At American Players Theatre, join the 'Packers fans of theater'

Lindsay Christians, The Cap Times

Maybe it’s been a few years since you’ve been out to American Players Theatre (APT), the classical repertory company in the woods near Spring Green.

Maybe you’ve been meaning to go but haven’t made it, or you’re simply resolved to see more shows this summer — to join the “Packers fans of theater,” as a New York Times feature wrote in 2024.

The key to comfort is “layers. Dress in layers,” said Sara Young, APT’s managing director, now in her 23rd year with the company. “Depending on the time of year it is, you might start with nothing and layer up, or you may have to go the other direction.”

APT, now under the artistic leadership of Brenda DeVita, added a 200-seat indoor theater with a rounded thrust stage in 2009. The Touchstone typically stages more intimate plays, family dramas, small-cast comedies and new work.

Most plays, five each year, run under the stars in the Hill Theatre, a 1,075-seat amphitheater the company gave a major overhaul in 2017. Among other upgrades: The parking lot is now paved, as of 2023. The picnic area has expanded to include more permanent covered shelter for 50 under John’s Place (named for John Frautschi), and there’s a wheelchair-accessible picnic area.

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