American Players Theatre facts for kids

The American Players Theatre (often called APT) is a special theater group and complex located near Spring Green, Wisconsin. It's known for performing classic plays, especially those by William Shakespeare. A famous theater reviewer, Terry Teachout, once called it the best classical theater company in the United States.

APT was started by Randall Duk Kim, Anne Occhiogrosso, and Charles J. Bright. Their first show was in 1980. The theater complex is huge, covering 110 acres. It has two main stages: a large outdoor amphitheater with 1,089 seats and a smaller indoor theater called the Touchstone Theatre, which seats 200 people. Brenda DeVita has been the artistic director of APT since 2014.

How American Players Theatre Began

American Players Theatre was founded in 1977. Its founders were Randall Duk Kim, Anne Occhiogrosso, and Charles J. Bright. The group moved to Spring Green, Wisconsin in 1979. They put on their very first performance there in 1980.

In its early years, the Theatre faced money problems. Even after being recognized with a special award in 1985, it nearly closed down. By 1986, the Theatre owed a lot of money. They even announced plans to close. But the community stepped in to help! People raised money, and the state government gave them a loan. This help allowed the Theatre to pay off its debts and keep going.

Growing and Improving the Theatre

In 2009, the American Players Theatre added a new indoor stage. This was the 200-seat Touchstone Theatre. It was built to go along with their larger outdoor amphitheater.

Later, in 2017, the complex completed a big improvement project. This $7.7 million project replaced the old wooden stage in the outdoor amphitheater. That stage had been built in 1995. The renovation also added more space for props and sets. These are the items and scenery used during plays.

What Plays They Perform

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

When it first started, the Theatre only performed plays by William Shakespeare. But in 1985, they began to add other playwrights to their collection of plays. They started with plays by Anton Chekhov.

Since then, APT has performed plays by many famous writers. These include George Bernard Shaw, Noël Coward, and Henrik Ibsen. The Theatre puts on nine plays each year. Eight of these plays are performed in the summer. One play is shown in the winter. Artistic director Brenda DeVita says that more than 110,000 people come to see the performances every year. The Theatre is well-known for its excellent shows. Terry Teachout, a late reviewer for Wall Street Journal, called it "the finest classical theater festival" in the United States.