World Premiere Wisconsin Hires Michael Cotey as Festival Producer

World Premiere Wisconsin, a coalition of Wisconsin theaters presenting a statewide festival celebrating new plays and musicals, has announced the addition of Michael Cotey as Festival Producer beginning July 18th.

Cotey is a Midwest-based theater-maker who has been working onstage and offstage for over 15 years with strong ties to Wisconsin. Originally from South Milwaukee, he is an alum of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he was named Graduate of the Last Decade in 2014. His directing credits in the state include Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, and First Stage, and Cotey was the founding Artistic Director of Milwaukee's Youngblood Theatre Company. He is currently the Founder and Artistic Producer of #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence, an ongoing campaign of theater activism for teens to confront the issue of gun violence by writing original short plays on the topic that has been featured on PBS NewsHour, NPR, and the BBC.

As Festival Producer, Cotey will oversee the programming, communication, and marketing for World Premiere Wisconsin in collaboration with the World Premiere Wisconsin Leadership Team that includes Jen Uphoff Gray and Julie Swenson, Forward Theater Company; Deanie Vallone, Milwaukee Repertory Theater; and Molly Rhode, Northern Sky Theater.

"I am thrilled to join this bold initiative that will connect theatre-makers across the state," says Cotey. "Exceptional theatre is and has always been happening in our great state and I look forward to helping World Premiere Wisconsin amplify that fact to the rest of the country."

WPW continues to welcome new festival participants, including professional, semi-professional, community, or educational theater spaces throughout the state of Wisconsin.

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