A Weekend With American Players Theatre, 2024

The cast of DANCING AT LUGHNASA at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

Ma Rainey's band in August Wilson's MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

By Mary Boyle

The very first play I saw at American Players Theatre in Spring Green was not as a theatre critic, but as a homeschooling mother of two among a large group of homeschoolers for a school matinee.  The production was Shakespeare’s King Lear, with the great Jonathan Smoots playing Lear, the incomparable James Ridge as the Duke of Gloucester, and the fabulous Marcus Truschinski as the Duke’s bastard son, Edmund.  Mine and my children’s love of Shakespeare brought us to the woods, but the magic of APT and the beauty of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area kept us coming back, year after year.  I was thrilled when I saw that King Lear was a part of APT’s 45th Season, as it’s always fun to make a comparison of a production within the same company, but a weekend with APT is always one of the highlights of my summer, regardless of what plays they’re performing.
 
The beauty of Wisconsin's Driftless Area, decked out in its summer finery and full of delightful places to eat and visit is certainly a draw, but there is no other theatre company in the State that can claim such an incredible variety and quality of theatre over the course of one weekend than APT.  With its 1,075 seat outdoor theater known as The Hill, APT is the second largest outdoor theater in the country, after The Muny of St. Louis, but they also have the intimate indoor Touchstone Theatre. APT maintains a core company of actors, several of whom have returned to the woods of Spring Green for over two decades (27 years for James Ridge and 21 years for Marcus Truschinski, in fact), which means regular visitors can watch actors go from playing characters like Hamlet in the beginning of their careers and advancing to roles like Polonius down the road; an incredibly rare experience in this day and age.  In a recent article in the New York Times, Elisabeth Vincentelli expounded on one of the other theatre rarities that brings “the Packers fans of theatre” back each year to APT: the actors wear no microphones, just the way it was done in Shakespeare’s time. 
 
While a dedication to classical theatre remains strong at APT (they produce at least two Shakespearean productions each season), they have branched out over the years into more contemporary theatre, including very recent works.  The development of the core company and the diversity in productions are mainly the work of Artistic Director Brenda Devita, who has been with APT for the past 30 years in various roles, and has spent the past 10 years in her current position, along with directing a fair number of productions, including this season’s Dancing at Lughnasa, which was one of the shows I was able to catch on my weekend visit to APT this season.
 
Written in 1990 by “the Irish Chekhov” Brian Friel, DANCING AT LUGHNASA centers around the Mundy family in the town of Ballybeg, County Donegal, Ireland in 1936.  The story is narrated by the only child of the family, Michael (Marcus Truschinski), as he recalls the last summer his whole family was together at home.  Michael has spent his childhood with his mother, Chris (Maggie Cramer), and his four aunts: Kate (Tracy Michelle Arnold), Maggie (Colleen Madden), Agnes (Laura Rook), and Rose (Elizabeth Reese), who have all worked hard to keep a roof over their heads.  After working in a leper colony in Africa for over 20 years, Michael’s uncle and the only brother to his mother and aunts, Father Jack (James Ridge), has finally returned home, ill with malaria. Shortly after, Michael’s father, Gerry (Nate Burger), shows up for an unexpected visit to the Mundy house. 
 
Dancing at Lughnasa reminds me of the uncanny knack the Irish have of setting sad stories to a jaunty jig or reel. There is no real conclusion or moral to this tale, yet there is intense beauty in this story of the hardships of everyday living and the mixture of hope, love, laughter, fear, and sorrow that comes with it.  The superb acting by this brilliant cast takes the experience to another level.  The way the Mundy sisters take full advantage of the rare times when their wireless radio works and the music enters their home will make you want to clap and dance with them; only later will you realize that it’s how they kept their hearts from breaking – and how they kept yours from breaking, too.  With an amazing set design by Courtney O'Neill and beautiful costumes by Rachel Anne Healy, Dancing at Lughnasa is like time-travelling to Ireland in a simpler, yet in so many ways harder, time.
 
