Wisconsin Premiere Of CARDBOARD PIANO is Coming to Renaissance Theaterworks
RTW's production is helmed by celebrated director Elyse Edelman, marking her third directorial collaboration with the company.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Dec. 16, 2025
Renaissance Theaterworks will open the second half of its 33rd season with the Wisconsin Premiere of CARDBOARD PIANO, Hansol Jung's searing, urgent, and deeply human drama about forbidden love, spiritual conflict, and the long shadow of war. The production runs January 11 – February 1, with preview performances on January 9 and 10, at the Theater on 255 S. Water Street in Milwaukee's Harbor District.
Set in a chapel in war-torn Uganda on New Year's Eve 1999, CARDBOARD PIANO begins with the secret wedding of two teenage girls—one Ugandan, one the daughter of American missionaries. Their celebration is violently interrupted, setting off a story that spans years and asks unflinching questions about faith, forgiveness, and the transformative power of love. RTW's production is helmed by celebrated director Elyse Edelman, marking her third directorial collaboration with the company.
Throughout the run of CARDBOARD PIANO, RTW offers a range of accessibility services including Open Captioned performances, ASL Interpretation, a Sensory-Friendly performance, Audio Description, a fully wheelchair-accessible venue, and a hearing loop system. These features ensure that every patron, regardless of ability, can experience live theater comfortably and fully. (See “Full Schedule of Performances and Special Events” for details).
Milwaukee, WI Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
SISTER ACT (Skylight Music Theatre)
16.2% of votes
2.
HAIRSPRAY (Lakeside Players Inc/Rhode Center for the Arts)
15% of votes
3.
ANASTASIA (Lakeside Players)
7.3% of votes
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