A CHRISTMAS CAROL - Milwaukee Repertory Theater

(FUN FACTS . . . continued)
The cast of MY NAME IS ASHER LEV attended a life drawing class at MIAD as part of their preparation
for the play.
Button, button . . . the 531 buttons on the 1,300 square feet of tufted walls in CABARET were
covered by the Costume Department and installed over a period of several days by the Paint and
Properties Departments. Soft Props Artisan Margaret Hasek-Guy hand-tied each of the 87 buttons
on the tufted chesterfield coach in CABARET.
The movie contract that appears several times in LAUREL AND HARDY is a genuine copy of Stan
Laurel’s contract with Hal Roach Studios, and features Mr. Laurel’s actual signature.
Each and every hair on Sally Bowles head was individually handtied
into her wig by our Wig Mistress Lara Dalby.
The beautiful “antique” Telefunken cathedral radio and the
chandelier upon which the Master of Ceremonies descended in
the opening number of CABARET were built by Prop Carpenter
Erik Lindquist. The chandelier was crafted from 1½” square steel
box tube, expanded steel mesh, wrought iron detail and assorted
lamp parts. We have no idea how much it weighs, so don’t ask.
The Giant Movie Contract unrolled across the stage in LAUREL
AND HARDY is 132” long and features language from Charles
Laughton’s 1932 MGM contract.
Though the two upstage table lamps in the Kit Kat Klub were
hard-wired directly into the Quadracci Powerhouse lighting
system, the two downstage lamps were battery-powered and
radio controlled so that they could be picked up and carried
offstage without being unplugged, but would still dim up and
down with the appropriate light cues when in place.
All 25 Japanese paper lanterns in the Engagement Party scene in CABARET were actually made
of nylon for durability, and were hand-dyed and hand-painted by Prop Crafts Artisan Sarah Heck.
No liquid was killed to make these cocktails. In order to avoid breakage, spillage and subsequent
slippage on the dance floor in the Kit Kat Klub, the glasses of champagne and martinis (2 olives,
please) in CABARET were made by Props Artisan Anna Warren of poured resins in acrylic glassware.
Each glass had a metal disc on its base that corresponded to a magnet under the surface of the
serving trays, so that the servers could move quickly and gracefully without fear of toppling drinks.
We called them “magnetinis.”
These are just a few of the fun facts from the wonderful world of The Rep’s Production departments.
Jim Guy, Properties Director/Fun Fact Expert
MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER • Winter 2010 • 16
Radio in CABARET. Gerard Nuegent and
William Theisen in The Rep’s 2010/11
production of LAUREL AND HARDY. Photos
by Michael Brosilow.