American Players Theatre facts for kids

American Players Theatre is a special theater group in Wisconsin, USA. It is known for performing classic plays, especially those by William Shakespeare. Many people, including a famous theater critic named Terry Teachout, have called it one of the best classical theater companies in the United States. The theater is located on a big, beautiful property with two stages.

History of American Players Theatre

How the Theatre Started

The American Players Theatre was created in 1977. It was founded by three people: Randall Duk Kim, Anne Occhiogrosso, and Charles J. Bright. The group moved to Spring Green, Wisconsin in 1979. Their very first performances took place in 1980. They performed two plays: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Titus Andronicus.

Overcoming Challenges

In its early years, the Theatre faced money problems. It almost had to close down around 1985 and 1986. At one point, the Theatre owed about $600,000. But the local community helped by raising money. The state government also gave them a loan. These efforts allowed the Theatre to pay off its debts and keep going.

New Stages and Upgrades

In 2009, the group built a new indoor theater. It is called the Touchstone Theatre and can seat 200 people. This new stage joined their larger outdoor amphitheater. In 2017, the entire complex went through a big renovation. This project cost $7.7 million. It included replacing the old wooden stage in the outdoor amphitheater. They also added more space for props and sets.

Plays and Performances

James Ridge and Tracy Michelle Arnold perform in The Taming of the Shrew in 2011.

What Kinds of Plays Are Performed?

When it first started, American Players Theatre only performed plays by William Shakespeare. But in 1985, they began to include other famous playwrights. They started with plays by Anton Chekhov. Since then, they have performed works by writers like George Bernard Shaw, Noël Coward, and Henrik Ibsen.

The Theatre Season

Each year, the Theatre puts on nine different plays. Eight of these plays are performed during the summer season. One play is performed in the winter. The actors at American Players Theatre do not use microphones. Instead, they have voice coaches for each play. This helps them project their voices so everyone in the audience can hear them clearly.

A Highly Praised Theatre

The artistic director, Brenda DeVita, has said that more than 110,000 people come to see the performances every year. The Theatre is well-known for how good its shows are. Terry Teachout, a well-known drama critic for The Wall Street Journal, once called it "the finest classical theater festival" in the United States.