MILWAUKEE SHAKESPEARE CLOSING ITS DOORS

October 28, 2008 - Milwaukee Shakespeare is closing its doors due to lack of available funding. 

Despite generous support from private and public local, state and national foundations and granting organizations such as UPAF and the NEA, the company’s primary source of operating funds is the Argosy Foundation. Due to the current financial climate, the Argosy Foundation has eliminated support from Milwaukee Shakespeare in order to put itself in the best position to continue to grow and support the community in the future.  For this reason, Milwaukee Shakespeare cannot continue its season as planned.  While ticket sales have been at a record level so far this season, ticket income only provides a fraction of what it costs to keep a non-profit theatre company running. Milwaukee Shakespeare has been actively seeking and achieving outside support, but the growth has not been sufficient to withstand this loss in its primary source of funding.

Milwaukee Shakespeare has been honored to produce in such a theatrically rich city and proud of the productions they’ve done over the past nine seasons.  The Milwaukee Shakespeare board and staff will begin working this week to determine the best way to close down the company’s operations.  

For any questions regarding Argosy, please contact the foundation directly.

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Subscribers - Any Milwaukee Shakespeare subscriber can phone the box office at the Rep - 414-224-9490 - and request seats for two of their plays remaining in their Steimke and Powerhouse season. The exclusions are: The Stackner Cabaret series, Guys on Ice in the Steimke and A Christmas Carol at the Pabst. Tickets will be available beginning Thursday, October 30, 2008.

If a Milwaukee Shakespeare subscriber is not interested in taking advantage of this offer, we can process the remainder of the subscription as a tax-deductible contribution or we can offer a refund of the remainder of the subscription. For further questions on this note, please call 414-747-9659 to leave a message and someone will be in touch as quickly as possible.

Single ticket buyers for Henry V or Othello - Milwaukee Shakespeare will refund all single tickets. More information to come.

Press - If you have questions or need further clarification, please call Marketing Director Kristin Godfrey at 414-747-9662 x 306.

If you have specific questions, please contact the administrative offices at 414-747-9662 x 308 or by email