Aliyah Goldberger (from left), Christopher Guse, Denis Kavanaugh, Ben Lisowski and Peter de Guzman work on the "Arcadia" set at Shorewood High School. (UWM Photo/Pete Amland)
Sophomores Ben Lisowski and Aliyah Goldberger work together building the set. (UWM Photo/Pete Amland)
“Arcadia” technical director Christopher Guse says he’s impressed with how the students responded to rebuilding the set. “Terrific work, really speedy and really efficient,” Guse said. (UWM Photo/Pete Amland)
Senior Jonathan Dean works on the “Arcadia” set. (UWM Photo/Pete Amland)
The plans for the “Arcadia” set are shown on a laptop computer at Shorewood High School. (UWM Photo/Pete Amland)
Senior Jonathan Dean (from left) and sophomores Peter de Guzman and Ben Lisowski share a laugh while working to build the “Arcadia” set. (UWM Photo/Pete Amland)
Maureen O'Hara and Bryson Langer (right) rehearse “Arcadia” in Mitchell Hall along with Zane Dukes. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
The “Arcadia” cast gathers for rehearsal. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Olivia Mauseth and Bryson Langer rehearse. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
A television news crew interviews Bryson Langer. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
The fire that struck the UWM theater building April 8 destroyed the set of “Arcadia” just weeks before the production was going to hit the stage. Fortunately, Shorewood High School offered the use of its set-building shop, and the Milwaukee Repertory Theater offered the use of its Stiemke Studio.
Then the work began.
Students and faculty threw themselves into the work, adapting the production to fit the Stiemke and rebuilding the set in less than two weeks. The cast, meanwhile, kept rehearsing, adapting as they did so to the new performance space and set.
The result of all that work: The show will open as scheduled on May 3.
