Local themes in spotlight this week

The Rep’s “Ten Chimneys” offers an imagined glimpse of the Lunt-Fontanne estate at Genesee Depot.

Theater

Almost everyone needs a personal retreat, a place to recover from the regular world. For theater legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, that place was Ten Chimneys, their estate in Genesee Depot. But in Ten Chimneys, the Milwaukee Rep’s opening show of the season, that retreat is shattered when the Lunts bring friends to Genesee Depot to rehearse an upcoming production of Chekhov’s The Seagull. Art begins to imitate life, and love triangles blossom, wreaking havoc on the peaceful retreat. It’s all a “what if” scenario, as it turns out — but what a great “what if” it really is. Ten Chimneys will open at the Rep’s Quadracci Powerhouse on August 30 and run through Sept. 25, with tickets ranging from $10 to $65. For more information on showtimes or to purchase tickets, visit the Rep’s website or call (414) 224-9490.

Arsenic and Old Lace has been a staple of theaters, community and professional, almost since its first performance nearly 70 years ago. The Sunset Playhouse, in Elm Grove, is taking it up once again. The black comedy focuses on the addled Brewster family, notably a pair of venerable aunts who have spontaneously decided to start killing lonely lodgers at their rooming house, much to the horror of their nephew, Mortimer. The show opens Thursday, Sept. 1, and runs through Sept. 18, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 5 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $20 general admission with senior and student tickets $16. To purchase tickets or for more information, contact the box office at (262) 782-4430 or online.

“Contents Under Pressure” (detail), by Milwaukee painter Julian Correa, is one of the 10 pieces in the Haggerty’s “Current Tendencies II” exhibition.

Visual Art

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That looks to be the Haggerty Museum of Art’s mentality as they launch the opening reception for their new exhibit this week: Current Tendencies II. Last year, the Haggerty offered varied works by 10 Wisconsin artists under the title of Current Tendencies. They’re retrying the idea with another set of artists. They work in a variety of media, including photography, painting, video and sculpture. Some pieces were made specially for this exhibit. Current Tendencies II runs through Dec. 31. The opening reception begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. Visit the Haggerty’s website for museum hours and more information.

 Special Events

Made in Milwaukee gives local vendors a chance to shine in Cathedral Square Park.

Milwaukee’s the city of festivals, but one that gets to the heart of the city in a way most others don’t: Made in Milwaukee. For one day, Cathedral Square Park  fills with art, music, food, drink and almost everything else made in the Cream City. Among the things to watch out for: the East Town Farmer’s Market in the morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the MiM Fashion show at 9 p.m., and the Milwaukee Film Festival’s booth, where they’ll be releasing the list of movies included in the late-September event. And do stop by the TCD booth and say hi for the opportunity to be pictured in a photo booth experience that’s truly iconic.

The Milwaukee Public Theater’s All-People’s Parade emphasizes community involvement and transformation. Photo by Michael W. Pettit.

Most parades are passive affairs: The public merely watches a select few march by in full regalia. The 3^rd Annual All-City People’s Parade changes that. Spearheaded by the Milwaukee Public Theatre, the parade, comprising puppets, masks and floats, is made entirely by members of the Milwaukee community, all rallying around the idea of “Metamorphosis.” Their working space is among the many things being changed by the parade: Once the Linens ‘n Things in Grand Avenue Mall, it’s now a manic-looking hub of creative processes. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. on Sept. 5, as part of Milwaukee’s Labor Day Parade down Wisconsin Avenue. Volunteer participants should meet at Zeidler Park (4^th and Michigan) at 9 a.m.

American Players Theatre: Blithe Spirit, through Sept. 9

APT: The Critic, through Sept. 10

APT: The Cure at Troy, through Sept. 25

APT: The Tempest, through Sept. 30

APT: Of Mice and Men, through Oct. 1

APT: The Taming of the Shrew, through Oct. 2

APT: The Glass Menagerie, through Oct. 15

APT: Crime and Punishment, through Oct. 16

Fireside Theater: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, through Oct. 23

Last Chance

Boulevard Theatre: Circle Mirror Transformation, through Sept. 4