The Milwaukee Rep, under the guidance of Mark Clements and Chad Bauman, is building a reputation for reaching out to underserved communities as the company continues to stage the best theater the city has to offer.

Most notably, the Rep has reached out to the black community, staging a series of plays about the black experience and supporting a major production from the Bronzeville Arts Ensemble last season. The Rep has also worked to broaden the experience of the play-going public into examining serious social issues, like the discussions of violence held around the world premiere of "American Song" last season.

The Rep now continues that tradition of reaching out to the community with the announcement of the Professional Training Institute for Exceptional Young Artists.

It’s hard to explain just how significant an opportunity this is for teenage actors and how big a commitment it is for big name, experienced theater artists. And it’s exciting to see the community engagement efforts The Rep is taking. All of these extracurricular activities may not be for everyone, but it’s clear The Rep recognizes its role in the larger community.

The new program will be for up to 20 students from eighth to 12th grade who have an interest in being theater artists.

Auditions will be held in August, and training sessions will be held once a month from September through May, culminating in a fully produced show in the Stiemke Studio in June in which the actors will be paid professionals. Information on the program is available here. 

There is no cost for the training, as Bauman said that "we don’t want economic circumstance to be a factor in whether or not teenagers can participate."

The Rep is using the best of the talent that is coming for the 2016-17 season as instructors. In addition to Clements, faculty includes Tony winner Anthony Crivello, 10-time Joseph Jefferson Award-winner Hollis Resnik, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s casting director JC Clementz, Broadway star Nathaniel Stampley, Guthrie Theater’s director of company development/movement director Marcela Lorca, Olivier Award-nominee Frank Ferrante and renowned director and playwright KJ Sanchez.

I can’t imagine a better opportunity for young actors than to have the chance to work with these artists and in this environment for an entire school year. Being a theater artist is a marvelous and challenging way to live life, and so much of one's success depends on early training and experience.

The Rep has created a mission to "ignite positive change in the cultural, social and economic vitality of its community by creating world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity. "

"As Wisconsin’s largest professional theater and a cornerstone of Milwaukee’s vibrant theater community, we are deeply committed to the development of local talent and that starts with our community’s incredibly talented young artists," Bauman said, in a statement announcing the training program.

"We look forward to welcoming the best and brightest young performers to The Rep to train with the world’s leading theater artists at no cost and then experiencing their talents in a fully produced show where they will be engaged as paid professional actors."

I know both Bauman and Clements, and they are men with a strong sense of social justice and an equally strong desire to use theater to stimulate discussion and to engage a broader audience than typically reached by theater.

While Bauman and Clements are the two public faces of The Rep, two powerful men who operate behind the scenes are clearly guides and stimulators of enhanced community engagement efforts.

Ed Seaberg, a vice president at Rockwell, is the new president of the board and has a lengthy history of the kind of quiet work that has recognized and helped support the diverse population in the city. He brings a new energy and soulful commitment to support both the artistic and social goals of The Rep.

John Kordsmeier, a former board president and retired Northwestern Mutual Foundation President, will chair the new committee that will guide the MPact engagement program at The Rep. Kordsmeier has an envious record of recognizing and providing assistance to a wide variety of organizations.

"Theater, to me, is not a noun, but a verb," he said in a statement. "In addition to entertaining, it must open minds and hearts to bridge chasms in our society. It gives voice to the voiceless and provides pathways for action that can transform our community. Milwaukee has many challenges and lacks crucial public conversations due to fear or indifference. But it also has a wealth of assets, many which go unnoticed or unreported. Milwaukee Repertory Theater is uniquely positioned to illuminate both challenges and assets and inspire all residents to act to achieve transformative change."

The Rep’s upcoming season is full of exciting productions, but none may have quite the kind of impact that these new efforts could.