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.

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.

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.