American Players Theatre 2026

Cherry and Spoon 

As my 4th visit to American Players Theatre approached (with my fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers - Minnesota Theater Love and Ernest Goes to the Theatre), I anxiously checked the weather multiple times a day. Half of our six scheduled shows were outdoors, and it was supposed to be the rainiest weekend of the summer. But weather can change, and APT doesn't cancel for mere rain; it has to be heavy rain or storms. It ended up working out beautifully, as things sometimes do. Both of our Friday shows went on as scheduled, with just some passing rain, and only the Saturday matinee was cancelled due to storms, which was better than I hoped. That's the risk you take when you do theater outdoors, but the benefits far outweigh the risks of inclement weather. Because when the elements of Nature interact with the play, be they blaring sunshine or steady rain or a sky full of stars, it's magic. I learned this year that watching Shakespeare in the rain is a magical experience; yes it's cold and damp, but everyone is cold and damp together - the actors with their wet hair sticking to their faces and their costumes dotted with rain, the audience draped in ponchos and clutching hot chocolate from concessions. We're all in it together no matter what happens, participating in this experience of collective imagination that we call theater. This is how they did it back in Shakespeare's time, which maybe is why so many of his plays reference Nature directly or indirectly (both rained-on shows had lines about rain, which we all laughed at together). You can still experience the magic this year for the next few weeks, or start making your plans for the best theater vacay in the Midwest in 2027; the season opens in June, with the 2027 lineup of plays to be announced later this fall.

In case you haven't heard, APT was awarded the reginal theater Tony this year, which is very exciting and much deserved. They opened in 1980, with the original amphitheater up on the hill, added the indoor Touchstone Theatre in 2009, and fully remodeled the Hill Theatre for the 2017 season. Their current season includes eight plays performed in rep from June through early October, with one bonus play performed indoors in late October and November. A company of 50 actors (50!), most of whom perform in two or sometimes even three plays, embody the worlds of these very different stories. And then there are the designers, directors, and crew who make these worlds come alive, no matter the weather, switching sets around at least daily. Just the logistics alone of making all these pieces come together is mind-boggling, and then you add incredible artistry and attention to detail on top of it. The only surprise is that they didn't win the Tony sooner!

Our first day at APT was a two-show Friday, beginning with a 10:30 student matinee. Both shows were "up the hill" in the outdoor amphitheater, about a quarter mile walk up a hill through the woods and prairie grasses (shuttle buses provided, as well as bug spray). We saw both of this season's Shakespeare plays in one day, and both were rained on, but only for part of the show, and at APT, the show must go on (except in steady rain or storms, more on that later). These two plays made for a wonderful pairing; both are about love, the foolish and heartbreaking side, as well as the life-changing and wonderful side. As they sang in the first play, "love is like sunshine, love is like rain" (so appropriate for the day). Read on for a brief summary of each show, and click on the show title to view the full credits.

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