Photos: Milwaukee Rep Unveils Herro-Franke Studio Theater and Midwest Premiere of MCNEAL

Milwaukee Repertory Theater has released first-look photos of the newly opened Herro-Franke Studio Theater, the reimagined black box venue inside the Associated Bank Theater Center. The space officially opens with the Midwest premiere of MCNEAL by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar.

The completion of the Herro-Franke Studio Theater marks the final phase of construction for the Associated Bank Theater Center. The redesigned space features flexible seating, expanded technical capabilities, and support for immersive staging and larger casts.

Milwaukee Rep also released first-look production photos from MCNEAL, which runs through March 22. The production marks the fifth play by Akhtar presented by Milwaukee Rep in the past decade.

Directed by Artistic Director Mark Clements, MCNEAL follows novelist Jacob McNeal on the eve of a career milestone as he confronts personal struggles and questions surrounding artificial intelligence, originality, and legacy.

The cast includes Peter Bradbury as Jacob McNeal, Jessica Ko as Sahra, Tony nominee Jeanne Paulsen as Stephie Banic, Ty Fanning as Harlan, N’Jameh Camara as Natasha Braitwaite, Bridget Ann White as Francine Blake, and Sara Sadjadi as Dipti.

The creative team includes scenic designer Emily Lotz, costume designer Mieka van der Ploeg, lighting designer Jason Fassl, sound designer and composer Dan Kazemi, video designer Timothy Kelly, and fight director Nick Sandys. Terence Orleans Alexander serves as stage manager.

Akhtar, a Brookfield native and Milwaukee Rep Board of Trustee, is the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and has also been recognized with the Edith Wharton Citation of Merit for Fiction and an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His previous plays include Disgraced, Junk, The Who & The What, and The Invisible Hand.

Tickets for MCNEAL are available at MilwaukeeRep.com, by phone at 414-224-9490, or in person at 108 E Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.