INSTRUCTIONS FOR A SEANCE to be Presented at Milwaukee Repertory Theater

Milwaukee Repertory Theater will continue its 2026/27 Season with the spellbinding new work Instructions for a Séance, running October 6 – November 8, 2026, in the Herro‑Franke Studio Theater. Written and performed by Katie Bender, this intimate, genre‑bending production invites audiences into a DIY séance where humor, heartbreak, and Houdini collide.

In this unforgettable adventure of mystery, mischief, and messy humanity, Bender transforms the theater into a handmade world of illusion—daring to summon the spirit of Houdini and confront the chaos of her own life along the way. Equal parts hilarious, haunting, and heartbreakingly honest, this one‑woman show fuses memoir and live magic to explore ambition, motherhood, and the craving to break free. Expect laughter, surprises, and glimpses of the extraordinary hidden in everyday life.

A John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program Production, Instructions for a Séance continues Milwaukee Rep's commitment to nurturing bold new theatrical voices and expanding the canon of contemporary American storytelling through further development of Katie Bender's work. Bender is a playwright, performer and theater maker. Her plays include Judith, SHE WOLF, The Survivors/Los Sobrevivientes and Howling, Texas to name a few. Filled with games, physical exertion and a poetic delight in the mundane, her work often examines the surprising ways humans transform within impossible systems.

The creative team includes director Lily Wolff (Wolf Play, Chautauqua Theater Company), with scenic design by Collette Pollard (The Chinese Lady and Steel Magnolias, Milwaukee Rep), costume design by Mieka van der Ploeg (Romeo and Juliet, Milwaukee Rep), lighting design by Paige Seber (Titanique, Broadway), sound design by Kathy Ruvuna (Clyde's, Portland Stage) and stage manager Emily Wright and Merit Glover.