Moments of today...

At least 33 people attended the meeting today, separated by varying backgrounds but unified under one goal: to discuss positive action concerning our future as Milwaukee artists. While we all anxiously wait for the videos to be posted, here are some quotes that sum up the day for all of us:

"I want to come back to the community I grew up in"
-Katherine Duffy

"Our teachers aren't replaceable"
-Erin Long

"[our mentors/teachers] helped me be the artist I am today, but more importantly they helped me be the person I am today"
- Elyse Edyleman

"They gave us confidence, we owe it to them"
-Chris Clowers

"[this issue] transcends the walls of institutions. Milwaukee is one of the few cities that's truly a community... that treats actors well."
-Alan Piotrowicz

"Let's make sure Milwaukee, Wisconsin remains on the map"
-Stacey Meyer

"It's not two teams against each other"
-Katherine Duffy

"So many people are so willing to give time and positive energy to fix this"
-Erin Long

"I received a lot of support from professionals in the community, that's the main reason why we're here"
-Alan Piotrowicz

"You are one of the most important factors in the whole equation"
-Norman Moses

"There can be no theatre without the business side of it... we're in this to tell stories, and we can't tell those stories without an audience, the management provides that opportunity... we can't blame it just on management."
-JJ Phillips

"It's a wake-up call, there's a lot that goes into maintaining a successful theatre community."
-JJ Phillips

"It's a theatre community, not just about one building"
-Eddie Crise

"I'm learning so much about the business aspect I never would have thought of"
-Gretchen Mahkorn

"I don't want to have to go to Chicago or New York because in Milwaukee actor's aren't treated well"
-Nathan Butchart

"We have a very nurturing community we can all tap back into"
-JJ Phillips

"An art gallery can take dead people and sell their art. A theater needs live artists."
-Colin Cabot

"There are all sorts of things beyond money we have to talk about"
-Colin Cabot

"Art thrives in controversy"
-Leslie Fitzwater