The city's most entertaining garage sale returns Saturday with the Milwaukee Rep's annual spring clean-out of stuff we have seen onstage. The Rep's prop and costume departments have combed through their storage spaces, pulling hats, shoes, clothing, furniture, light fixtures and a trove of curiosities to put on sale.
Perhaps the most unusual item is the two-person football blocking sled used in the company's production of "Lombardi" last fall. A life-sized stuffed tiger from "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" and medieval stocks from "King Lear" are also slated to be sold.
The California king-sized industrial bed onstage in the Rep's current production of "Othello" is on the market, but it won't be available for pickup until after the show closes next month.
Collectable period costumes and contemporary fashions will also be available.
The garage sale will be held in the Rep's paint shop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Follow the signs at the company's box office in the lobby of the Milwaukee Center. Payment must be made by cash or check.
Damien has been around so long, he was at Summerfest the night George Carlin was arrested for speaking the seven dirty words you can't say on TV. He was also at the Uptown Theatre the night Bruce Springsteen's first Milwaukee concert was interrupted for three hours by a bomb scare. Damien was reviewing the concert for the Milwaukee Journal. He wrote for the Journal and Journal Sentinel for 37 years, the last 29 as theater critic.
During those years, Damien served two terms on the board of the American Theatre Critics Association, a term on the board of the association's foundation, and he studied the Latinization of American culture in a University of Southern California fellowship program. Damien also hosted his own arts radio program, "Milwaukee Presents with Damien Jaques," on WHAD for eight years.
Travel, books and, not surprisingly, theater top the list of Damien's interests. A news junkie, he is particularly plugged into politics and international affairs, but he also closely follows the Brewers, Packers and Marquette baskeball. Damien lives downtown, within easy walking distance of most of the theaters he attends.
