Past Performances

2012

O.O.T.

An original hybrid performance work about life, death and theater, Theatre Gigante’s O.O.T takes a look at how we live today.  Working with a company of artists from different backgrounds and mediums, Gigante directors Isabelle Kralj & Mark Anderson combine artistic genres, elements and styles with insight and humor, challenging themselves and their audience to find new ideas in the theatre experience.

cast
Mark Anderson
Deborah Clifton
Iain Court
Elizabeth Johnson
John Kishline
Isabelle Kralj
Tom Simpson
Malcolm Tulip
Ashley Sprecher
Marissa Waraksa

Directed & Choreographed by Isabelle Kralj

Scenic Design by Rick Graham
Lighting Design by Nathan Booth

O.O.T. is written by Isabelle Kralj & Mark Anderson, with additional writing by Australian writer Michael Leunig, Tom Simpson, Ashley Sprecher, Malcolm Tulip, and bits and pieces from the cast, developed through improvisation.

2011

SHADES OF GRAY

Spalding Gray sat onstage at a table and talked, and told his stories – “poetic journalism” – about his life, and with charm and wit and vulnerability, he drew you into his world of awe and reflection and pain and humor. He opened his life and heart for inspection, revealed himself as someone just like you, who did what he did and then wondered about it, out loud, in public, at a table, on a stage. Since his tragic death in 2004, his work and his words have been brought out to his public in many ways, and with Shades of Gray, Theatre Gigante presents as much of Spalding as we can, for your viewing, thinking and feeling pleasure. Co-conceived by Gray’s wife Kathleen Russo, Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell interweaves his well-loved stories, unpublished letters and journal entries into a funny, poignant and life-affirming evening of theater performed by a cast of five.

Featuring John Kishline, Marcie Hoffman, Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson, with guest performers Dan Mooney, Deborah Clifton and Holly Hughes, and Lighting Design by Nathan Booth.

ISADORA and NIJINSKY

Written and performed by Isabelle Kralj, Mark Anderson and Ed Burgess, Isadora & Nijinsky combines a study of two of the 20th Century’s most innovative and radical dance makers, Isadora Duncan and Vaslav Nijinsky, as people, artists and icons, with some playful probing into the nature of creativity. Isadora & Nijinsky both burned brightly, and through their work, shifted the course of history, each in their own way.

Scenic & Lighting Design by Rick Graham, video projections by Iain Court and Bethany Armstrong, of artwork by Schomer Lichtner.

2010

THE LEARS

Theatre Gigante lights up the dark places of love, family and power, with The Lears, a hybrid theatrical work inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear. Exploring the far reaches of theater, Kralj & Anderson blend dialogue, music and video to re-tell this classic in an innovative way that speaks to our contemporary life, inviting the audience in to consider new perspectives on familial relationships, honesty, jealousy and greed.

Featuring John Kishline, Leslie Fitzwater, Jennifer Rupp, Shawn Smith, Kralj, Anderson, and musicians Seth Warren-Crow and Aaron Gardner, with video/visuals by Iain Court, and lights by Nathan Booth.

THREE OTHER SISTERS

A haunting story of love, loyalty, and unrequited passion, Three Other Sisters, written by Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson, is based on a Montenegran legend of three sisters all in love with the same sea captain, waiting at their windows in vain for his return.

Performed by Janet Lilly, Simone Ferro, Isabelle Kralj, and Slovenian singer/songwriter Vlado Kreslin.
With percussion by Seth Warren-Crow, Scenic Design by Rick Graham and Lighting Design by Nathan Booth.

2009

A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

THE BEGGAR’S OPERA

2008

ANTIGONE

THE PERFECT CANDIDATE

2007

SPALDING GRAY: STORIES LEFT TO TELL

DOWN & PERSONAL

2006

WOYZECK

MRS. SHAKESPEARE DISHES THE DIRT

2005

THE MUSEUM OF LIFE AND DEATH

2004

FAIR & BALANCED

MY DEAR OTHELLO…

2003

PIAF

Created, directed and choreographed by Isabelle Kralj, based on the life of Edith Piaf, with Leslie Fitzwater as Piaf, and performers Kralj, Mark Anderson, Alison Kaminsky, Marcos deJesus, Shawn Smith and accordionist Tom Kanack; with scenic and lighting design by Rick Graham, and scenery designed and painted by Schomer Lichtner.

2002

PETRUSHKA

Repeat of 2001 production

DEAD POET’S THEATER

Short plays by Frank O’Hara, directed by Isabelle Kralj and Wes Savick, performed by Kralj, Anderson, Shawn Smith, Jane Kramer.

HOMEWORDS

Connecting Communities project, created in collaboration with visual artist Sharon McConnell, at the John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

15th ANNIVERSARY SHOW

Featuring Frank O’Hara plays, and BOTTOM’S UP, co-created by Kralj & Anderson and Wes Savick.  Performers included Kralj, Anderson, Shawn Smith, Marcie Hoffman, Ed Jenkins.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

remounting of 1996 production

2001

MY ELEPHANT DREAM

Created and performed by Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson, with music composed and performed by Frank Pahl.

PETRUSHKA

Created by Isabelle Kralj & Mark Anderson, choreographed and directed by Kralj; performed by Kralj, Anderson, James Butchart and Ed Burgess; featuring a set designed and painted by Schomer Lichtner, and lighting design by Rick Graham.

2000

BETWEEN YOU AND ME

Featuring original solos and duets by Isabelle Kralj, Ed Burgess, Andy Kirshner, Mark Anderson, with James Butchart, and music by Dan Dance.

1998

10th ANNIVERSARY SHOW

With Isabelle Kralj, Ed Burgess, Guy Klucevsek, Mark Anderson, Tadej Brdnik, others.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

repeat of 1996 production

1997

DANCES WITH A BUTTON BOX

Choreography by Isabelle Kralj, Tadej Brdnik and others, set to compositions performed live by Guy Klucevsek. Including He, She and Guy, created by Kralj & Mark Anderson, performed by Kralj and Gregg Willis.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

repeat of 1996 production

1996

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Choreographed and directed by Isabelle Kralj, adapted by Mark Anderson, with Kralj, Leslie Fitzwater, James Butchart, Anina Bacon, David Rommel, others. Lighting by Andrew Myers.

1995

1994

1993

1992

5th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

A SOLDIER’S TALE

repeat of 1990 production

1991

YERMA

A Flamenco ballet, choreographed by Susana di Palma, with Isabelle Kralj, Carlos Fittante, Diego Carrasco and Michael Griffin.

1990

A SOLDIER’S TALE

By Igor Stravinsky, choreographed and directed by Isabelle Kralj, with Present Music. Featuring Isabelle Kralj, Cynthia Schowalter, Jonathan Stahl, James Butchart, Sharon McQueen, Michael Victor Mendelson and Marc Darling.

1989

MDT MEETS MOZART

Created and directed by Isabelle Kralj, with Jonathan Stahl, Norman Moses, Paula Weber, Leslie Fitzwater, Diane Lane, John Armstrong, Jeanine Grainger, Eric Overbee and featuring La Petits Rien, choreographed by Catherine Turocy.

1988

MATI DOMOVINA BOG

Created and directed by Isabelle Kralj, based on Slovenian history and literature.

1987

THE COMPANY IS INCORPORATED AS MILWAUKEE DANCE THEATRE

THE BAILIFF YERNEY

Created and directed by Isabelle Kralj, based on the novel by Slovenian writer, Ivan Cankar.