Love Wisconsin Style

As it says at the end of the opening credits of That 70s Show, "I love Wisconsin!" No. Seriously. I'm not being facetious. I love it.
The minute I saw the rough-hewn wooden sign: "Recreation! Industry! Agriculture! Wisconsin Welcomes You!" I somehow, mysteriously, immediately felt better about life. As we rolled into Madison and I saw the tops of the campus buildings, I realized why: we were in the very college town where the Julia Stiles classic film, The Prince and Me, takes place!!! You know, handsome prince Edvard of Denmark heads off to the U of W to meet slutty american college girls but ends up falling head over heels for good midwestern farm girl turned med student Julia Stiles. True love and tiaras. Obviously, this is the sort of thing I had kind of planned on happening to me, but unfortunately, it hasn't yet.

So, I didn't meet a prince at the University of Wisconsin, but I did feel like a princess. Three words: private dressing room. With cable tv, couch, bathroom, shower, desk with lighted mirror. Ya-huh. I watched Lifetime while I put on my makeup. Is that the life or what? And it's pretty un-be-fucking-lievable that I went from playing for 75 seats to TWO THOUSAND in less than a year. That's right. TWO THOUSAND.

Madison is cute as a button, full of slightly yuppified shop-lined streets, politicians and frat boys. Me likey, obviously. We then pressed on to Madison's slightly less refined sister city: Milwaukee. In case you're wondering why there was such a long break between posts, it may have something to do with a weekend spent in Brew City. As Milwaukee is the home of Pabst, Schlitz, Miller and Milwaukee's Best, it proudly calls itself America's Drunkest City: Beer Capital of the World! Yeah, I don't drink beer. But you'd be surprised how many breweries will getcha a pink fruity cocktail.

Although bar hopping/beer chugging is the official pasttime of Milwaukee, we sampled many different entertainment options. Friday night we saw the Fleet Foxes play at the Pabst Blue Ribbon theatre, which was lots of fun. I was slightly perturbed that no one in the standing crowd down front with me was dancing. I of course took it upon myself to start the dance party. No one joined me. Lame hipster baroque harmonic pop jam groupies. Whatever, I had fun.

Milwaukee is also very friendly.
Man: Hey, sunshine, you're looking pretty sharp in that plaid dress.
Me: Oh, thank you.
Man: I'm Holden.
Me: As in Holden Caulfield?!
Man: Lookat that, boys, weve got a reader. Whaddya know! Who woulda thought!
Milwaukee is also a little bit sexist.

We all (by all I mean our merry actor band, not any Catcher-in-the-Rye-named-condescending-randos) trooped back to the hotel bar for nachos, where we had already befriended Barb, our fabulous waitress, and Al the old bartender/former musician/perhaps one day author. I proceeded to make friends with an actress playing Lola in a community theatre production of Damn Yankees, and not make friends with the sketchy sorta ghetto crowd at the end of the bar who kept yelling "Tiffany! You got cute lips!"
Milwaukee is also not good at remembering people's names.

Other Actress and I spent the whole next day at the Grand Avenue Mall, where I got the most relaxing and well worth the money spa pedicure of my life. My toes are gorgeous- painted "Girls Love Pink!" Sparkly. We all went to the movies (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is excellent) then out to the main bar drag, where I once again proceeded to start a dance party in a non-dance-party area. Thankfully, I now had a crew of theatre peeps to back me up, so we brought the dance party! Wooo!

Sunday we went to an afternoon matinee of the national tour of Mamma Mia!, which was too fun. The theatre was enormous, and gorgeous, and it turned out...WE WOULD BE PLAYING IT THE NEXT DAY! Yes, people, I have made it to the Broadway of Wisconsin! I was on the same stage as the national tour of a Broadway show! Glorious!

That night we went down to the bar to say bye to Barb, and befriended two 52 year old irish folk singing sisters.
Like, I said, Milwaukee is very friendly.
Sister 1: Oh, you're an actress!
Sister 2: Oh, I bet she's good. I know you're good, I can tell, your face is so expressive.
Sister 1: So beautiful!
Sister 2: Yes, so beautiful! A beautiful Stephanie!
Sister 1: Like, oh, what's her name, in the movie with George Clooney and the football!
Sister 2: Renee Zellweger!
Milwaukee also has blurred vision. That's what we call beer goggles, kids.

Wisconsin is now a distant dream, a memory of cheese curds, frosty glasses and freedom. Back to Illinois and the daily grind...but check this out.

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