Download High-Resolution Images Ahead of Grand Opening
MILWAUKEE, WI – [October 6, 2025] – Milwaukee Repertory Theater is pleased to announce that high-resolution images of the nearly completed Associated Bank Theater Center are now available for download. After seven years of planning and nearly 240,000 construction work hours, these photos offer a first look at the groundbreaking new performance and community space, designed by EUA and theater consultants Fisher Dachs Associates, ahead of its ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening concert with Broadway legend Bernadette Peters on October 11, 2025.
The modernized and expanded 152,500-square-foot Associated Bank Theater Center encompasses the completely gutted and reimagined historic former powerplant that has been home to the theater since 1987. A newly constructed glass building connects all theaters in the complex to the shared multi-level lobby for the first time.
3 STATE-OF-THE-ART PERFORMANCE VENUES
- Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater
- Herro-Franke Studio Theater (to be completed in Phase II of construction in February 2026)
- Stackner Cabaret
EXPANDED SPACES AND SERVICES
- An impressive three level lobby with ample restrooms, readily available concessions and plenty of seating
- Event spaces, a full-service restaurant and an elegant donor lounge
- An innovative education center serving 20,000+ students annually
- Industry-leading accessibility programs and adaptive technology
These images provide a comprehensive look at the new Associated Bank Theater Center that will have its official Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Saturday, October 11 at 11am.
For more information visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.
The Associated Bank Theater Center
Milwaukee Rep’s capital project provides critical infrastructure updates to the theater’s more than a century old space, as well as updates to back-of-house and production technology to support increased performance capacity. The modernized and expanded 152,500-square-foot Associated Bank Theater Center, designed by EUA and theater consultants Fisher Dachs Associates, encompasses the completely gutted and reimagined historic former powerplant that has been home to the theater since 1987, and a newly constructed glass building that for the first time, connects all theaters in the complex to the shared multi-level lobby.
In addition to the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater, the complex includes the Herro-Franke Studio Theater, an intimate black box space designed for innovative and experimental works, and the Stackner Cabaret, a cabaret space renovated in 2018 by Uihlein-Wilson Architects for smaller productions and special events featuring a full pre-show dining experience.
Beyond the performance spaces, the Center houses the new 2,700-square-foot Herzfeld Foundation Education & Engagement Center, with classroom, rehearsal, and performance spaces that provide expanded educational programming for students and community members of all ages. Connecting all the theater and education spaces across the complex is the new Sandra & William Haack Galleria which includes pre-and post-show gathering spaces, fully accessible restrooms, a gift shop, and bars with food and beverage offerings.
About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Repertory Theater is one of the nation’s first regional theaters and Wisconsin’s largest performing arts organization, presenting a variety of world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and engage audiences. Led byEllen & Joe Checota Executive Director Chad Bauman and Artistic Director Mark Clements, Milwaukee Rep is as an anchoring civic, economic and cultural institution in the downtown Milwaukee Theater District. Through staging new plays, beloved classics, compelling dramas, and full-scale musicals from emerging and established voices; its John D. Lewis New Play Development Program that incubates new work from a wide spectrum of innovative voices; education initiatives that eliminate barriers to the arts; and community engagement programs that bring people together to explore new perspectives, Milwaukee Rep inspires meaningful dialogue and enacts positive change within the Milwaukee community. With the opening of its new home in the Associated Bank Theater Center, Milwaukee Rep will deepen and expand its reach with three state-of-the-art, fully accessible theaters, a dedicated education and engagement center, and a variety of welcoming community spaces. For more information, please visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.
