Blog

Dec 18, 2023

Playing around under the stars

The core acting company of American Players Theater, located in Spring Green.

The core acting company of American Players Theater, located in Spring Green. The outdoor classical theater draws around 100,000 visitors a year, according to Sara Young, managing director.

As summer heats up, theaters beckon actors and audiences alike.

In Washington County, the Kettle Moraine Playhouse will host its second annual Summer Script-Reading Series on select dates in June and July.

"We started last summer. It seemed to be well-received," said Jovon Serrano, an actress and member at-large of the Playhouse board of directors.

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She is organizing the summer event, which includes a cold read-through of several different scripts, according to the Playhouse website.

Some scripts are for shows that will be produced for next season and others are in consideration for future seasons, the site said.

"We thought it was a great way for directors to see what the interest level was," Serrano said.

From the actor's perspective, the read-throughs offer a "low pressure way to do some research," she said.

Community members are invited to come and listen. There are no tickets or admission charges, and the cash bar will be open, according to the website.

"It's interesting to see a show in its rawest form and then come back and see the production," Serrano said.

All of the readers will be seated on stage. "All you have to do is read out loud," Serrano said. "Last year, someone sat back and listened and by the end was willing to come up on stage."

The read-throughs are for actors and directors interested in upcoming shows, those getting started in acting and those who would enjoy listening and an evening of theater, the website said.

Serrano noted that the Playhouse recently wrapped up "a really outstanding season" with ticket sales at or near capacity for every show.

"It's so encouraging to know there's great community support out there for us," she said.

Those who enjoy theater and time outdoors in southeast Wisconsin can head to SummerStage of Delafield for a performance at the open-air theater.

The stage opens this week with "Brighton Beach Memoirs" by Neil Simon.

"It's based on his life growing up in Brooklyn in the ’30s," said Dustin Martin, artistic director of SummerStage.

This year is SummerStage's 17th season. "We’re an outdoor theater. There's no seats, so everyone brings lawn chairs and blankets," Martin said.

Located within in the Kettle Moraine State Forest — Lapham Peak Unit in the Town of Delafield, the setting is a beautiful one, Martin said.

"It's very picturesque where we’re situated," he said, noting the parking lot is about 300 yards from the theater.

A golf cart runs back and forth for patrons’ use.

"It's kind of tucked away within the forest. It's in a clearing but in the state forest," said Martin, who recommends purchasing tickets online.

Ticket purchases can be exchanged up to an hour before the show, according to Martin.

"Since we don't have seats, we want to give patrons flexibility," he said, noting that the theater performances tend to be wellattended.

"They come from the whole Lake Country and Waukesha areas. From around southeast Wisconsin, too," Martin said.

The actors at SummerStage are volunteers, and organizers work to diversify the season's offerings. For the past two years, SummerStage coordinated with the Madison Ballet for some performances.

This year, the Florentine Opera Company based in Milwaukee will perform in August, according to Martin.

"We like to offer a healthy mix of comedy, farce and a little drama as well," he said.

For those who like to travel around the state during the summer months, American Players Theatre in Spring Green, 35 miles west of Madison, offers a classical theater experience.

"APT is on 110 acres of prairie and woods and is out in a rural area. It is really, really beautiful. There is a sense of coming out to the woods and really getting away," said Sara Young, managing director.

She described the picnic grounds available for those who like to picnic and said the theater, featuring theater-style seating, is a quarter-mile walk up the hill.

"It's a beautiful walk through the woods. Then you see an amazing play out under the stars," said Young, who said there is a shuttle service available.

The American Players Theatre actors are professionals from all over the country, including Chicago, New York and the West Coast, according to Young.

"We recruit and audition throughout the country," said Young, who added actors are drawn to the location.

"They have the ability to do this work and perform these plays in this unique environment, but also being a little bit removed from the busyness of an urban area and really getting to hone their craft," she said.

American Players Theatre includes a core acting company of 13 people who consider the Spring Green location their artistic home, according to Young, who said this year is the theater's 44th season.

"Our founders came from all over the country. They wanted to settle in the Midwest to create this classical theater," she said, noting that the founders searched around the state before settling on the Spring Green location.

She added that now the theater draws more than 100,000 visitors a year. Many visitors are from the Madison area, and about 15% to 20% of audience members come from the Greater Milwaukee area, Young said.

Others come from around the U.S. Young recommended planning ahead for ticket purchases.

"Some performances we have great availability and some are getting a little tight right now. But there's still plenty of seats," she said.

In the event of rain, a performance will sometimes pause waiting for weather to pass. On occasion, performances are canceled due to weather conditions but Young said such cancelations have been infrequent over the theater's many years.

Overall, the experience is an unforgettable one, Young said.

"It's the sense of putting nature together with these plays that have been around for a long time. It can be really profound," she said.

"At the end of the show, you look up at the same stars Shakespeare wrote these plays under. It's beautiful, peaceful and exciting."