PRESS

June 18th, 2008. Artsy Schmartzy starts a debate!

May 20th, 2008. Unofficial PIAD 3 Review.

May 14th, 2008. Russ Bickerstaff reviews Play in a Day 3.

April 25, 2008. Russ Bickerstaff reviews Cracks in the Floor and 31.

April 24, 2008. MKE Magazine asks us to pitch our show.

April 16, 2008. Russ Bickertaff previews Cracks in the Floor and 31.

April 15, 2008. Russ Bickertaff interviews Wes Tank for Cracks in the Floor.

March 28, 2008. Bus Rickertaff runs into us, on the bus no less!

March, 2008. Jonathan West adapts Berzerk!!! script into short film.

March 27, 2008. Jonathan West interviews us for his Big Mouth Artsy Schmartsy Podcast.

March 2008. Russ Bickerstaff pre-views Ides of March Dance off on his blog.

March 2008. Rex Winsome quoted on Artsy Schmartzy

Jan 29 2008. Artsy Schmartzy muses about 8 1/2 x 11.

Jan 2008. Russ Bickerstaff discusses 8 1/2 x 11, on his Shepherd Express blog.

Jan 2008. Vital Source Online publishes this review of Berzerk!!!

Jan 10 2008. The Onion AV Club recommends Berzerk!!!

Jan 2008. Artsy Schmartzy participates in Berzerk!!!

Jan 10 2008. Russ Bickerstaff previews Berzerk!!! in the Shepherd Express.

Dec 13 2007. Russ Bickerstaff mentions Insurgent as a solution to stagnant local theatre.

Dec 6 2007. Russ Bickerstaff writes for 8 1/2 x 11.

Oct 18, 2007. MKE Magazine includes us in their cover article on Milwaukee Arts Collectives.

Oct, 2007. Artsy Schmartzy upstages us.

Sept 22nd, 2007. Rex Winsome rants against Shakespeare on the nightly news.

Aug 8, 2007. Artzy Schmartzy meets Lucky and Pozzo.

July 22, 2007. Vital Source Online reviews Play in a Day.

July 5, 2007. The Shepherd Express publishes a review of Made in the Mouth.

July 2007. Shepherd Express previews Made in the Mouth.

June 2007. MKE previews Made in the Mouth.

January 2007. Vital Source Online reviews Golden Apollo.

December, 2006. Vital Source Online reviews Gorilla Theatre: Berzerk.

October 14, 2006. Someone talks about Lucky and Pozzo in their blog.

September 23, 2006. VLAD!! Watch the slideshow, he's there!

August 24, 2006. Jonathan West (Bialystock and Bloom) tells MKE magazine that we want to take over the world.

June, 2006. OnMilwaukee says you should know us.

May 18, 2006. Mke Magazine publishes a profile of Ben and Tracy, regarding our efforts with INSURGENT THEATRE.

May 11, 2006. The Shepherd Express publishes a review of The Plight of the Ruling Class.

May 1, 2006. Vital Source Online publishes a review of The Plight of the Ruling Class.

April 27, 2006. The Shepherd Express publishes a preview of The Plight of the Ruling Class.

July 25, 2005. OnMilwaukee.com publishes an article about The Astor Theatre that includes an interview about None of These is Nothing.

January 2005. Riverwest Currents publishes a preview of Bring the War Home.

January 2005. The Shepherd Express publishes an interview about Bring the War Home.

January 19, 2005. OnMilwaukee.com publishes a piece on Bring the War Home.

September 1 2003. The Vital Source publishes a review of ReVerb.

May 14th, The Shepherd Express published this review of Play in a Day 3.

Rough and Ready Theater

Theater Review

By Russ Bickerstaff

  The third annual Play in a Day hit the Tenth Street Theatre this past weekend. A joint project between DIY theater groups Insurgent Theatre and Alamo Basement, Play in a Day comes from the rather absurd notion of making an entire play in 24 hours complete with sets and costuming. The hope here is to blur the line between performance and process. To a certain extent the final show is merely a rehearsal for a more balanced show that will never be completed. Ideally, things feel rough and incomplete.

  This year’s Play in a Day was conceived as a musical. Five writers took turns hashing out a script that featured music written by three different musicians. It suffered from feeling just a bit more polished than last year. The audience filled out the main seats at the Tenth Street Theatre quite nicely. The stage was adorned with a banner clearly, though cryptically, spelling the word “OR” in big red letters. Alamo Basement co-founder Mike Q, Hanlon introduced the show, promptly auctioning off a complete script for the evening’s show. It ended up going for $70, which could be seen as a sign that Play in a Day is gaining popularity (last year’s script went for a mere $30).

  What followed was pretty bizarre, but it could scarcely be referred to as a musical. The musical format was largely ignored in favor of a comedy featuring students and faculty from “OrvilleRedenbacherHigh School” going on an expedition to VampireIsland. Hanlon himself played the school’s principal. Insurgent’s Tracy Doyle played the femme fatale scientist introduced in last year’s show. Other cast members included Cesar Gamino and the “freakishly tall” Cynthia Kmak as space aliens trying to blend in with the student body. A few moments of truly inspired comedy surfaced. Some of the moments were exchanges between a ditzy cheerleader played by Jessica Rolfsmeyer and a goth druggie played by Liz Shipe. At one point the cheerleader asks the goth to advise her on “how to be a better lesbian.” The character had been a complete stereotype leading in to that moment. It comes clear out of nowhere.

  With growing interest in the series, Alamo Basement will likely return next summer with a fourth play in a day. Insurgent Theatre returns to the Alchemist Theatre this July with a pair of plays.