Summer Theater Blooms at American Players Theatre in Wisconsin

Anne Siegel, Third Coast Review

There’s no better time than late summer for Illinois residents to plan a trip north to American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin. It’s the peak of the summer season of nine outdoor and indoor plays presented in repertory. Right now, audiences can choose to sample three or even four plays over a long weekend. That’s certainly worth a two-hour drive to this rural outpost of theatrical activity.

Things are especially bright at American Players Theatre (APT) these days, and it’s not just from the sun shining on all those glossy acres of corn, or the rolling hills and rivers surrounding verdant Spring Green. This spring, the theater company received the Tony Award for Regional Theatre. The award, the first awarded to a Wisconsin theater, was presented in New York earlier this year during a televised broadcast. (Chicago has six theaters that have earned this award, BTW.)

The prestigious Tony Award nod has spurred more national recognition for American Players Theatre, which often has been lauded for its excellent productions. The national award also is accompanied by a $25,000 prize.

Astonishingly, this theater company is quickly approaching its 50th anniversary. But there’s no reason to wait for APT’s golden anniversary to attend, with so many delectable plays to choose from in its current season.

My recent visit to APT covered a vast theatrical landscape that extended to classics by Shakespeare, Chekhov and Ionesco, in addition to a contemporary play by Nick Green. Illinois theatergoers (especially those near Chicago) account for a sizable number of the 100,000 audience members who visit APT each year.

The best place to begin your exploration of APT is in its original space, nestled in a natural amphitheater perched high up a hill. Known as the Hill Theatre (obviously), the theater holds about 1,100 seats. This is the site of many classics and larger-scale plays, which this year range from Shakespeare’s As You Like It and The Two ‘Gentlemen’ of Verona, to works by Anton Chekhov (Uncle Vanya) and the late Wisconsin-born playwright, Thornton Wilder (The Matchmaker).

Continue Reading Full Review Here