American Players Theatre 2025

"This world is complicated, sometimes difficult. We hope that your visit to APT is a bit of a refuge for you. We hope it brings you joy, maybe lets you breathe easier. For a few hours, you can lean into a story, together in community with the rest of the audience. The people sitting around you may have different perspectives, beliefs or even politics (yeah, we said it). But we can share this common experience and maybe understand ourselves, and each other, a little bit better. That's the beauty of Theater, and of this place in the woods." This program note from American Players Theatre Artistic Director Brenda DeVita and Managing Director Sara Young so beautifully expresses why I love theater, and why I write about it to share it with others. At this moment, the world feels very complicated, difficult, and scary, so my weekend in Spring Green with my friends from Minnesota Theater Love and Ernest Goes to the Theatre was a welcome retreat. I like to refer to APT as a theater oasis in the middle of the woods of Wisconsin. And it is that, it is a place to take a break from the scary world and enjoy storytelling at its finest. But APT, and theater, is more than that. Some of the plays this season are a fun escape, but some are a brutal reflection of our harsh reality. And all of them are experienced in community with friends, strangers, and this beautiful acting company and creative team. This was just the third trip across the Wisconsin border to APT for this Twin Cities Theater Blogger, but I look forward to many more to come. The summer season of eight plays in rep (although more will be closing each week) continues through October 5, with one play presented in their indoor theater in late October through November, so there is still time for the best theater vacay in the Midwest this year. Or start making plans for the 2026 season, because American Players Theatre is a magical and wonderful experience, just a four-hour drive from the Twin Cities, that every #TCTheater fan needs to experience.

American Players Theatre 2024

This year I made my second visit to American Players Theatre, the magical theater in the middle of the woods of Wisconsin. My friends at Minnesota Theater Love have been going for years, and finally convinced me to join them two years ago. I was enamored of the setting and the quality (and quantity) of work produced, and declared that "if Middle Earth had a theater, it would look like American Players Theatre," so I was happy to make the trip again after missing last year. And now I am thoroughly and irrevocably ensorcelled by the experience that is APT; I don't think I'll miss another year if I can help it. We saw five shows in three days, four of them outdoors, each better than the last. If you're a theater fan in the Midwest, put APT on your must-do list. A lovely four-hour drive from the Twin Cities through the corn fields and rolling hills of Wisconsin brings you to a two-stage, eight-show repertory theater than runs from June through September (with an additional indoor show in October). It's a gem that even the New York Times has visited - so why haven't you? This year we stayed at House on the Rock Resort which is the closest (and perfectly satisfactory) lodging to the theater at just about a mile away, but there are other hotels, B&Bs, and AirBnBs in the vicinity. Plus there are plenty of shops and restaurants in and around Spring Green to entertain you (although I do recommend making a reservation for Saturday night dinner, we visited four restaurants before we found one that could seat us). So make a long weekend of it, visit the truly bizarre funhouse that is House on the Rock (admission included if you stay at the Resort), take in the majesty of Taliesin (which I have yet to do), and enjoy some amazing theater, scenery, and cheese!

American Players Theatre 2022, Spring Green WI

If Middle Earth had a theater, it would look like American Players Theatre. Situated on over 100 acres in the woods of Wisconsin about an hour west of Madison, the sprawling grounds include several picnic areas on rolling hills with artwork and lights hanging from the trees (very Hobbiton), where people set up elaborate picnics complete with baskets, tablecloths, and stemware, and then you walk through tall forests where the Elves might have lived sometime in the past to the "Up-The-Hill" theater, with performances out in the open in a natural amphitheater. The permanent outdoor theater was built in 1980 and renovated a few years ago, and includes about 1000 cushy comfy waterproof seats around a thrust stage, with not a bad seat in the house. The stage is set against the woods, which are lit up at night in rainbow colors. The light of the sun, stars, and moon is amplified by huge sets of stadium lights, specifically directed where they are needed (stage, aisles, audience). The setting couldn't be more magical, but more importantly, the theater that has been produced in that space for over 40 years is fantastic. I don't know how it took this Midwest theater lover so long to discover this national gem of a theater. Their eight-show summer season continues through the first week of October, with a 9th show being presented in their indoor theater from late October through November, so you still have time to make the gorgeous four-hour drive from the Twin Cities to Spring Green (if you can get tickets). Otherwise, start making plans for their 2023 season, opening in June. If you're a theater fan living in the Midwest, APT is an absolute must-see.