Today on the Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Dr. Damita Brown, Rána Roman and Director Brent Hazelton join us from the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre join us to talk about their upcoming presentation of MALA by Melinda Lopez, a darkly funny tale about what it means to put our loved ones first as a daughter confronts and struggles with her mother’s aging.
Tickets and More on MALA and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre: https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/mala
More on Melinda Lopez: https://www.melindalopez.com/
Provided Photos
Brent Hazelton (Director) Prior to joining Milwaukee Chamber Theatre as Artistic Director, Whitewater native Brent Hazelton spent 20 seasons at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, including ten as Associate Artistic Director. From 2003 to 2010, he expanded The Rep’s Artistic Internship Program into one of regional theater’s premier professional transition programs, and from 2011 to 2019 built and led the John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development program, including supervising the development of nearly two dozen commissioned and world premiere plays. Artistically at The Rep, Brent wrote and directed LIBERACE!, conceived the premiere and 2019 installments of REP LAB, directed SONG MAN DANCE MAN, HOW THE WORLD BEGAN, THE WHIPPING MAN, the final installment of the Hanreddy/Morgan A CHRISTMAS CAROL, MCGUIRE, OUR TOWN, and GUARDS AT THE TAJ. Three of those productions set all-time Rep sales records, and he remains one of only three directors to have staged productions in all four of The Rep’s current venues. He directed MCT’s 20/21 virtual production of UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL, is thrilled to make his in-person MCT directing debut with MALA, and will also direct INDECENT coming up in MCT’s 21/22 season. A proud co-founder of the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival, Brent serves on the MBTF Leadership Committee. As an institutional leader, he is eager to explore how a regional theater can speak directly to the experience of its community and include everyone who chooses to call it home in that conversation.
Rána Roman (MALA) is a Milwaukee native and a proud graduate of the Milwaukee H.S. of the Arts. She is honored to be back at MCT bringing this beautiful story to life. Rána’s previous collaborations with MCT include VANYA AND SONYA AND MASHA AND SPIKE (Cassandra) and LEND ME A TENOR (Maria). Most recently she was seen reprising her role as Mrs. Cratchit in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Milwaukee Rep. In the world that was before, Rána had the pleasure of performing in KISS ME KATE (Lily/Kate) at Skylight Music Theatre, ON THE WINGS OF A MARIPOSA (Mámi) at First Stage, and in LIFE SUCKS (Ella) at Forward Theater of Madison, where she is also a BIOGRAPHIES c o n t. 8 Milwaukee Chamber Theatre member of the Advisory Company. She is deeply grateful for all the hard work and compassion that has gone into getting our doors open again. Thank you all, for taking care of yourselves and in turn taking care of us all. Through our stories, life goes on. This performance is dedicated to my incredible mother, Sara. You made Me.