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Spirits of the Silent City remains on hiatus for 2027 After three successful and deeply meaningful seasons at Forest Home Cemetery and Arboretum, the production remains paused as the cemetery undertakes a broader review of its event programming and priorities in 2026. At this time, there are no performances scheduled for 2027.
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Spirits of the Silent City remains one of the most artistically ambitious and well-received programs of its kind in the region. We are proud of what was created in collaboration with Forest Home and grateful to the artists, historians, staff, partners, and audiences who helped bring it to life.
Spirits of the Silent City was co-conceived with Forest Home Cemetery, created by Caper Company and co-produced in partnership with Forest Home Cemetery as an original, site-specific theatrical experience.
Future iterations of the project remain possible as timing, partnership, and institutional priorities align.
Thank you to everyone who has written expressing hopes for the event’s return. Your continued enthusiasm means more than you know.
Spirits of the Silent City was co-conceived with Forest Home Cemetery, created by Caper Company and co-produced in partnership with Forest Home Cemetery as an original, site-specific theatrical experience.
Future iterations of the project remain possible as timing, partnership, and institutional priorities align.
Thank you to everyone who has written expressing hopes for the event’s return. Your continued enthusiasm means more than you know.
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What Was Spirits of the Silent City? Each October, guests embarked on an exclusive, after-hours journey through beautiful and historic Forest Home Cemetery and Arboretum with our immersive theatrical experience, Spirits of the Silent City.
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As darkness fell, audiences encountered the stories of Milwaukee’s past through the voices of those who once shaped it. Guided along theatrically lit pathways, guests met the historical “forever-citizens” of Milwaukee’s necropolis in carefully crafted performances.
The natural beauty of the arboretum, the stillness of the cemetery at night, and the layered storytelling created a uniquely atmospheric experience, part history, part performance, part haunting meditation on memory and legacy.
Over three seasons, 2022, 2023 and 2024, Spirits of the Silent City became one of the region’s most distinctive cultural events, blending historical research, original script development, professional performance, and immersive staging into an unforgettable evening under the stars.
The natural beauty of the arboretum, the stillness of the cemetery at night, and the layered storytelling created a uniquely atmospheric experience, part history, part performance, part haunting meditation on memory and legacy.
Over three seasons, 2022, 2023 and 2024, Spirits of the Silent City became one of the region’s most distinctive cultural events, blending historical research, original script development, professional performance, and immersive staging into an unforgettable evening under the stars.
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Castro’s legacy had faded from public recognition within the organization she helped build. In the 2022 and 2023 productions, she was portrayed by actress Doreen Lopez, who brought her courage, conviction, and complexity vividly to life along the moonlit paths of Forest Home.
During one performance, the president of La Causa attended the tour. Encountering Castro in this unexpected way, face to face, under the night sky, was profoundly moving. What he experienced was not simply a performance, but a reunion with a person whose story had long receded from view. He lingered behind the group to thank “Clementina” for everything she had done for the organization, visibly emotional, until a trailing guide gently returned him to the tour.
In 2026, La Causa formally renamed its early education and care center in honor of Clementina Castro. The renewed recognition of her legacy was inspired in part by the visibility and conversation sparked through her inclusion in Spirits of the Silent City.
Moments like these remind us that immersive historical storytelling does more than entertain. In this case, it restored an important name, reframed narratives, and reconnected LaCausa with its own rich origins.
Read the full Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article here
During one performance, the president of La Causa attended the tour. Encountering Castro in this unexpected way, face to face, under the night sky, was profoundly moving. What he experienced was not simply a performance, but a reunion with a person whose story had long receded from view. He lingered behind the group to thank “Clementina” for everything she had done for the organization, visibly emotional, until a trailing guide gently returned him to the tour.
In 2026, La Causa formally renamed its early education and care center in honor of Clementina Castro. The renewed recognition of her legacy was inspired in part by the visibility and conversation sparked through her inclusion in Spirits of the Silent City.
Moments like these remind us that immersive historical storytelling does more than entertain. In this case, it restored an important name, reframed narratives, and reconnected LaCausa with its own rich origins.
Read the full Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article here