MCT BOARD MEMBER PROFILE: Rachel Borens

by Max Seigle
 
1. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN MILWAUKEE?

I’m originally from the Wausau area in Central Wisconsin. I moved to Milwaukee to attend Marquette University and fell in love with the area. I went on to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison but moved back to Milwaukee in 2008 and have been here ever since. I continue to enjoy all of the things about Milwaukee that I fell in love with while at Marquette; great restaurants and theatre, festivals, events and many opportunities for outdoor activities.

Rachel Borens

2. HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATRE?

Fellow board member Mickey Ripp, father of a good friend of mine, invited me to the final show of the 2014-2015 MCT season. We saw JEEVES TAKES A BOW as part of a group coming from the Wisconsin Club. We had dinner first and then took a shuttle over to the theatre. It was such a fun show and a great experience to go with the group. I remember the show was in the Cabot Theatre. I thought the venue was really spectacular because you wouldn’t expect what it looks like from the outside. It has a little bit of an “old world feel” to it. We sat up in the dress circle balcony and had a unique view of the performance. I’ve even kept my subscription seats in the same spot. This past season, I hosted my own group outings to BOEING BOEING and FALLEN ANGELS. I invited friends to meet at the Milwaukee Athletic Club for drinks and appetizers and then go see the show together. It has been really nice to share the kind of experience I had with Mickey Ripp. I try to take care of the logistics for people, make it an event, and let them enjoy the night. My guests have really enjoyed this, and they are already excited for next season’s theme of “Misfits.”

3. FAVORITE PLAY OR PLAYS?

My first play as a board member was BOEING BOEING. It was such fun show with great characters, bright colors, and a real “crowd-pleaser.” The whole group of friends that I brought for an after-work event on a Thursday evening thoroughly enjoyed it.

4. FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTORS?

I liked the real-life married couple Tami Workentin and James Pickering in LOVE STORIES this past season I thought that it was such a neat premise that they were acting together and injected their own life into the performance. I also liked the two women in FALLEN ANGELS. All the dialogue back-and-forth between them was terrific.

5. YOU ARE A NEW BOARD MEMBER AT MCT. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO JOIN THE BOARD?

I’ve enjoyed all different kinds of performances and theatre in Milwaukee since moving back here. When I was invited to join the board, I thought it would be a great chance to get involved in the city’s artistic culture from the inside and contribute more personally to the arts in Milwaukee. My hope is to help keep the theatre scene vibrant here and bring new people to MCT who might not otherwise come. Personally, this is the first board that I’ve sat on. I’m enjoying the interaction with a diverse group of people and getting the chance to meet the actors on occasion. This is something outside of my work and existing circles, kind of a “branching out” experience for me and getting to know more of Milwaukee. As a new board member, I am also enjoying the chance to read the plays before the performances. Often, what comes to mind while you’re reading is so different from how the story comes to life onstage.

6. WHAT DO YOU DO PROFESSIONALLY?

I’m a pharmacist for Aurora Healthcare. I have been working for Aurora since 2008. I’m based at a retail pharmacy that is part of a clinic in Glendale and have managed the location for the past five years. I enjoy the interaction with patients and the relationships I form with them. I’ll typically see patients once a month when they come to pick up their prescriptions, much more frequently than they see their doctors. It’s a nice opportunity to make a difference on a pretty regular basis. I have actually worked in pharmacies since high school. I always liked math and science, and knew that this was a track I wanted to stay with for my career. I have a Pharm.D degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

7. WHAT YOU DO FOR FUN? ANY HOBBIES?

I love being out and about in Milwaukee and trying new restaurants. I enjoy running and biking in the summer along the Oak Leaf Trail. I also love to travel. I try to go on an international trip every year. Argentina has been on my list for a while now, and I am planning to go to this fall. I have enjoyed trips to Barcelona, France, Mexico and Italy in recent years. This past May, I was able to travel to Italy with my parents, brother and sister-in-law and my boyfriend. I had been there before but it was a great experience to travel as a family, and take my parents who have always wanted to go to Italy. Rome is one of my favorite cities. I just love the old next to the new, history everywhere you look, always a gelato stand in striking distance and amazing food. It’s beautiful and walkable, and lovely to do the stroll in the evening past all the iconic fountains and monuments. I also enjoy visiting friends and family in the United States, including a cousin in Seattle. Pike Place Market, with the amazing seafood, is a favorite spot

