Wisconsin's summer outdoor theater features Shakespeare, musicals and even puppets

Linda Falkenstein, Isthmus

Wisconsin loves its summer theater. Peninsula Players has been producing plays in Door County since 1935. Compared to that, stalwart American Players Theatre, which premiered in Spring Green in 1980, is just a youngster. The vibe is come-as-you-are. Bring a picnic, a camp chair, and a willingness to duck when, as the sun sets, bats inevitably dive-bomb the audience.

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American Players Theatre

June 6-Oct. 4 (outdoor plays only), Spring Green

APT always brings the magic, due to the enchanting setting in the Driftless and its top-notch acting and staging. Deservedly, the company won a 2026 Regional Theater Tony Award. The slate of plays “up the hill” at the outdoor Hill Theatre this year is varied. The company sticks with a couple of Shakespeares — the pleaser As You Like It and the less-produced Two Gentlemen of Verona, along with a dependable Chekov in Uncle Vanya, the American classic The Matchmaker from Thornton Wilder, and Sueño, an adaptation (by José Rivera) of a Spanish fairy tale that fits right in with the APT vibe. There are also four plays in repertory in the indoor Touchstone Theatre, if you’ve had quite enough of sunscreen and mosquito repellant.

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