Milwaukee Rep Commissions New Play by Pulitzer Prize-Winner Ayad Akhtar

Milwaukee Repertory Theater has revealed a major new commission: Evicted, a stage adaptation by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Ayad Akhtar and Maya Moverman, based on Matthew Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize–winning book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.
 
The commission builds on Milwaukee Rep’s longstanding commitment to nurturing the next generation of American theater and expanding the stories represented on stages nationwide through the John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program. Past notable productions to grow out of this program include Lloyd Suh’s The Heart Sellers and Run Bambi Run by Gordon Gano and Eric Simonson.
 
Published in 2016, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City became an instant New York Times bestseller and one of the most influential works of nonfiction of the decade. Hailed as “wrenching and revelatory” (The Nation) and “vivid and unsettling” (New York Review of Books), the book follows eight Milwaukee families navigating housing insecurity, exposing the human cost of eviction and the systemic forces that perpetuate poverty in America. Its unforgettable portraits of hope, loss, and resilience have reshaped national conversations around housing justice and public policy. Akhtar and Moverman’s adaptation marks the first major theatrical dramatization of this landmark work.
 
“Evicted is a story born in Milwaukee, and it belongs on a Milwaukee stage,” said Artistic Director Mark Clements. “Developing this piece with longtime friend and collaborator Ayad Akhtar and Maya Moverman, ensures that the humanity of this work remains rooted in the community that inspired it. It shows Milwaukee Rep’s dedication to championing new and important work that speaks directly to our city while contributing meaningfully to the national conversation.”
 
“I was originally drawn to Matthew Desmond’s Evicted not only as a playwright, but as someone shaped by Milwaukee,” said Ayad Akhtar. “The book captures, with extraordinary clarity and compassion, the human stories behind forces that continue to define American life. Working on  Evicted is both a return to my hometown and a continuation of my exploration of American identity, inequity, and the forces that shape civic life.”
 
Native to Milwaukee, Ayad Akhtar has a long relationship with Milwaukee Rep as it is the only regional theater to have produced all of his plays – Disgraced, The Who & The What, The Invisible Hand, Junk and onstage now – McNeal.  He is currently a Trustee of the theater and his debut novel, American Dervish, will have its World Premiere in Milwaukee Rep’s 2027/28 Season.
 
In addition to Evicted, over the next two years Milwaukee Rep will produce the World Premiere of Tami Workentin’s George & Gracie: A Love Story; Aaron Posner’s The Cherry Tortured; Matt Zembrowski’s MKE MVP; Katie Bender’s Instructions for a Séance; and a new American Premiere by Andrew Bovell. Milwaukee Rep has also commissioned new works from Gloria Majule and Nygel D. Robinson with workshops and premieres planned for upcoming seasons. Led by Artistic Director Mark Clements and Literary Director Annika Perez‑Krikorian, the program centers on long‑term investment—developing, producing, and shepherding plays beyond their first production and into the national landscape.
 
For more information about the John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program, visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com/NewPlays.