Briefs for the last two weeks of arts & culture for the Spring Green, Wisconsin area.
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Tag: Culture
Spring Green’s Violet Palms unveil their new single “True Love Counterfeit,” blending nostalgia with matured lyricism ahead of their album launch. The track encapsulates bittersweet love, showcasing tight production and emotional depth. A testament to their evolving artistry, this release promises fans a resonant exploration of heartbreak, memories, and life’s unexpected twists.
Rob Doyle and Marcus Truschinski, co-artistic directors of Two Crows Theatre Company, celebrate the re-commissioning of the theater after the pandemic-induced closure. Their decade-long friendship and passion for storytelling have set the stage for intimate performances in Spring Green’s Touchstone Theatre. The company aims to provide a platform for emerging playwrights through The New Play Workshop.
On the stroke of midnight on Sept. 11, the electrifying sound waves from the band, Violet Palms, was released into the world. Twelve songs from the band’s debut album, “Compassion Fatigue”, were celebrated on the renowned stage at Slowpoke Lounge and Cabaret in downtown Spring Green, in preparation for the marked, midnight release.
Opening for the Violet Palms was another local band—Alys and the Ark. Alys and the Ark is comprised of band members Alys Dickerson, Ron Roman Melendez, Patrick Michaels and Phoebe Gonzalez.
Spring Green-based alt-rock band Violet Palms will be launching their new album Compassion Fatigue during a special performance starting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11 at the Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret (137 W Jefferson St, Spring Green). The event will be opened by music from Alys and the Ark. Slowpoke suggests that attendees donate $5-10 to help support live music from homegrown artists. We review their debut album.
“It’s allowed to hurt; I’m allowed to burn.” Midwestern Folk artist Lissie sings gently on her recent single: “Flowers.” With a soft yet melancholy tone, Lissie allows her strong, smoky voice to carry listeners to another world almost: a world of heartbreak and rebirth.
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.
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.
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.
Local favorite and New Auburn, Wisconsin native Michael Perry and his band, the Long Beds, have released a new single, ‘Forty Acres Deep’. A music video accompanies the new single, visually telling a dark and familiar story that draws the listener hopelessly in.
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.
It’s finally here! Yes, I’m talking about “Wonder Woman 1984”, what else would it be?
Taylor Swift truly blessed her fans this year by gracing two sister albums for them to enjoy: folklore and evermore. Swift is notorious for always writing or co-writing all of her songs and creating lyrical masterpieces, folklore and evermore are no exception. The albums delve into a different style for Swift, a richer, deeper, more precise album with folk melodies and gentle, soft instruments that linger in your mind long after hearing the songs.
Finding it difficult to get into the holiday spirit this year? Looking for inspiration to get that festive feeling back? Well look no further than APT’s Holidames: Tangled in Tinsel. APT’s Sarah Day, Tracy Michelle Arnold, and Colleen Madden come together to create this Christmas-inspired collection of play performances, sketches, poems, and songs. Many of these are classics that many are likely already familiar with, while some of these are brand new.
You’ll want to cozy up with a cup of hot cocoa (spiking it with brandy is optional) for “This Wonderful Life,” APT’s re-telling of the Christmas Classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
The issues of race and sexuality are ones that often spark strong feelings and heavy debates amongst many people across the world. These issues are, and have always been, pertinent topics to discuss and understand, especially now, as the world is becoming a more diverse, and hopefully, welcoming place. With this in mind, I was excited to watch the American Players Theatre’s performance of Lydia R. Diamond’s play, “Smart People” directed by Melisa Pereyra. This will be the last piece in their “Out of the Woods” series. Focusing on the issues of race, socio-economic status, sexuality, and identity as a whole, Diamond pieces together short scenes involving a variety of characters, as well as monologues, sometimes simultaneously. Working with the limitations posed by the Zoom format, elements such as reading stage directions aloud, adding sound effects and showing maps to set the scene, allows the audience to make sense of the direction of the play.