8. FAVORITE WISCONSIN SPOT THAT NEVER GETS OLD?

Door County has always been a special place for my family. We grew up going there every weekend in the summer and had a permanent spot at a campground. We had our bikes, our campground had a pool, tennis court and we explored all around. The Eagle Trail at Peninsula State Park was one of our favorite hiking spots, wrapping right along the limestone bluffs around the edge of the peninsula. During holidays in the summer, our extended family often joined us. Now, I try to go at least once a year, and sometimes in the off season in the winter when it’s a little less crowded. It’s a nice getaway experience and still a favorite place to go. My aunt and uncle just finished building a home there and are going to retire in Door County, so we’ll be able to continue the tradition of going up there as a big family group.

9. FAVORITE SUMMER FESTIVAL IN MILWAUKEE?

Polish Fest. I’m a closet polka dancer. We grew up polka dancing in my family. Although I’m not Polish, I’m 100 percent German, we would have polka bands at my aunt and uncle’s weddings when I was growing up. We liked it and everybody had fun dancing. There are not too many polka weddings anymore, so it is fun having the chance to dance at Polish Fest. Polka is faced-paced and lively with a lot of hopping and spinning. Watching other talented dancers is almost as much fun as dancing yourself. I remember at a recent Polish Fest, there was a band with mother, father and six or seven kids performing together. Everyone was playing an instrument, they were really good and all having a good time performing. The dancing and music, with good food and beer, makes a good time for all.

10. FAVORITE PLACE TO HAVE DINNER BEFORE AN MCT SHOW?

I enjoy Hinterland on Erie Street. They have the option of doing the full restaurant or having a smaller bite in the lounge. They are friendly when you walk in and always coming up with something new on the menu. They also have a great bed and breakfast, the Whistling Swan in Door County, which I highly recommend.

11. ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU’RE A PART OF THAT YOU ENJOY AND WHAT WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT?

I am a member at Saints Peter and Paul Parish on the East Side. We do some great things for the community, like our collaboration with the Riverwest Food Pantry. We collect donations weekly and offer fresh produce grown at our community garden in the summer and fall. I am also a member of the Evening Mass Choir. We sing at the 7 p.m. mass on Sundays. I enjoyed singing in the Liturgical Choir while I was at Marquette University, and am now enjoying the musical outlet of our casual, small group choir on Sunday evenings at Saints Peter and Paul.

12. BACK TO MCT: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE IN THE AREA TO KNOW ABOUT THIS THEATRE COMPANY WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH IT?

I think a lot of people have seen shows at some of the bigger theatres in the city, like the Marcus Center, and may not know about us. I feel our smaller size makes MCT more accessible and offers more interaction with the audience, especially with the Studio Theatre. It’s a more intimate experience there. There is also a broad range of shows each season featuring local actors. I like that we have a theme that ties all of the shows together.

MCT BOARD MEMBER PROFILE: Keith Anderson

by Max Seigle

1. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN MILWAUKEE?
I was born and raised in Milwaukee on the Northwest side. I’ve been here all my life other than my college years spent at the University of Illinois in Champaign. I came back in 1966, landed a job here and spent my professional career working in architecture. My wife and I currently live in Whitefish Bay.

Board Member Keith Anderson

2. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE AT THE MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATRE?
My first connection to MCT was actually through my job in the 1980’s. I was working with Clair Richardson. He was the founder of Skylight and a prominent member of the Milwaukee theatre community at the time. I helped him redesign a theatre space across from Cathedral Square where MCT was also performing shows in its early days, and that’s how I first became acquainted with the company. I have been an MCT subscriber ever since.

3. FAVORITE PLAY OR PLAYS?
I loved THE TRAIN DRIVER last season. I also loved LEND ME A TENOR. As a board member, I really enjoy when Michael Wright, our Artistic Director, brings in models of the show sets; that appeals to my mindset as an architect. I remember when he came in with the set for LEND ME A TENOR and his line was, “This is not shtick but is has six doors.” I loved that line! Anyone who knows comedy knows there are usually a lot of doors involved, people coming and going.

4. FAVORITE ACTOR?
I love James Ridge. He’s a marvelous actor. I remember seeing him playing a librarian in a one-man show. It was called UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL back in 2013. I’m also a fan of Jim Pickering, who was in LOVE STORIES this past fall. He is one of those actors in play after play after play, and I don’t remember a clinker. He’s just a good actor.

5. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO JOIN THE BOARD?
The first reason was George Mosher. He’s a former MCT board member and someone I worked with professionally. When I met George, we hit it off immediately and not too long afterwards, he asked me to join the board. I then had the chance to meet with MCT’s Artistic Director Michael Wright and Managing Director Kirsten Mulvey. When we met in a sort of interview process for the board, that just fanned the fire. I knew I really wanted to be involved in this theatre. I so appreciate Michael’s vision of promoting “quality literature” in theatre; it appeals to me. I think one of the advantages we’ve had at MCT is that we really do good plays all the time.

I also joined as a way to give back to my hometown. Many people feel very fortunate in where they are in life and what they’ve accomplished and I am one of those people. I never thought that I’d run an architecture firm for 25 years. For me internally, that makes it imperative to look at the community of which I’m a part and see what I can do to give back. It can be something that you truly enjoy at a gut level and MCT has been that for me. I’ve been on the board since 2008.

6. YOU ARE A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE MCT BOARD. ANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU’RE ESPECIALLY PROUD OF UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP?
The thing that I’m most proud of is that we were able to maintain a high quality of literary plays, while also enhancing the budget. Theatre can be a tough business, especially when people don’t have as much discretionary income. But I do think we’re in a decent financial place and it’s getting better.

7. WHAT DO YOU DO PROFESSIONALLY?
I spent my career as an architect and ran a firm in Milwaukee for 25 years called Engberg Anderson Architects. I retired in 2013.

8. WHAT YOU DO FOR FUN? ANY HOBBIES?
When I was young, I was into all kinds of sports, like golf and basketball. I still play a lot of golf but no more basketball. At one time, I was known as the city’s leading authority on croquet because I founded the Milwaukee Croquet Club in the mid-90s. I still play today. Since I retired, I love spending time outdoors doing almost anything you can possibly think of, biking, cross-country skiing in the winter, taking hikes, anywhere you can get out in nature. My wife and I have also started to travel more in retirement. We’ve been to the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu. I’ve been to Churchill Manitoba on Tundra Buggies to observe the polar bear fall migration. This spring we went on a Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona around the boot of Italy and back up to Venice. This fall, we’re planning a bicycle tour overseas in Slovenia, Austria and Italy.

One of my favorite places in the world is Alaska. I just think it’s exquisitely beautiful. I drove out there 37 years ago with my eight-year-old son and spent a month camping in the back country. I remember coming across a black bear cub and then the mother appeared and started running after us. Luckily, our van wasn’t too far away. I don’t think the slide door of a Volkswagen Camper Van has ever been opened and closed so quickly!

9. FAVORITE WISCONSIN SPOT THAT NEVER GETS OLD?
Anything along the water. I used to spend time in my single days at places like Harrington Beach and Lyons Den Park near Grafton. I’m fortunate enough to own a lake cottage on Upper Lake Nashotah near Oconomowoc. On weekends in the summer, we just send a message out to our friends to join us for a float boat tour and cook out. We call it “Open Sunday” at the lake.

10. FAVORITE SUMMER FESTIVAL IN MILWAUKEE?
Summerfest. My son and his family, who live in Portland, Oregon, are coming this summer to visit that week and see the festival.

11. ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU’RE A PART OF THAT YOU ENJOY AND  WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT?
I am President of the Board at “Impact” in Milwaukee. They run the “211 program.” People can call that number when they are “down and out” and don’t know where to turn. The counselors recommend places to go and appropriate services. They work with everyone from the homeless to a family worried about their child’s addiction problem. The testimonials that we get back are enough to tear your heart out.

12. BACK TO MCT: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE IN THE AREA TO KNOW ABOUT THIS THEATRE COMPANY WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH IT?
Come and see us, because I believe if you do, you will come again. You will almost assuredly enjoy yourself and realize on the way home that it was worth your time to come and see a Chamber Theatre performance. It’s entertainment, for sure; sometimes it’s humorous and just for some fun and sometimes it’s a more serious production. I know from personal experience that people my wife and I have invited to a show have returned on a regular basis, even some folks who were hesitant at first. I think that’s a big part of our success, inviting friends and colleagues who eventually get hooked!