Milwaukee Repertory Theater loses millions in equipment during floods
By Ryan Amundson, MMAC Sr. Director of Communications
When Chad Bauman, Ellen & Joe Checota Executive Director of Milwaukee Repertory Theater, was woken early on the morning of Aug. 10 after a security call from their production facility in Wauwatosa, the prevailing thought was an attempted break-in.
The facility, located just off the Menomonee River Parkway in Wauwatosa, was not a victim of an intruder. It instead fell victim to the region’s biggest flooding event in memory.
“If you look at the timeline of the flooding, around 4 a.m. the Menomonee River was at 2 feet and by 10 a.m. it was 14 feet,” he said. “When we looked at our security footage, we could see water entering the facility around 4 a.m., which is what trips the security alarm. Then it just continued to rise until midday.”
The historic weather event dumped up to 15 inches of water in some areas of the region. Many homes and businesses along the Menomonee River in Wauwatosa were hit particularly hard.
Bauman said their facility serves as storage for tens of thousands of props, costumes, pieces as well as sound and lighting equipment and much more. Much of that property destroyed, not only by the surging flood water, but by sewage backup. Bauman said the depth of the water averaged about four feet throughout the theater company’s 30,000 square-foot offsite facility.
“The more complicating factor was that it wasn’t just flood water,” said Bauman. “It was mixed about 50/50 with sewage. Anything the water touched became contaminated and unsalvageable.”
The Rep does carry flood insurance, which will defray losses on a large portion of the damaged property, but Bauman thinks it will exceed their coverage.
“It seems like every other day we’re encountering new damages that we hadn’t expected,” said Bauman. “I think at the end of the day the number will be somewhere between $7 and 8 million dollars.”
Bauman said the timing couldn’t be worse. The Rep is putting the finishing touches on renovations to its downtown Associated Bank Theater Center to open a 12-show, 2025/26 season in October. The revamped theater is the product of a successful, years-long $80 million capital campaign. Now the theater will likely have to make an ask of donors to help after this weather catastrophe.
“It’s becoming more and more clear that we’re going to have a delta between our losses and the insurance payout,” he said. “Now a significant part of my job will be fundraising.”
The Rep has provided a link on their website with more information about the flood damage and an opportunity for people to donate in the recovery effort.
