Milwaukee Rep unveils reimagined Herro-Franke Studio Theater, completing major phase of Associated Bank Theater Center

A renovated black-box venue comes online as part of Milwaukee Rep’s multi-year campus overhaul

Milwaukee Repertory Theater has released a first look at its reimagined Herro-Franke Studio Theater, a renovated performance space designed to expand the company’s capacity for intimate, flexible productions. The updated venue is part of Phase II of the Associated Bank Theater Center project, a multi-year redevelopment of the organization’s downtown Milwaukee campus in a former powerplant it has occupied since 1987.

The broader theater center project has modernized and expanded the complex and, for the first time, physically connected its venues through a shared multi-level lobby within a newly constructed glass connector building. The campus includes three performance spaces: the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater, the Herro-Franke Studio Theater and the Stackner Cabaret, alongside the Herzfeld Foundation Education & Engagement Center.

What’s changing inside the Herro-Franke Studio Theater

The renovated studio is intended to function as a flexible black-box space, with a reconfigurable layout that can support multiple stage-and-seating arrangements. Milwaukee Rep has said the redesigned room includes modular platforms and flexible seating capacity that can be adjusted to accommodate approximately 182 to 224 patrons, depending on configuration. The organization has also described expanded production capabilities meant to support larger casts and more complex staging than previously possible in the studio setting.

The Herro-Franke name reflects a major philanthropic gift tied to the redevelopment effort. The naming donation was also structured to support both capital work and new-play development, aligning the studio’s mission with commissioning and presenting contemporary theater.

Opening production and timeline

The theater’s first production is scheduled to be the Midwest premiere of McNeal, a new work by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Ayad Akhtar. The run is set for Feb. 10 through March 22, 2026. The opening is positioned as the capstone of Phase II construction at the Associated Bank Theater Center, following earlier project milestones that brought other parts of the campus online ahead of the 2025–26 season.

How the studio fits into the larger redevelopment

The Associated Bank Theater Center redevelopment has been framed as a combination of performance upgrades, accessibility improvements and expanded community-facing facilities. In addition to the three connected theaters, the campus includes dedicated education space intended to support student and community programming.

Milwaukee Rep’s 2025–26 season was scheduled to align with construction timelines, with programming spread across the renovated venues and the company’s continuing holiday production of A Christmas Carol at the Pabst Theater.

• Venue: Herro-Franke Studio Theater (flexible black-box)
• Initial seating range: approximately 182–224, depending on configuration
• Debut production: McNeal (Feb. 10–March 22, 2026)
• Part of: Associated Bank Theater Center Phase II completion

The renovated studio is intended to increase flexibility for staging while expanding technical and production capacity within Milwaukee Rep’s smallest venue footprint.