Renaissance Theaterworks presents: WITCH

By Mary Boyle

Looking for some seasonal live theatre? Halloween is an excellent time to tell a story about a WITCH, and Renaissance Theaterworks has one to tell.  Though it's not particularly scary, in the traditional sense, you may find that this play makes you squirm in your seat a little, nonetheless, while keeping you laughing, throughout, as well as giving you something to think about on the way home.
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American playwright Jen Silverman seems to enjoy a good, dark tale.  Her 2017 play, The Moors, which is set in England in the popular Regency period, has enjoyed great success, as has The Roommate, which RTW did in their 2019 season.  Witch is her newest play and is based on an English play from 1621 called The Witch of Edmonton, which itself is based on the real story of Elizabeth Sawyer, who was burned as a witch not long before the play was written. WITCH bridges the gap between modern time and Jacobean England by using completely modern language and shifting the story just enough to keep it attached to its roots, while demonstrating how the struggles and views of the past are still very much the ones we suffer with today.  

The Devil (Neil Brookshire - There Is A Happiness That Morning Is) has come to visit the small village of Edmonton, looking to purchase some souls.  Cuddy Banks (James Carrington - Airness) seems like an easy sell; as the only son and heir to his father, Sir Arthur Banks (Reese Madigan - A Christmas Carol), Cuddy is consumed with jealousy over his father's open preference for Frank Thorney (Joe Picchetti), a poor villager elevated in station by Sir Arthur.  Meanwhile, Frank, as good and charming as he seems, is another easy sell: after all, Cuddy is in the way of his aspirations.  Then there's Winnifred, a serving girl at the castle who's carrying a secret.  But, most tempting of all is Elizabeth Sawyer (Mati Gobel): known by the villagers as a witch, why wouldn't she want to sell her soul for some vengeance?  

Directed by Susan Fete, WITCH is a study of the spectrum of human emotions - fear, love, anger, jealousy and, above all, hope - and what their overabundance or lack can do to us.  While this sounds quite serious, the play is every bit as funny as it is thoughtful.  Filled with a talented cast of familiar Milwaukee-based actors, this production will hardly scare you; in fact, just like the 1600s play it was based on, it will leave you with a healthy dose of sympathy for the witch, and maybe even some for the Devil.

WITCH runs through November 12th at Next Act Theatre, located at 255 S. Water St. in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.r-t-w.com/, by calling the office at (414) 273-0800, or at the Box Office at 158 N. Broadway St. in Milwaukee's Third Ward Monday through Friday from noon - 5 p.m. and 2 hours before each performance.

Special Events

Captioned Performances:                                                            
Sat, 4pm Oct. 21 & 28, Thurs. 7:30pm Nov. 2 & 9.
Wine Wed!: Enjoy a FREE glass of wine on Wed. evening performances. Arrive early! Must be 21+ to consume alcohol.                                                                    
Wed. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8
Post-Show Talk: Stay after the show to discuss the play.
Fri. Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.
Wed. Nov. 1, 1:30 p.m.
Play Club: This enhanced subscription includes a digital copy of the script, an invitation to the First Rehearsal and a private post-show discussion, with wine and cheese, led by RTW Artistic Director, Suzan Fete.  Must be a Play Club subscriber to participate.
Sun. Oct. 29 2:00 p.m.
Pre-Show Talk: Artistic Director Suzan Fete leads a conversation at 6:45pm.
Fri. Nov. 3 7:30 p.m.
ASL Interpreted Performance:
Sun. Nov. 5 2:00 p.m.
Sensory Friendly Performance: a specially modified and relaxed performance for people with sensory sensitivities.
Wed. Nov. 8 1:30 p.m.
Audio Described Performance: 
Fri. Nov. 10 7:30 p.m.
Contact Community Engagement Manager Ryan Rehak ([email protected]) for information on these community events.

About Renaissance Theaterworks
RTW is Milwaukee’s first professional theater company founded and led by women and the nation’s second-oldest professional theater devoted to gender equality. RTW is a resident company at 255 South Water St. in Milwaukee’s Harbor District, with increased capacity and improved accessibility.