Mazomanie Renovating and Repertory Company |
Mazo R&R Company Jim Moc |
The Mazo R&R Company, located 20 miles west of Madison, was organized in 1972 to raise money to renovate the Mazomanie Community Building, hence "Renovation" in their name. The two-floor building houses many different community activities. The R&R performs on the stage there for audiences of 150. The all-volunteer company draws its members from Mazomanie and nearby communities and has performed a variety of plays and musicals ranging from melodramas to the works of Ibsen, Sondheim and Miller, as well as giving local playwrights a forum. The slapstick Wild West Days show in September has become a tradition, but the strength of the R&R has been the opportunity for local directors and actors to strut their stuff. The R&R has also offered its home for other performances on its stage, such as touring shows of jugglers, singers, storytellers and college productions.
Recently, the R&R has explored producing shows with other rural community theaters, and in the fall of 1998 joined with the River Valley Players to produce Quilters. The company's philosophy encourages local folks to jump into the theater fray, and this has created a flexibility which results in a variety of theater adventures.