Guantanamo Bay In Trump Era, Gags’ Nightmare In Green Bay, The Two Wisconsins

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• What The Future Could Hold For Guantanamo Bay Under The Trump Administration

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  An American who was allegedly fighting on behalf of ISIS is now being detained by U.S. forces an an “enemy combatant,” a term that has resurfaced after being phased out during the Obama years. The term was originally used to detain suspected terrorists at length and without charges. Will that designation make a comeback under the Trump administration, and what might that mean for the future of Guantanamo Bay, America’s detention center for terror suspects in Cuba? A national security expert breaks it down.

• Get Creeped Out For A Good Cause With Gags The Clown

  Last year Gags the Clown made international headlines, and all he had to do was stand around downtown Green Bay and strike poses with a handful of black balloons.

  People across the country wondered why this menacing clown was in Green Bay and who was behind the photos. Gags’ appearances turned out to be a marketing ploy cooked up by filmmaker Adam Krause to promote a short film he was making.

  This Halloween season Gags is being used to support a good cause in Green Bay.

  Gags’ Nightmare: A Haunting Experience is an immersive play featuring actors, guides and audience involvement that takes place in a building downtown. Any profits go to The Production Farm, a nonprofit that teaches foster care youth life skills and how to make films.

  Carolyn Kuether is the nonprofit’s co-founder and worked with Krause to create the Halloween attraction.

  “I think the creepy factor is the fact that there is so much that’s unknown about Gags,” Kuether recently told WPR’s “Central Time.” “He’s not a clown that’s going around with a chainsaw and blood, guts and gore. He’s very quiet and he just shows up, and I think that unknown makes everybody feel uneasy when they see him.”

  While you wait for the feature-length version of that film to come out, you can get your Gags fix by visiting Gags’ Nightmare: A Haunting Experience. While it’s an immersive experience with actors and guides, Kuether decided to keep the wording simple and call it a haunted house.

  “We started calling it a haunted house just because that was a term that was familiar to people. Because to actually describe what it is — it’s unlike anything that exists,” Kuether said.

  Gags’ Nightmare features six different characters who give visitors a chance to get to know Gags a little bit better, leading tours through eerie hallways and rooms that tell the story of how Gags became the reticent, looming clown he is today.

  “You can dive into a creepy clown’s brain. Some of it might be part of his backstory, part of it might be something that he remembers, or his view on things,” Kuether said.

  Students from the Production Farm are heavily involved in the project and have been since day one, Kuether said. They’ve helped with character development and set design, social media promotion, taking tickets and even acting, she said.

  “We basically trick them into learning life skills and job training through a fun, creative outlet,” Kuether said.

  Building a set, for example, teaches kids geometry and applied math.

  “But at the end, if you do something wrong, you’re not getting an ‘F’ on your test — the set falls down, and you try it again,” she said.

  IF YOU GO

  What: Gags’ Nightmare: A Haunting Experience
  When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 to Tuesday, Oct. 31.
  Where: The Production Farm, 417 Pine St., Green Bay
  Cost: General admission tickets are $25.

• Gags' Nightmare Puts Visitors In The Mind Of Notorious Green Bay Clown

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  Gags the Clown became infamous in the Green Bay area last year after his late-night appearances on the city’s streets unsettled some residents. Now, a live theater event lets visitors step into the clown’s twisted mind and figure out what led him down his frightening path. We talk to the project’s director about what to expect and how the proceeds will benefit young people in the foster care system.

• The Two Wisconsins

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  Economic data show that Dane County is leading Wisconsin’s economic recovery from The Great Recession. But there are lots of small towns in rural parts of the state that are still suffering. That’s why our guest called his two-part series “The Two Wisconsins.” We look into some of this data and explore what Wisconsin can do to improve its economy.

  What do you think of this idea of “two Wisconsins”? Why do you think the Badger State is split into two economic regions? Has your community recovered from The Great Recession? Why do you think so much of Wisconsin’s economic power comes from Dane County? What would you like to see Wisconsin do to grow its economy?

  Let us know by emailing ideas@wpr.org

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  Call during showtime: 1-800-642-1234