First Stage Milwaukee Inc Performing Arts Center

FIRST STAGE MILWAUKEE, INC. DOES BUSINESS AS FIRST STAGE. OUR MISSION IS TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES BY CREATING EXCEPTIONAL THEATER EXPERIENCES THROUGH OUR THREE MAIN ACTIVITIES:1) OUR PROFESSIONAL THEATER PRODUCTIONS ENGAGE, ENLIGHTEN, AND ENTERTAIN.2) OUR THEATER ACADEMY TRAINING FOSTERS LIFE SKILLS (E.G. CONFIDENCE, RESPECT, FRIENDSHIP, SUPPORT, MOTIVATION, ETC.) WHILE IT TEACHES STAGE SKILLS. 3) OUR DYNAMIC THEATER-IN-EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROMOTE LEARNING THROUGH THEATER.

DURING THE 2021/22 SCHOOL YEAR FIRST STAGE OFFERED ITS THEATER IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO 86 SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS, 44% OF WHICH ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE. THEATER IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDED ITS FIELD TRIP PACKAGES, WHICH PAIRED A CLASSROOM'S FIELD TRIP TO A WEEKDAY MATINEE THEATER PERFORMANCE WITH WEEKLY IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS, EXPLORING BOOKS AND STORIES THEMATICALLY RELATED TO THE PRODUCTION THE STUDENTS ATTENDED. ITS YOUNG LEADERS RESIDENCY, A NEW PROGRAM, BROUGHT TEACHING ARTISTS INTO CLASSROOMS, FACILITATING DRAMA ACTIVITIES, BOOKS, AND CREATIVE WRITING ACTIVITIES TO EXPLORE THE TRUE STORIES OF YOUNG LEADERS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY, INCLUDING RUBY BRIDGES, GRETA THUNBURG, AND AMANDA GORMAN. THE LESSONS WERE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE LITERACY CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING, AND ONE'S OWN CHANGE-MAKING ABILITY. POPULAR AMONG SCHOOLS IN THE 2021/22 SCHOOL YEAR WAS FIRST STAGE'S TOURING SHOW, A 35-MINUTE FUN AND INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. STUDENTS WERE INVITED TO STEP INTO THE STORY THROUGH STORYTELLING, SONG, DANCE, AND TACTILE EXPERIENCE.

FIRST STAGE THEATER ACADEMY RETURNED TO FULL IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING FOR ITS 2021 SUMMER AND 2021/22 SCHOOL YEAR SESSIONS. THE THEATER ACADEMY SAW 1,455 TOTAL ENROLLMENTS AMONG 971 UNIQUE STUDENTS, WHO ATTENDED 157 UNIQUE CLASSES. THE NEXT STEPS THEATER ACADEMY - FIRST STAGE'S THEATER TRAINING PROGRAM FOR STUDENT SON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM - WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY TWO YEARS, SERVING 16 UNIQUE STUDENTS DURING IT'S TWO-WEEK SUMMER 2021 PROGRAM.IN 2021/22, FIRST STAGE GRANTED 61 STUDENTS 147 SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND THEATER ACADEMY, FOR A TOTAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD AMOUNT OF $27,700.

FIRST STAGE WELCOMED AUDIENCES BACK TO LIVE THEATER PERFORMANCES IN THE 2021/22 SEASON, FOLLOWING A VIRTUAL SEASON OF PLAYS IN 2021/22 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. FIRST STAGE OFFERED FOUR PRODUCTIONS IN THE TODD WEHR THEATER AT THE MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, INCLUDING THE WORLD PREMIERE PLAYS THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS AND THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL, WHICH WERE CANCELLED IN 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. FIRST STAGE ALSO PRODUCED TWO FIRST STEPS PRODUCTIONS AND TWO YOUNG COMPANY PERFORMANCE PROJECTS AT THE MILWAUKEE YOUTH ARTS CENTER. PERFORMANCES WERE SOLD AT JUST 50% OF THE VENUE'S TOTAL CAPACITY TO ALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING AMONG AUDIENCES. IN TOTAL, FIRST STAGE WELCOMED 33,073 AUDIENCE MEMBERS AMONG 266 PERFORMANCES (PUBLIC AND SCHOOL GROUP) IN THE 2021/22 SEASON. AMONG THESE PERFORMANCES INCLUDED OUR SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES, WITH ONE OFFERED PER PRODUCTION, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE YOUNG COMPANY PERFORMANCE PROJECTS. OVER 200 AUDIENCE MEMBERS WERE SERVED THROUGH OUR SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES. THE 2021/2022 SEASON ALSO INCLUDED THREE PRODUCTIONS AS PART OF AMPLIFY - FIRST STAGE'S BIPOC SHORT PLAY SERIES. THESE PRODUCTIONS WERE OFFERED FOR FREE ADMISSION, BOTH WITH LIMITED IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES AND WERE AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON YOUTUBE FOR A LIMITED TIME.