November Onstage Milwaukee

The first show to open this coming month looks fun. It’s another trip to Sunstone Studios. Given how many shows have opened in the tiny studio space, it’s easily one of the busiest theatrical stages in Milwaukee. The space just opened a little while ago and it has REALLY hit the ground running. The Taming is playwright Lauren Gunderson’s all-woman take on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. The show finds an intimate staging in the busy, little confines of the coziest space in town. Set in the U.S., the show is billed as, “a semi-historically-accurate ether trip.” Sounds like fun. The cast includes Samantha Sostarich, Kaylene Howard and Caroline Norton. The show runs November 4 - 13. Maggie Marks directs. For more information, visit Sunstone online.

Skylight Music Theatre presents another staging of The Little Shop of Horrors this coming month. Michael Unger directs a diverse cast including David Flores as Mushnik, Seth K. Hale, Raven Dockery, Aaron Reese Boseman, Kevin J. Seivert as Seymour and Ashley Oviedo as Audrey. People sometimes ask me which shows get produced more than any other locally and honestly...this is one of the most-produced shows in the past dozen years or so, which is a bit odd considering how weird it is. The strangely upbeat sci-fi horror musical makes its way to the main stage at the Skylight November 19th - January 2nd. For more information, visit the Skylight online.

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre stages a production of a comic comedy of manners as it presents Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play. A group of very culturally conscious people try to find a way to present the story of Thanksgiving for a school that will also honor Native American Heritage Month. MCT staged a production of this show online last Spring. Torrey Hanson and Hannah Shay return to the show, joined by Cassandra Bissell and Neil Brookshire. With the addition of Bissell (one of my favorites) in a production that now matches the season, I’m looking forward to this one a lot. It’ll be nice to see it live. The show runs November 19 - December 19. For more information, visit MCT online.

Michael Hollinger’s Cold war detective spoof Red Herring opens this month in a Next Act Theatre production that features a very appealing cast including Mary MacDonald Kerr as a tough Boston cop , Dylan Bolin as an FBI agent. Also appearing: Zach Thomas Woods and Bo Johnson in an array of roles. David Cecsarini directs. Cecsarini always does as really good job of putting together the right cast for a show and this...wow...this is a LOT of fun. A really nice mix of talent from a couple of different generations. The comedy runs November 24th through December 19th. For more information, visit Next Act online.