Voices Included for People of Color (VIP) Theatre directly serves historically excluded Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) who self-identify as theatre creators in all aspects of the art form. Our company is comprised of emerging theatre professionals, seasoned artists, and theatre arts students, creating a unified force, fighting to change the landscape of opportunity in the Marquette and Milwaukee communities. We commit to insightful works, rooted in social compassion at the highest levels of professionalism and integrity.

VIP Theatre seeks to develop an annual production season of plays by BIPOC playwrights, produced through the collaborative efforts of students and experienced artists. The initial season opened with the successful run of Loy A Webb’s drama THE LIGHT in April 2022.The next few seasons will consist of one production selected by the VIP Theatre advisory board, comprised of community members, faculty, alumni, and students of color.

The vision for VIP Theatre is to grow towards a two-production summer season, with an additional show during the academic school year. The summer productions will utilize a mix of experienced artists, students, and administrators, while the academic year programming will be predominantly comprised of students, a few professional guest artists and faculty.

VIP Theatre Advisory Board:

  • Marti Gobel
  • Shyla Kyser
  • Malaina Moore
  • Nathan Berry
  • Martilia Marechal
  • Nadja Simmonds
  • Lilliana Gonzalez

VIP and Marquette Theatre are grateful to the Office of Research and Innovation's Explorer Challenge grant program for the financial incentive to jumpstart this experience.