The green room. Every venue in show business has one. It's a place for performers to relax before, during and after a show and the energy varies, depending on which artist walks through the door: Excited, nervous, calm. We welcome you to join us and take a look at what goes on behind the scenes look at the theater. Welcome to the green room!
Photo Credit: Amadou Kromah
By Amanda Stezenski
Stepping out onto the stage and delivering a captivating performance demands more than just talent. It requires thorough preparation by the artist that can go beyond rehearsals and makeup. Sometimes it’s the Green Room that rounds out each artist’s unique process. Backstage requests can offer a glimpse into this process. They can perhaps also allow us to relate to our season artists by looking at their most common requests.
Lemon, Honey and Tea
The Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) is home to two unique performance spaces: Shannon Hall and the Play Circle Theater. While these spaces are used to host the 15-20 events WUT programs as part of its annual season, hundreds of other events take place in the venues each year through our rental program. Designed by a wide variety of student organizations, campus partners and community groups, these rental events range from a single speaker to complete theatrical productions.
While the artist on stage may seem like the star of the show, the audience also plays a key role in a successful performance. Whether you’re attending your first concert or your hundredth concert, here are some things to keep in mind so that you, your fellow audience members and the artists have an exceptional evening at the theater.
General Rules of Thumb:
By Lenah Helmke
Every year, the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) team hosts countless performances. These events shine light on talented musicians and artists, ultimately gifting the Madison community with a space to appreciate the arts.
By Amanda Stezenski
More than 86 years ago, the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) opened its doors to the public with an illustrious performance of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of The Shrew,” starring Broadway leads Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
If you’ve rented a Wisconsin Union Theater space in the past year, you’ve probably met the incredibly kind, talented and humble Zane Enloe, the Wisconsin Union Theater’s (WUT) production manager.
Zane is one of the theater production experts who makes it possible for people to host their events in Wisconsin Union Theater spaces: Shannon Hall and the Play Circle at the Memorial Union.
There’s reading poetry, attending a poetry reading, and then there’s attending a poetry slam. You may have enjoyed the first two experiences before, but let us introduce you to the third.
If theater and poetry had a baby, it would be a poetry slam. Poetry slams originated in the 1980s in Chicago as a way for people to share spoken word poetry in a more rhythmic and performance-based style than your typical poetry reading. Often, a poetry slam is structured as a competition between performers or poets, but, at their heart, the event is intended as a way to share a love of poetry.
We are thrilled to report that two departments within the Wisconsin Union have received grants to support upcoming programming that enriches Madison’s larger community. The Evjue Foundation has awarded a grant to the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) to present the Black Arts Matter Festival, which will take place Nov. 8–12. Another grant from the Evjue Foundation will help support free art-making programs put on each summer by Wheelhouse Studios.
By Erika Stevens
“Musicians of outstanding ability are such an important part of our culture. But they are like flowers that must bloom at a particular time. They have to be helped at the right moments.”
-Avery Fisher
2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant Awardees
