APT, PBS join forces again

By Michael Muckian, The Shepherd Express

As the COVID-19 pandemic grinds on, American Players Theatre knows that the show—or shows—still must go on. Once again, PBS Wisconsin is helping the Spring Green company, forced to cancel its entire 2020 season, to stay alive, albeit virtually.

In June, APT launched its first “Out of the Woods” series with a weekly Zoom schedule of five separate play readings of works by the likes of Chekhov, Shakespeare and Shaw as befits it classical heritage. Starting Nov. 6, the troupe will launch a second weekly series of three plays written and directed by and starring Black, indigenous and people of color, or BIPOCs in the current parlance.

“People who’ve been in our audience for a while will be very aware of our growing exploration of new voices, of new stories, of asking ourselves again and again what does it mean to be a classic? “ explains Brenda DeVita, APT’s artistic director. “It was always our hope that we would be able to produce a second series of play readings written by BIPOC writers, and created by BIPOC artists.”

Full Story