Tim Backes

Milwaukee-based playwright, director, performer, and theatrical graphic design

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Backes's script is polished, realistic, and still full of meaning."
Kimberly Laberge, "Stage on a Page" review of EMBERS
Tim Backes's headshot
Biography

Introduction

Tim Backes is a Milwaukee-based theatre artist. While he got his start solely as a performer, in recent years his work has expanded to include writing plays, directing, and designing graphics for theatrical productions.

His first full-length play, Embers, premiered in an independent production in 2023 at Grant Park’s Wulff Lodge in South Milwaukee, and is receiving a two-weekend run in an All In Productions staging in September 2025 at The Brick House in Milwaukee. 

His second full-length play, Caesura, received its world premiere reading in June 2024 with Kith and Kin Theatre Collective, which is also producing the first full staging of the show in October 2025 in a production directed by Backes.

Backes has served as the artistic director of Greendale Community Theatre since 2020 and the director of the South Milwaukee High School theatre program since 2018.

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The cast of Caesura in rehearsal for the production's staged reading in 2024.
Work

Theatrical Work

Click each image below to see more information.

JJ and Luke in EMBERS

Embers

Seven friends return to their hometown after their college graduation. Conversations around a bonfire reveal how much they have grown apart as they've ventured into adulthood.

caesura1

Caesura

A woman reluctantly returns home two years after the death of her father, with whom she was on uneven terms. Throughout her return she is haunted by a recurring nightmare that highlights the complicated nature of her grief.

Diana, Gabe, and Doctor Madden in Next to Normal (2017).

Direction

An overview of various Milwaukee-area productions directed by Backes.

A portion of the poster for NEWSIES from Greendale Community Theatre's 2025 production.

Theatrical Graphics

A portfolio of various graphical works designed for local theatrical productions.

"The production of the show was simple – with minimalist set, props and costumes – but that made room for the emotion and the talent of the actors to come through in full force."
Brianna Schubert, Milwaukee Magazine, on THE LAST FIVE YEARS (Greendale Community Theatre)
"Embers lights a flame for new works in the Milwaukee area."
Kimberly LaBerge, "Stage on a Page" on EMBERS
"...a great display of insightful and heartfelt, fun entertainment (...) The audience loved it, which was obvious based on the feedback you received. Congrats!"
Erico Ortiz, owner of Inspiration Studios, on CAESURA live reading (Kith and Kin Theatre Collective)
"As the set design suggests, Backes seems to understand [the importance of intimacy]. When he can make his vision heard as well as seen, this 'Normal' pays dividends."
Mike Fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, on NEXT TO NORMAL (All In Productions)
Contact

Contact

Interested in producing one of Tim’s plays? Looking for a director for an upcoming production? In need of graphical work for your next show? Reach out for more information.