Tonys 2026 Highlights: 'Schmigadoon!' and 'Death of a Salesman'

Michael Paulson & Elisabeth Vincentelli, The New York Times

This year’s Regional Tony Award went to American Players Theater in Wisconsin. Each summer, the troupe presents a full slate of shows in the small town of Spring Green, about an hour west of Madison. “To be honored for the thing that we have devoted ourselves to and for doing our work feels really, really good,” the artistic director, Brenda DeVita, said in a recent video interview.

Through the years, this Midwestern powerhouse has built a reputation for high-quality productions, exacting standards and a stubborn stick-to-its-guns-ness. Unlike most of its peers, for example, A.P.T. does not put on musicals — the 2026 season includes the diverse likes of Shakespeare and Jen Silverman, Ionesco and José Rivera’s adaptation of the 17th-century Spanish play “Life Is a Dream.”

And all this is presented without amplification, even at the biggest of A.P.T.’s two venues, an outdoor amphitheater with a 1,075-seat capacity — the company counts on audience members leaning in, and provides the actors with coaching in voice and text.

Just as important to the company’s ethos is how it is embedded in its community. “To be honored for regional theater when our whole bag is serving our community here — this is just the cherry on top,” DeVita said. “It means a lot to everybody to be seen.”

This quote is from live Tony Awards coverage by The New York Times. Find Full Recap Here.

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