When it rains at American Players Theatre, it's decision time

Lindsay Christians, The Cap Times

Midway into a June performance of “Ring Round the Moon,” a summer rainstorm moved through Spring Green, opening the skies above the outdoor Hill Theatre.

The audience rustled their way into hooded jackets and gathered under overhangs while a disembodied voice announced a hold. When the play resumed at the top of Act III, actor Seth Ajani stepped center stage, crooning an apt bit of Bobby Darin:

“What a difference a day made,” he sang. “Twenty-four little hours brought the sun and the flowers, where there used to be rain.”

Live theater is always a bit unpredictable, but at the classical repertory company American Players Theatre, weather is like an unscripted additional character. South central Wisconsin has had a very wet summer so far — June in Madison was the wettest in a decade — though APT has had only two official “rainouts,” where a show canceled before it could finish.

“It’s been raining all the time, and yet we’ve hardly ever rained out,” said Sara Young, APT’s general manager. “Sometimes it does rain when you come to APT, but it’s much less than people perceive.”

In the midst of a sopping summer, it’s worth a closer look at American Players Theatre’s weather policy. Why don’t shows cancel ahead of time when rain is in the forecast? What happens if it rains during a show? When does the theater offer refunds?

Young offered answers to these questions and a few more in this explainer.

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