In a small town, a Tony Award showcases community excellence at American Players Theatre. The production of “As You Like It” shines with vibrant performances and stunning direction. Amidst quirky talent and lively music, the ghosts of Shakespeare blend with present artistry. Can a town of weirdos truly secure such acclaim? Absolutely.
With new guidance from the unions we work with, and the local government, we thought now would be an ideal time to recap the rules in place, and the changes to come July 1 (including the new Facemask Fridays).
An Improbable Fiction kicked off American Players Theatre’s (APT) 2021 Hill Theater season on May 27 with a nod to APT’s strong connection to Shakespearean theater in the quippy play written by James DeVita.
American Players Theatre actors James DeVita and Marcus Truschinski star as grave robbers seeking to reconcile their troubled past by making a big score in One Foot In. The twenty-five-minute independent film was written and directed by Eric Schabla, and produced by Jack Whaley, both APT alumni. Whaley was also director of photography for the film.
American Players Theatre’s (APT) in-person season began May 14 with Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop in the 201-seat indoor Touchstone Theatre. The first performance of James DeVita’s world premiere of An Improbable Fiction took the Hill Stage on May 27. These two plays will run in repertory until The Mountaintop closes on June 19, and An Improbable Fiction closes on June 26. These will be the first in-person performances since APT was forced to cancel the 2020 season, and the company is beyond thrilled to be welcoming audiences back to the theater.
Watching and writing about APT’s 2021 Winter Words play readings from my home office in Escondido, California – with actors and directors from home (the Valley) and all over the country – has been, to quote APT’s artistic director, Brenda DeVita, “an unexpected gift of the pandemic.”
The announcement of APT’s 2021 in-person Summer Season was an emotional event here in Spring Green. And, from what we’ve heard, it was for you as well. So to start, we want to thank you for the support, the excitement and even the tears you’ve shared with us since then. Your emails, notes and social media comments make us so happy, and keep us going when challenges come our way (and they do keep coming). But today is for accentuating the positive, so thanks once again for being the best audience we could hope for.
In music, a fugue is a short melody or phrase which is introduced and then developed and interwoven throughout a composition. In psychiatry, it refers to a “fugue state”—a period of loss of awareness of one’s identity.
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.
We thought we’d start this entry with a bit of exciting news: We are going to announce the 2021 Summer Season in next week’s Diversions, on March 24! Unless, that is, something very unexpected happens before then. The caveat comes from the fact that we have not yet received final approval from the unions.
APT is your theater. So we asked you what you think about the plan to return to in-person plays, and to share any questions you might have about the process. And you did not disappoint!
“Dear Brutus” by J.M. Barrie (directed by Kelsey Brennan) the second in American Players Theatre 2021 Winter Words series of virtual play readings, is centered around a walk in an enchanted woods on a beautiful night. Even without the stage set, it was easy to imagine a performance of “Dear Brutus” “up the hill” at APT on a starry midsummer night. After experiencing how the actors breathed life into all the characters, I’d love to see them bring this to the stage.
So, this is the week. In normal times, you may be texting your friends right now. Plotting your shows, maybe making reservations or planning picnics, and watching your mailbox for your Book of Summer to proclaim that the APT season is on its way. And, finally, waking up early to be at your computer, like runners at the gate, prepped and ready to get your tickets. Instead, here we are.
We’re all excited to get back on the APT campus this summer, and from the notes we’ve received from you all, it’s pretty clear that you’re excited, too. There is, after all, so much to miss, and the plays are just the beginning. And while many of the best parts of visiting APT will remain, the experience is, simply, going to be different this year. So prepare yourself for a little time travel, as this week’s TRB takes you on an as-yet hypothetical tour of what we expect it will be like this summer. Some details will surely change before we get to the season – or even during the season – but here’s a snapshot as it stands today.
American Players Theatre (APT) has returned its annual Winter Words play reading series that provides the audience with a unique glimpse into the minds and personalities of APT actors and directors.
We heard you have questions! Join us for some of the answers in this week’s ‘The Road Back.’ Last week, we asked you what questions you have about APT’s plans to put
on a season this summer. Today, we’re back to answer as many as we can in the latest edition of The Road Back.
Nicole Tilford’s spreadsheets are not working. Since she became APT’s Company Manager in 2015, she has relied on her trusty Excel template to map out housing for the season. Though no two seasons are alike when charged with the care and housing of 140 theater artists, at least the season has always had the same shape. She had come to rely on the pattern of two parts – the first rep of 5 plays, followed by the second rep of 3. The leases always started on March 1 for a move-in date of April 15. Every detail was there in her spreadsheet – which apartments allowed pets, which were accessible, which had shaky internet. Her job is never easy, but it’s familiar. She could depend on a modicum of consistency. Until now.
Winter Words is a public play-reading series where APT artists explore new-to-APT plays, some of which may someday make their way to our stages. This popular series is, of course, typically held in the Touchstone Theatre. But this year, Zoom is where it’s at. So while the format may be different, these readings still teem with the raw energy of an early table read, produced for you with just one day of rehearsal.
Recently, American Players Theater announced a series entitled The Road Back, which discusses its journey back to the stage following the cancellation of the 2020 season. This is the fourth chapter detailing the on-going process for the 2021 season.
Recently, American Players Theater announced a series entitled The Road Back, which discusses its journey back to the stage following the cancellation of the 2020 season. The following are the first three chapters, detailing the on-going process for the 2021 season.