Next Act Theatre

09/14/2026

“I love this play because the playwright cares for these people lovingly,” TRAYF director Elyse Edelman said to the Shepherd Express. "It’s one of my favorite plays that I’ve ever read, because I felt so seen and so cared for.” Elyse and actor A.J. Magoon sat down for a conversation about TRAYF, the Wisconsin Premiere play by Lindsay Joelle that opens THIS WEEK! Read the full interview, then get your tickets!

📰: https://shepherdexpress.com/culture/theater/trayf-is-a-play-about-love-with-no-shtick/
🎟: https://nextact.org/show/trayf/

09/11/2026

"Full steam ahead!" ⚡️

Artistic Director Cody Estle sat down with MKE Lifestyle Magazine to talk about our exciting 26-27 season. "I think this season we’ve done a good job of picking important stories that are hopeful, uplifting, entertaining, and with real meat to them," he said. That includes our season opener, TRAYF, which begins performances next week, as well as the World Premiere of Heidi Armbruster's THE BOYS FROM BARABOO! Read the whole article, then get tickets for some of the most exciting plays we've ever put on our stage (or get season tickets for access to ALL of them)!

📰: https://www.mkelifestyle.com/artsandculture/a-season-of-firsts-and-fresh-voices/article_b6da8d48-dd29-4895-89b3-632779ce9010.html
🎟: https://nextact.org/whats-on/shows/

09/10/2026

Rachael Zientek returns to the Next Act stage as Jonathan's steadfast girlfriend Leah in TRAYF by Lindsay Joelle! You may recognize Rachael from ALMOST, MAINE at Next Act Theatre or from other appearances with Forward Theater, Renaissance Theaterworks, Skylight Music Theatre, First Stage, Northern Sky Theater and others. Come see Rachael and the rest of our remarkable cast when TRAYF opens NEXT WEEK! Get tickets now by calling (414) 278-0765 or at https://nextact.org/show/trayf/

09/09/2026

Monday, December 21, the day after THE BOYS FROM BARABOO closes, come enjoy a one-night-only staged reading of an electrifying adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's most famous mysteries. Join us for THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD, adapted by Heidi Armbruster from the novel by Agatha Christie and directed by Linda Fortunato, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are only $28!

The murder of Roger Ackroyd sends shockwaves through the tightknit community of King’s Abbot, a drowsy village now awash with suspicion and secrecy. Not to fear: a certain mustachioed Belgian detective is on the case! This highly theatrical adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1926 masterpiece delves deep into the human psyche in an intricate dance with truth and deception, as Heidi Armbruster crafts a shockingly modern-feeling whodunnit.

This one-night reading features Tracy Michelle Arnold, Maya Danks, Lee Ernst, Dimonte Henning, Kynkade McLachlan, Gabriel Rodriguez and Mark Ulrich. With only one performance, once tickets are gone, they're gone! Don't miss out - secure your seats at https://nextact.org/show/roger-ackroyd-reading/ or call (414) 278-0765.

09/08/2026

Did you catch Next Act on the news? TRAYF director Elyse Edelman and actor A.J. Magoon appeared on FOX6 News Milwaukee this past Sunday to chat with anchor Bria Jones about Lindsay Joelle's delightful coming of age comedy. Performances start next week - watch the whole segment, then get your tickets!

📺: https://www.fox6now.com/video/fmc-ydqf3ug46k5h7a9s
🎟: https://nextact.org/show/trayf/

Next Act Theatre is opening its 2026-27 season with "TRAYF", a production about two Orthodox Jewish teens. Director Elyse Edelman and actor A.J. Magoon, joined us in the studio to discuss the upcoming play.

09/03/2026

Anything is possible, and everything is important. 🚐

Join us on a journey through 1990s New York City with Zalmy and Shmuel, two Orthodox Jewish best friends on a mission to grow up, find themselves and save the world. Performances of Lindsay Joelle's joyous comedy TRAYF begin September 16 - get tickets now by calling (414) 278-0765 or at https://nextact.org/show/trayf/

Videography and Editing by Traveling Lemur Productions

09/02/2026

The mobile clubhouse. The traveling temple. The Mitzvah Tank. As TRAYF is taking shape, so is our tank, which lives at the heart of Lindsay Joelle's remarkable play. You think it looks cool now? Just wait! Performances begin September 16. Get your motor running and come see what we have in store - get tickets now at https://nextact.org/show/trayf/

09/01/2026

Lucas Prizant makes his Next Act debut in TRAYF as the secular, edgy Jonathan! Lucas has appeared regionally with Utah Shakespeare Festival, Oak Park Festival Theatre and Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, among others, as well as on screen on Amazon Prime and NBC. Get to know Lucas - and the rest of our incredible cast - when performances of TRAYF start on September 16. Get tickets now at https://nextact.org/show/trayf/

08/31/2026

What is "trayf"? Yiddish for unclean and used to refer to both non-kosher foods and anything not Jewish or that's forbidden, trayf comes from a Hebrew word that means "torn." There's a lot of trayf in Lindsay Joelle's play: both non-kosher contraband and people being torn - torn between two worlds, torn apart by grief or torn about what choices to make next. You don't need to speak Yiddish to enjoy TRAYF - just be open to a story of love and self-discovery. Performances start September 16 - get tickets now at https://nextact.org/show/trayf/

Carrie Johns, Carter Bauer, Rachael Zientek, Lucas Prizant, A.J. Magoon and Alex Mitchell. Photo by Caroline Norton.