BY EVAN MUSIL, ARCHER PARQUETTE AND KELSEY LAWLER
Milwaukee Made
Taking the helm of Renaissance Theaterworks is a full-circle moment for Emily Trask. The new artistic director started her acting career in Milwaukee nearly 20 years ago, when she “never really even considered that there could be a woman-led company,” she says. Her time performing for Renaissance, the Rep and others taught her how to be a part of an artistic ecosystem. She took those lessons to places like the Pacific Conservatory Theatre in California, where she launched a reading series amplifying women writers – not dissimilar to Renaissance’s own Br!nk New Play Festival. After previous director and co-founder Suzan Fete retired, Trask says, friends encouraged her to apply – the opportunity felt like “kismet.”
Milwaukee Arts Questionnaire
What’s your favorite piece of artistic advice?
CHAD BAUMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT MILWAUKEE REP: In today’s world, we’re encouraged to think in binaries. But great art reminds us [that] life rarely fits into neat categories. The best plays reveal a world of contradiction, complexity and nuance. They invite us to see the humanity in people we don’t fully understand and to sit with questions instead of rushing to answers.
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New and Improved
World Premiere Wisconsin was born in crisis. The festival showcasing new work in theaters across the state was first held in 2023, with a mission of demonstrating that Wisconsin’s art scene could generate great original performances – and get audiences in seats – even after the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. But in the years since, WPW has shifted its mission to “amplify Wisconsin as an ecosystem for the arts, and to amplify Wisconsin artists,” says Samantha Martinson, who took over as festival producer in 2025.
The festival, which started as a four-month event, shifted to a yearlong schedule for 2026. This year’s event highlights more than 100 new works (compared to 47 in 2023), with 102 playwrights participating at 72 theaters. The ecosystem Martinson talks about is on full display in three of this fall’s Milwaukee productions: Maybe We’ll Fly at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre from Sept. 18-Oct. 11, Great White Throne at Renaissance Theaterworks from Oct. 18-Nov. 8, and The Boys from Baraboo at Next Act Theatre from Dec. 2-20.
These original stories by Wisconsin-based playwrights all originated in Milwaukee workshops with local theater companies. Great White Throne tells the story of a pastor’s wife confronting her fears, while Maybe We’ll Fly and The Boys from Baraboo both explore real Wisconsin history: the life of outsider artist Mary Nohl and the rise of the Ringling Brothers circus, respectively.
“It’s not by accident that we have such a thriving art scene here,” says Allie Babich, WPW’s assistant festival producer. “It’s been years of dedicated artists continuing to create in the state. It’s exciting to zoom out, connect a few dots and beam with pride at what the state of Wisconsin has accomplished.”
Best of Both Worlds
Dimonte Henning’s first love in theater was acting, but you’d be forgiven for guessing it was directing. During his more than decade-long career, it’s felt like if the 33-year-old isn’t doing one, he’s doing the other. This season, he’s starring in the joyful holiday tale “A Gift of the Magi” (Nov. 13-Dec. 6) and directing the post-industrial portrait “Skeleton Crew” (March 19-April 4, 2027), both with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre.
Walk us through your theater journey – how did you get your start?
From a very young age, I was interested in music and the arts. My parents got me a guitar and a piano, and I played the drums for a bit. It didn’t quite stick. It wasn’t until sixth grade when my mom enrolled me in the Dominican High School summer theater program – that’s when I found the thing I was searching for all of these years. Since then, I’ve been doing theater.
Did you have a knack for entertaining from day one, or did your parents steer you in a theatrical direction?
I think it was an innate thing. I’m a 90s kid – I was a big Barney the Dinosaur lover. He taught you to use your imagination, and I really feel that was a foundation for me as an actor. We had those big camcorders back in the day, and I would set up the camera and put on a show. I would have my microphone, my music, and you would see my mom or dad in the background doing house stuff. But they let me express myself. They saw that in me, and they wanted to tap into that potential. They didn’t know exactly what that potential was at the time, but I was blessed to have parents who wanted to pour into that.
What are some of your best theater memories growing up in Milwaukee?
My first full production was “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Milwaukee Youth Theatre. My eighth-grade class came to see it. I started doing community theater at Majestic Youth Theater, which is no longer around, and studied theater at Milwaukee High School of the Arts. My acting teacher there was Steven Koehler, a well-known actor here in Milwaukee. We were doing college-level training by junior year, thanks to him. I had the opportunity to work with Steve last year in Renaissance Theaterworks’ production of “The Nether.” It was such a blessing to share a stage with him.
What about theater at college and beyond?
I actually studied a bunch of things at UW-Milwaukee – theater, education, business. But theater kept coming back to me – performing, acting and film. Now I’m in a place where I’ve also been directing for the past 12 years, and I love it. I’ve found myself in directing, and I’ve found a passion for creating opportunities for Black artists on and off the stage.
Tell us more about the joys and challenges of directing versus acting.
I love being able to read a script, internalize it, process it, then collaborate with all these designers to tell this story our way. As a director, the success of the production falls on your shoulders – so I also love being able to tell the story as an actor. I’m still collaborating, but I’m focused on my role. I think being a director makes you a better actor, and being an actor makes you a better director.
How so?
As a director having acted, you know when to give an actor a “no.” You know when they’re ready for it. I like to give my actors the opportunity to bring themselves to the role, to see what ideas they have. As an actor having directed, I know what a director might be looking for – what they may need in terms of staging, blocking. Am I upstaging my scene partner? Where can I move to maximize the space?
This fall, you’ll act in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s A Gift of the Magi – what can you tell us about this production?
This is actually my 10th anniversary collaborating with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. I was most recently in “A Raisin in the Sun” this past May, playing Walter Lee Younger, and I’m excited to be back. “A Gift of the Magi” is a beautiful holiday story. It’s about a husband and wife, Jim and Della, who are trying to give each other the best Christmas gift. But it’s not always about how big or expensive your gift is. It’s about what you can bring to somebody – and that’s your heart. Ultimately, that is what this play is saying – to love with your heart, and love is priceless.
You’ve performed in the Rep’s “A Christmas Carol” in the past – a big production. What does a smaller holiday show like Magi offer?
There are only three characters: Jim, Della, the narrator. It calls for intimacy, especially a play where you have two lovers and the intimacy they share. I’m excited to play Jim. My last couple roles have been very heavy, so it’s nice to step into a role where I get to sing some nice songs and be a bit more lighthearted.
See: A Gift of the Magi at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Nov. 13-Dec. 6.
Editor’s Picks
Trayf | Sept. 16-Oct. 4 | Next Act Theatre
In this Wisconsin-premiere play, two young Orthodox Jewish men embark in a mitzvah van to spark the spirituality of an outsider with a newly discovered heritage. Identities are challenged as they share their faith with him and he shares the secular world.
Footloose | Sept. 22-Nov. 1 | Milwaukee Rep
This blast from the past follows big-city Ren relocating to a small town and encouraging his fellow teens to cut loose against its strict no-dancing mandate. Classic tunes include “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” and the late Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero.”
Gypsy | Sept. 25-Oct. 18 | Skylight Music Theatre
After an acclaimed Broadway revival, this musical theater classic is coming to Milwaukee. The tale of showbiz striving has Mama Rose pushing her daughters toward fame, punctuated by songs like “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”
