Small-Town Summer Brings Romantic Heat to American Players Theatre's "Picnic"

Anne Siegel, Shepherd Express

It’s surprising that, in its nearly 50 years of production, American Players Theatre has never thought to focus its efforts on staging Picnic, William Inge’s blistering look at small-town Midwestern culture. Written in 1953, Picnic explored some racy themes at the time.

Today, of course, Picnic seems about as steamy as an episode of TV’s “Sesame Street.”

Robbed of its more salacious overtones, Picnic still remains an excellent choice for American Players Theatre. The play is mounted in the outdoor Hill Theatre, under the direction of Brenda DeVita. It opened in July and continues through September 13.

The now-tame aspects of this drama make it palatable for teens as well as adults, and families should definitely consider adding this play to their roster of APT shows. (Very young children may not be interested in the plot, except for a brief fight scene between two young women (!) and a few other action-packed moments.)

Inge’s play will bring nostalgic overtones to audiences who lived in that era. The set consists of the two back porches of facing homes, with one backyard between them (gorgeously designed by Takeshi Kata). Every inch of these weathered homes has been modeled to perfection, including the front steps leading up to the house occupied by Madge (Alina Taber), her little sister Millie (Kelly Simmons) and their mother Flo (played by APT staple Tracy Michelle Arnold). Across the way from them lives Mrs. Potts (Dee Dee Batteast) and her unseen, elderly mother. As the adult women chat, Mrs. Potts eventually takes a fresh quart of bottled milk from her stoop inside.

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