Welcome to the Optimist Theatre / Shakespeare in the Park 2025 Cast and Crew Portal
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PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL - PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS URL
This page contains info you will need and things you will need to do. The URL is hidden from the main Optimist Theatre website menu. Please do not share it with anyone who is not a cast or crew member.
We are a big team with many moving parts so there may not be an opportunity to email you a heads up that new data has been added so please get in the habit of checking here for whatever you need to know or do. I will add to and update this page as quickly as we grow to create our event. HUGE APOLOGIES in advance if I have a delay in updating this page. NAVIGATING....
The quicklinks or search box should help you skip around to whatever you need to find. If any link isn't working right, please use the contact form to let me know. |
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Quicklinks to page contents... not necessarily in order if you simply scroll down.
The Team
Coming soon - who's doing what and contact information
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Associates Handbook
Optimist has an extensive Associates policies and procedures handbook that covers a wide variety of topics and expectations. The 2025 update is in process and will be posted here as soon as it's available. In the meantime, the 2022 updated version is here for your preview via this LINK.
Upload your W-9 or W-4
SECURE UPLOAD: Upload your IRS form W-9 (independent contractors) or W-4 (employees) here. Options are via the QR code or link below. You can upload it as a pdf (preferred) or a jpg.
Your form will attach directly to your personal record on Susan's cast and crew database. This is both a secure upload and a secure location accessible only to Susan.
Your form will attach directly to your personal record on Susan's cast and crew database. This is both a secure upload and a secure location accessible only to Susan.
Download a blank W-9 or W-4
Don't have a form handy? Download a blank form below. These links take you directly to the forms published on the IRS website.
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Shakespeare in the Park 2025 Cast and Crew Calendar
Jan 10, 2025.... No events have yet been added but you'll eventually be able to access our full calendar including loading in sets, production meetings, rehearsals, show dates, etc.
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2025 Shakespeare in the Park Map
Jan 10, 2025.... Preliminary. The locations shown are most likely going to be on our 2025 tour however none of these are confirmed. There will be 12 locations in total.
This is the map that's visible to the public and is designed to help them find and attend performances. Cast and crew will need more detailed information like access points to drive on site and park. Eventually, this map will be replaced by the one you will need.
This is the map that's visible to the public and is designed to help them find and attend performances. Cast and crew will need more detailed information like access points to drive on site and park. Eventually, this map will be replaced by the one you will need.
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Milwaukee Weather
Weather is a fact of life when you tour a theatrical production.
Shakespeare in the Park is a rain or shine show. What that really means is our crew will drive to our show location and plan to set up regardless of the weather. If there's a downpour, we will monitor the weather and hold to set up until we see a break. If the weather website doesn't show any let up in rain, we'll still wait until the last minute to make the call to set up or not.
If we set up and the weather turns bad, there are other considerations....
- Is it bad enough to push through or do we need to pause the performance? (Generally speaking, if it goes on for more than 30 minutes, we're less and less likely to be able to re-start the show.)
- Will it pass in time to re-start the show before it's too late? (Too late may be defined a bunch of ways... too dark to continue.... won't finish in time for the next show to start... and.... )
- Will the weather damage costumes / props / sound equipment?
- Is the audience staying in hopes we'll continue? (They usually do stay!)
- And....
Melissa (our AEA Stage Manager) and I confab constantly as we are each monitoring online weather channels and radar. Melissa will make the final decision on whether or not to continue to hold or if we need to call it a day and pack up.
If you're interested in checking for yourself too, try the Accuweather channel available here. LINK TO ACCUWEATHER FOR MILWAUKEE
Shakespeare in the Park is a rain or shine show. What that really means is our crew will drive to our show location and plan to set up regardless of the weather. If there's a downpour, we will monitor the weather and hold to set up until we see a break. If the weather website doesn't show any let up in rain, we'll still wait until the last minute to make the call to set up or not.
If we set up and the weather turns bad, there are other considerations....
- Is it bad enough to push through or do we need to pause the performance? (Generally speaking, if it goes on for more than 30 minutes, we're less and less likely to be able to re-start the show.)
- Will it pass in time to re-start the show before it's too late? (Too late may be defined a bunch of ways... too dark to continue.... won't finish in time for the next show to start... and.... )
- Will the weather damage costumes / props / sound equipment?
- Is the audience staying in hopes we'll continue? (They usually do stay!)
- And....
Melissa (our AEA Stage Manager) and I confab constantly as we are each monitoring online weather channels and radar. Melissa will make the final decision on whether or not to continue to hold or if we need to call it a day and pack up.
If you're interested in checking for yourself too, try the Accuweather channel available here. LINK TO ACCUWEATHER FOR MILWAUKEE
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Secure Links
These links are only available to users with login credentials.