American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre (APT) is thrilled to announce its projected 2021 Summer Season. The schedule is set to include six plays, with one production playing at a time in the Hill and Touchstone Theatres. The first two plays will be the world-premiere staging of James DeVita’s An Improbable Fiction in the Hill Theatre, and Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop in the Touchstone Theatre. Next up will be Tom Stoppard’s Rough Crossing (Hill) and a remount of An Iliad (Touchstone), Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare’s adaptation of Homer’s The Iliad. The third pair will be an adaption of William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline by Henry Woronicz (Hill) and Christopher Fry’s A Phoenix Too Frequent (Touchstone), which was originally slated for the 2020 season. APT also expects to announce three more productions in the coming months that will play in fall and winter.
Artistic Director Brenda DeVita said, “We are so incredibly grateful that the world is moving in the right direction and we are able to be working on these stories for our audience. Just thinking about being back in our theaters – on our Hill – after the year we’ve had, is such a relief. We can hardly contain our excitement! The past year we were doing everything in our power just to stay connected to each other, and fi nd some hope, some joy and some inspiration. And now to be contemplating being together in person?!! So we have a wonderful, original season planned. And, to be honest it will be a little weird that our rotating repertory has dropped from eight plays at a time to two at a time. But I also think there’s opportunity in this structure – first and foremost SAFETY. But also some things we have not been able to do in the past. So we are going to exploit all the changes and warm up to this idea of normalcy again. The actors and artists are so excited to be back, and to perform for our incredible audience again. We can’t wait to get started.”
Tickets for An Improbable Fiction and The Mountaintop will go on sale to priority groups beginning April 16. Patrons will be notified by email as to which group they’re in. Tickets will go on sale to the general public for the first two plays on April 26. Due to 25% capacity restrictions, APT expects that demand may outweigh supply for tickets, and asks everyone for their patience as they navigate these new waters.
For more information on 2021 tickets, visit americanplayers.org.
New Safety Protocols on the APT Grounds
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, new safety protocols will be in effect in APT’s theaters, as well as on the grounds. Some of the changes affecting patrons this summer will be:
- Masks will be required at all times when not actively eating and drinking, and food and drink will not be allowed in the theaters this year, with the exception of water in the outdoor Hill Theatre.
- We ask that people socially distance from people outside of their party. Picnic tables will be distanced to accommodate.
- APT’s ticketing software will be automatically distance seats in the theaters when tickets are purchased.
- For the time being, the Hill and Touchstone Theatres can only be filled to a maximum 25% capacity. This translates to about 30 seats per performance in the Touchstone, and about 250 in the Hill Theatre.
For the latest in safety updates, visit americanplayers.org/covid-rules.
The 2021 Plays
May 14 – June 19, Touchstone Theatre
The Mountaintop – Touchstone Theatre By Katori Hall
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
The night before his assassination, Martin Luther King, Jr. returns to the Lorraine Motel after delivering his last impassioned speech. A mysterious maid delivers his room service, though she seems to have more on her agenda than a simple meal. As their conversation progresses, true intentions come to light in a story Ms. Hall wrote to humanize Dr. King, to help us understand that you don’t have to be superhuman to be a hero. Featuring Gavin Lawrence and Sola Thompson.
May 27 – June 26, Hill Theatre
An Improbable Fiction By James DeVita
Directed by Tim Ocel
The world-premiere staging of James DeVita’s new play, told largely in Shakespeare’s own words. It’s plague time, and Shakespeare’s characters are out of sorts (and out of work). Several of our favorites reunite at The Boar’s Head Inn to celebrate life, and ruminate on the state of the world. Featuring Tracy Michelle Arnold, Brian Mani, Sarah Day, Chiké Johnson, Melisa Pereyra and Ronald Román-Meléndez.
July 1 – August 7, Hill Theatre
Rough Crossing By Tom Stoppard
From an original play by Ferenc Molnár Directed by William Brown Two established playwrights hoping to refresh their careers take their show on the road. Or, rather, on the high seas, along with their two established stars. The plan is to ride the wake of a brilliant young musician – who happens to be engaged to one of the aforementioned stars – who will compose their new musical. But when the writers and composer stumble across a tryst between the actors, they’ll need to pull out all the stops to keep their young phenom from going overboard. A clever and hilarious comedy, originally slated for the 2020 season. Featuring Kelsey Brennan, David Daniel, Jamal James, Josh Krause, James Ridge and Marcus Truschinski.
June 25 – August 15, Touchstone Theatre
An Iliad By Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare
Translated from Homer’s Iliad by Robert Fagles
Directed by John Langs
In a reprise of the 2015 production, Homer’s epic tale is distilled to one war-torn poet, as actor Jim DeVita takes us on a thrilling, wrenching tour of the Trojan War. The intimate Touchstone Theatre is an ideal space for this exploration of the contradictory conditions of glory and violence, and the human race’s seemingly endless addiction to war. Featuring Jim DeVita and Alicia Storin.
August 12 – September 11, Hill Theatre
Cymbeline By William Shakespeare
Adapted by Henry Woronicz
Directed by Marti Lyons
When his daughter Imogen secretly marries Posthumus, a good man without financial means, King Cymbeline banishes Posthumus in a fury. In Rome, missing his wife and his home, Posthumus meets Iachimo, who plants a seed in his mind that Imogen will be unfaithful to him in his absence. In despair, Posthumus contacts his servant Pisanio with orders to murder Imogen, but the servant instead disguises her as a page and smuggles her out of court and off on a great Shakespearean adventure. Featuring: Tracy Michelle Arnold, Gina Daniels, Sarah Day, Alys Dickerson, Elizabeth Ledo, Colleen Madden, Melisa Pereyra and Lisa Tejero.
August 26 – October 3, Touchstone Theatre
A Phoenix Too Frequent By Christopher Fry
Directed by Keira Fromm
In ancient Rome, Dynamene is prepared to die from grief over the death of her husband and has barricaded herself, fasting, in his tomb. She has brought her faithful servant along to die with her (a plan that said servant is not 100% on board with). But it’s not long before Dynamene is distracted from her death wish by the arrival of a handsome soldier, Tegeus, providing a foil for her grief in this comedy about love and expectations. Originally slated for the 2020 season. Featuring Phoebe González, Tyler Meredith and Christopher Sheard.
2021 Ticketing
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on April 26. Tickets will go on sale to priority groups beginning April 16; returning patrons will be notified of which group they’re in before the on-sale dates.
About the Theatre
APT is a professional repertory theater devoted to the great and future classics. It was founded in 1979 and continues to be one of the most popular outdoor classical theaters in the nation.
The Theatre is located in Spring Green, Wis., on 110 acres of hilly woods and meadows above the Wisconsin River. The outdoor amphitheater is built within a natural hollow atop an oak-wooded hill. Under the dome of sky, 1,089 comfortably cushioned seats encircle three sides of the stage. In 2009, APT opened the 201-seat indoor Touchstone Theatre, offering a different type of play and experience.
APT cancelled the 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and everyone in the organization is excited to be back to creating theater in 2021.
For more information, visit www.americanplayers.org.