Bill Theisen, whose abrupt firing from his artistic director position at the Skylight Opera Theatre in June led to a summer of protests and turmoil, has been reappointed to his old job.
The appointment has a term that will expire at the end of the 2010-11 season.
The Skylight's board and staff leadership are in the early stages of a strategic planning process that will include an assessment of the company's longterm artistic structure. Theisen will direct up to two shows next season.
Former Skylight producer and managing director Colin Cabot has been serving as interim artistic director for the past several months.
Damien has been around so long, he was at Summerfest the night George Carlin was arrested for speaking the seven dirty words you can't say on TV. He was also at the Uptown Theatre the night Bruce Springsteen's first Milwaukee concert was interrupted for three hours by a bomb scare. Damien was reviewing the concert for the Milwaukee Journal. He wrote for the Journal and Journal Sentinel for 37 years, the last 29 as theater critic.
During those years, Damien served two terms on the board of the American Theatre Critics Association, a term on the board of the association's foundation, and he studied the Latinization of American culture in a University of Southern California fellowship program. Damien also hosted his own arts radio program, "Milwaukee Presents with Damien Jaques," on WHAD for eight years.
Travel, books and, not surprisingly, theater top the list of Damien's interests. A news junkie, he is particularly plugged into politics and international affairs, but he also closely follows the Brewers, Packers and Marquette baskeball. Damien lives downtown, within easy walking distance of most of the theaters he attends.
