Julianne Griepp
An illustration of a digital version of Romeo and Juliet.
It seems AI is coming for the arts one way or the other. Not, of course, that any of these plays are AI generated! But the effect of technology is nosing its way into drama, inevitably affecting the characters in these plays. In Marjorie Prime, an elderly dementia patient interacts with an AI hologram. In University Theatre’s The Compass, a young person uses artificial intelligence to make a major decision. Theatergoers who wish to retreat from such contemporary problems will also have plenty of plays to choose from. They can take solace in good old Romeo and Juliet, who still manage to screw up their relationship without the benefit of apps and texts.
Steady She Goes
Sept. 10-27, Overture Center-Playhouse
If you liked that sea shanty craze on TikTok back in 2021, you’ll love Steady She Goes. The romance of the sea. The thrill of dangerous winds and waves. Mutiny. These worked for Melville and audiences will be reminded of why, in this true story. Mary Ann Brown Patten, back in 1856, took control of a merchant marine vessel when her husband, the captain, took ill. And move over, Ahab — she was 19 and eight months pregnant at the time. Brian Cowing directs Erica Berman’s script; music arrangements are by Scott McKenna Campbell. This production is part of World Premiere Wisconsin.
Do It to Julia!
Sept. 11-27, Broom Street Theater
It’s the year of dystopian drama! This retelling and homage based on the granddaddy of all totalitarian society novels, 1984, is told from the point of view of Winston Smith’s lover, Julia. And it’s about time.
Where We Are
Capital City Theatre
Sept. 17-20, Overture-Promenade Hall
This spunky new musical by Rae Covey features songs sung by ordinary folks having difficulty finding their way, literally and metaphorically. As one tune puts it: “One wrong turn, and you might as well be anywhere.” Each song was inspired by a real map from a real archive called the Hand Drawn Map Association. The production is part of World Premiere Wisconsin.
Marjorie Prime
Sept. 18-26, Bartell Theatre
Jordan Harrison’s play was set in “the near future,” back when it was a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Now it’s basically set, well, now. Marjorie suffers from Alzheimer’s. Her son-in-law gets her an AI “hologram” of her late husband to help her failing memory. Her stories are not always real, but the AI takes them as truth. The play probes what makes a human “human” and a lot of other questions we find ourselves grappling with.
Taking Sides
Oct. 9-24, Bartell Theatre
Ronald Harwood’s 1995 play has taken on added relevance. It’s based on the true story of star German conductor and composer Wilhelm Furtwängler. After World War II, accused of collaborating with the Nazis, the conductor claimed he was on the side of art, not the Nazis. Is that going to get him off the hook?
Monstersongs, Music Theatre of Madison
Oct. 15, The Bur Oak
This is a different take on the spooky side of October. This rock opera draws on the uncanny feel of certain graphic novels, adds a soundtrack befitting a rock musical and incorporates technology for a spellbinding exploration of the psyches of monsters — the witch, the troll, the zombie, the mummy.
The Compass
Oct. 15-25, UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre
This exciting premise involves the audience as a jury in an interactive performance that will never be the same twice. A young person who used AI to make “a life-altering decision” is on trial. The audience will be in small groups with a facilitator who ferries decisions to the stage. There’s no sitting back with this one: everyone is involved. “Our ethical conversations around AI have not always kept up with the pace of technology,” director Micha Espinosa tells Isthmus. “I think that the play is going to give us a chance to slow down and examine these questions together. And that’s the beauty of theater. It brings us together in this public forum.”
Leading Ladies Of Stage and Screen
Oct. 16-18, Overture Center-Playhouse
If you long to lean back and let the world recede, this celebration of the golden age of cinema and theater is for you. It’s an homage to voices like Judy Garland and Shirley Jones as well as contemporary singers like Sarah Brightman, Sutton Foster and Idina Menzel.
The Green Room
Oct. 16-31, Martin Street Theatre
This play, by Encore founder and Executive Director KelsyAnne Schoenhaar and Wendy Prosise, and originally produced in 2009, is back — updated by Steve Wyeth. As its title suggests, it’s a look behind the scenes at a theater production, where ego, personality, tech glitches, and the randomness of everyday life come together.
Annie
Oct. 24-Nov. 1, Overture Center-Capitol Theater
The musical that launched a thousand little red-haired girls into acting (or at least wig-wearing) is back in an exuberant production directed by CTM’s Brian Cowing in collaboration with UW-Madison’s Department of Theatre and Drama. Plucky orphans singing and dancing their way through the Great Depression is a fantasy, but with a score this catchy, does it matter?
Romeo and Juliet
Nov. 6-21, Bartell Theatre
While Shakespeare wrote deeper plays, more perplexing plays, and more delightful plays, none is more iconic, more an indelible part of Western culture than Romeo and Juliet. The star-crossed lovers — teenagers, really — from rival families fall in love and defy their parents. It’s all spoken in some of the most memorable verse ever penned. Also: sword-fighting.
Urinetown: The Musical
University Theatre
Nov. 19-Dec. 6, UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre
No time like the present for a dystopian musical! But the premise is both amusing and relatable. In the future, people have to pay to use public restrooms. (How much into the future is this, really?) The score incorporates an invigorating number of musical genres including traditional Broadway belt-em-out’s like “It’s a Privilege to Pee.” As always, go before curtain.
The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza, Children’s Theater of Madison
Nov. 28-Dec. 20, MYArts-Starlight
Mo Willems’ pigeon is back again for the holidays with adventures that include song, dance and a possible run to the North Pole. The play, intended for ages 3 and up, runs 60 minutes.
All is Calm
Four Seasons Theatre
Dec. 10-20, Overture Center-Playhouse
Four Seasons has been returning to this holiday favorite every other year. All Is Calm tells the true story of Christmas spirit among enemy soldiers on the Western Front in 1914. Written and conceived by UW-Madison theater and drama graduate Peter Rothstein, the production brings the impromptu truce to life through historical documents — letters, journals and radio broadcasts — alongside patriotic music, popular songs and classic Christmas carols. Melancholy yet ultimately hopeful, All Is Calm offers an evening of peace, poetry and goodwill toward all.
