He came from Great Britain, and so far, his experience with life in Milwaukee, especially his connection with the Rep company, has been very positive, both for him, his actors and the audience.

Opening with his stunning production of "Cabaret" and ending with the wrenching "Death of a Saleman," Clements has left us reeling with emotional repercussions. His choices have been varied and fascinating from "Bombshells" to "Liberace" to Hitchcock’s "39 Steps."

Being the artistic director of a triple-theater complex - The Powerhouse, the Steimke and the Stackner Cabaret - representing 14 separate productions - is a challenge for anyone, but Clements seems to relish the task, if the success of his first season is any indication of his capabilities.

Mark grew up in the theater. Both of his parents were actors. But it was not acting that attracted him (except for fantasizing about doing the role of Shakespeare’s Richard III), but rather the technical aspects of the art and eventually the overall directorial duties that really captured his attention.

After being a techie, starting at the age of 16, he observed the process of directors and actors trying to work out a scene. Sometimes he imagined what he would do, and occasionally he even offered his unsolicited advice. One day, a couple actor friends of his asked him to direct a production of Pinter’s "The Dumb Waiter." Voila! His directorial debut.

Clements was mentored by two prestigious directors - Michael Napier Brown, the artistic director of the Royal Theatre, and Trevor Nunn. Both gave him encouragement and direction, and a philosophy he still lives by - a sense of visual flair and a respect for the playwright’s text.

The increase in single-ticket sales to the season opener, "Cabaret," was very gratifying. Many of the first-timers continued to attend subsequent productions. He hopes that many of these attendees become regular-season subscribers.

Clements has settled in the downtown area and has taken advantage of the wealth of varied activities that characterize Milwaukee - the many quality theaters that inhabit its landscape, the symphony, the opera, the Broadway show series at the Marcus Center, the ballet, the many wonderful restaurants, as well as the celebration of motorcycling, one of Mark’s passions. He has definitely settled in comfortably. Milwaukee somehow often surprises newcomers.

Besides using the Resident Company for his productions, he has also used the talents of other local actors, such as Jack Forbes Wilson, Linda Stephens, Bill Theisen and Drew Brehl, actors and directors from other local companies, as well as eliciting the talents from other cities, especially Chicago.

He also included an intern lab in his first season offerings, where the resident interns staged a group of short works at Steimke Theatre, a delightful mix of works and talents. I’m sure that the interns were grateful for the opportunity to "star" in one production of their own.

Clements feels lucky to be here, and we share his sentiments. We wish him many more successful seasons in our midst. To say "So far so good" is an understatement.