Interview: Support Women in the Arts Now: SWANS Soar With Regal Recognition for Milwaukee Theater

In an evening to honor women and their contributions to the arts, Milwaukee's Renaissance Theaterworks (RTW) announced their 25th anniversary season while Support Women in the Arts Now, or SWAN, on Monday, March 27, immediately after a Milwaukee weekend dedicated to women in the arts. The month and date's significance mattered. Saturday, March 25 celebrated the 10th International SWAN holiday, and since the organization's inception, over 1500 SWAN events have been held in more than 36 countries. As the www.womensart.org website claims, the ultimate purpose of these SWAN events "showcases the power and diversity of women's creativity."

To honor SWAN"S 10 years while announcing RTW"s forthcoming 25th Anniversary season,the company's Artistic Director Suzan Fete lauded the honors achieved by the numerous women the women's theater company supported over the past quarter of a century. This includes completing 66 full productions, nine original works by Wisconsin playwrights and one North American premiere as the second oldest theater company in America featuring a commitment to gender equality.

Throughout these productions, RTW provided opportunities to over 1500 theater personnel, of which 75 percent have been women. A fact counter to the national statistics that demonstrate on average 85 percent of theater professional positions will be given to men. This includes the top administrative ranks of Artistic Director, Producing Director, Managing Director and Associate Artistic Director. To further all women's dreams and opportunities, the Milwaukee company launched Br1NK in 2013, a playwrighting festival and program for Midwestern women, which to date developed seven new plays. GROUNDWORKS followed in 2016, another program to cultivate the next generation of young theater professionals. To cap off these powerful cultural innovations, RTW captured the prestigious 2016 50/50 Applause Award given by the International Conference of Women.

In they upcoming anniversary season, RTW offers three triple threat productions: Sex With Strangers under the direction of Artistic Associate Mallory Metoxen. Russian Transport directed by Laura Gordon, and Caryl Churchill's 1982 playTop Girls directed by Fete herself. Producing Director Julie Swenson contributes in multiple roles, such as casting and selecting the plays, while giving additional focus to the company. Lisa Rasmussen centers on directing development and Izetta Rees handles marketing and media relations. In a season celebrating SWAN, RTW concentrates on the impressive Milwaukee talent cultivated, encouraged and forged during these 25 years---including actor and now acclaimed director Laura Gordon, who began her second career with her first play, a one woman tour de force Skin Tight, for RTW more than 10 years ago.

The 2017-2018 25th Season announcement precedes the upcoming May Salon Soirèe dedicated to honoring the five Renaissance Theaterworks founders: Suzan Fete, Marie Kohler, Raeleen McMillion, Jennifer Rupp and Michele Traband. Five women who persisted and prevailed as life changes, including the birthing of children and later grandchildren, have graced each one of the founders' lives. These extraordinary women, with only Fete remaining at the helm as 25 seasons approach, traversed life changes while keeping their company in the black and transforming into true SWANS--- promoting more women in the arts with their additional innovative programs since 2000.

On May 25, 2017, RTW remembers the feminine foundation that began a revolution in Milwaukee, and traveled throughout Wisconsin with their annual fundraiser, a Salon Soirée. The SWAN theme dominates this annual event to honor their 25th season. To date in Wisconsin, women hold two leadership positions at Spring Green's American Players Theatre, a Managing Director for Milwaukee's First Stage, another Artistic Director for Baileys Harbor Door Shakespeare and an Associate Artistic Director at Fish Creek's Northern Sky Theater, to mention only a few. These milestone positions translate into countless women, actors, directors and technicians, being presented with inventive opportunities to hone their creative and theatrical talents.

Renaissance Theaterworks ensures that one day SWAN and Milwaukee could envision a future to reach full feminine equality in the theater, and even further, equality in all the arts. What an critical fundraising event to support, whether one lives in Milwaukee or the country's netherlands to enhance RTW's powerful contributions to theater and the women they serve. Please support RTW's May Salon Soirée or Br!NK by making a donation to recognize an actual bevy of bodacious "swans." In every sense of the word these women have transformed the city's theater community and beyond with grace and beauty into an elegant and enduring, incredibly exhilarating future.

Renaissance Theaterworks celebrates their 25th season at the May 25, 2017 Salon Soirée to be held at the Wisconsin Club, 900 West Wisconsin Avenue, beginning at 6:00 p.m. For further information or to RSVP, please visit: ihttps://r-t-w.ejoinme.org/soiree. For tickets to the 2017-2018 season, or further information on Br!NK or Groundworks, please visit the website: www.r-t-w.org.

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