thompson is an actor, fight director, podcaster and writer. After graduating from UW-Whitewater with a BFA in Theatre and relocating to Milwaukee in 2013, she began studying stage combat and holds a number of certifications with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) and Dueling Arts International (DAI). She has since worked with a wide variety of theatre companies as both a performer and fight director.

Norton assumes the role of Administrative and Artistic Manager, taking the place of previous Administrative Coordinator Libby Amato. Amato assumed the role of Interim Managing Director of Next Act Theatre in May 2023. An Alabama native, Norton moved to Milwaukee in 2016 to obtain a BA in Theatre Arts and Digital Media from Marquette University. She comes to Next Act from MainStage Theatrical Supply, where she served as Sales Administrator. Norton has also worked as an Artistic and Education Intern with Skylight Music Theatre, a Teaching Artist with First Stage, a House Manager with Next Act Theatre and she currently serves as Director of Education with Summit Players Theatre. In addition to her efforts in arts administration, Norton is an actor and director who has worked with companies such as Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (Black Theatre Festival, Young Playwrights Festival), Summit Players Theatre, Sunstone Studios, Forte Theatre Company and Voices Found Repertory.

"Tawnie and Caroline both bring a wealth of knowledge in arts administration, as well as being firmly grounded in the Milwaukee theatre community," said Interim Managing Director Libby Amato. "We are excited for the new ideas and energy they will bring to Next Act."

Thompson and Norton will join the rest of the Next Act Theatre administrative staff in preparing for the company's 2023-24 season, the first season led by new Artistic Director Cody Estle. Season programming includes:

• SPLASH HATCH ON THE E GOING DOWN by Kia Corthron, September 20 - October 15, 2023
• THE MOUSETRAP by Agatha Christie, November 22 - December 17, 2023
• SCARECROW written and performed by Heidi Armbruster, February 21 - March 17, 2024
• THE TREASURER by Max Posner, April 24 - May 19, 2024