I kicked off my weekend at APT with the aforementioned KING LEAR and, despite melting to my seat in the 90 degree weather, I loved this fairly traditional production directed by Tim Ocel.  In this story, King Lear (Brian Mani) hopes to relinquish power and retire gracefully from his position by dividing his kingdom between his three daughters: Goneril (Nancy Rodriquez), Regan (Jessica Ko), and Cordelia (Samantha Newcomb), who he expects will continue to care for their beloved father as befits a king for the remainder of his days.  Unfortunately, he decides the best way to do this is by asking each daughter how much they love him and giving the best third of his kingdom to the daughter who answers best.  His two older daughters, who don’t hold him in high regard, answer to please and flatter, but his youngest and favorite, Cordelia, answers honestly, which infuriates Lear so much that he disinherits Cordelia and banishes her from the kingdom, dividing her share between the other two sisters and their husbands, the Duke of Albany (Chiké Johnson) and the Duke of Cornwall (Ronald Román-Meléndez).  The Earl of Kent (La Shawn Banks) warns the King that his shortsighted fit of rage will cause nothing but regret and ruin, but Lear will not listen.  Meanwhile, the Duke of Gloucester (Jim DeVita) also has a child who is looking to increase their power: his illegitimate son, Edmund (Rassel Holt), has hatched a plan to rid himself of his legitimate brother, Edgar (Nathan Barlow), and the disorder in the kingdom will help him succeed.
 
Brian Mani is exactly how you’d imagine Lear to be; if this were to be his swan song, he couldn’t have asked for a better role for himself, and he played it extraordinarily well.  Also impressive was Josh Krause as Lear’s Fool.  This role is often used to greater comedic affect, but this production stressed the real closeness between Lear and his Fool that the space for honesty and trust had given them, so Krause’s Fool was more like the son Lear never had without the baggage that title would have wrought.  Because of this, the Fool was both appalled by Lear’s treatment of Cordelia and horrified on Lear’s behalf by his other daughters’ treatment of their father.  Rasell Holt was well cast as the angry and bitter Edmund.  This tragedy of Shakespeare’s is truly a study of relationships that remains completely relevant today.  Don’t miss this one.
 
The third play I saw at APT was August Wilson’s MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, directed by Gavin Dillon Lawrence.  In my personal opinion, all Americans should be required to see at least one of Wilson’s plays because, while all live theatre is a lesson in empathy, Wilson makes empathy and understanding of the Black experience in America unavoidable.  Brutal, funny, wise, hopeful, honest, and redemptive, Wilson is a brilliant playwright who gives such depth of character that audiences can’t help but connect and bear witness to their lives.  In Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, we find ourselves at a recording studio in Chicago in the 1920s where the great Ma Rainey (Greta Oglesby), Mother of the Blues, is scheduled to begin recording a new album.  The studio is owned and run by two white men: Sturdyvant (Brian Mani) and Irvin (David Daniel).  Ma’s band arrives, but Ma and her entourage have been delayed by an incident with the police. The band is led by trombonist Cutler (Lester Purry) and consists of Slow Drag (Bryant Louis Bently) on stand-up bass and Todedo (Chiké Johnson) on piano, along with a new and younger man on trumpet named Levee (Nathan Barlow).  Levee is working hard to advance his career, but the rest of the band doesn’t appreciate his attempt to push them into a new sound, nor can they get him to understand that Ma runs the show.  Or does she?
 
The cast, as a whole, is incredibly strong in this production, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the costumes by Raquel Adorno and scenic design by Lawrence E. Moten III, which are incredible.  It was an unbearably hot day in Spring Green when I saw this production, but it was winter in 1920s Chicago on the stage – the actors should have all gotten an award for not passing out in their three-piece suits, along with their performance.  While some of the music in this production is created live on the stage, some is recorded; I would have preferred it all to be live, but that’s truly the only complaint I can come up with.  Like all of Wilson’s plays, Ma Rainey will make you uncomfortable, but see it anyway; healing is an uncomfortable process.
 
The final play of my weekend was the perfect one to end on: RING ROUND THE MOON by French playwright Jean Anouilh, adapted by Christopher Fry and directed by Laura Gordon. This play was pure fun from start to finish and just the ticket if you are looking for a good time.  The story takes place in the home of a wealthy family, specifically in the Winter Garden, though it is springtime. Identical twin brothers, Hugo and Frederic (both played by Nate Burger) are bachelors with wealth and looks, but neither of them are happy.  Frederic is lovesick over his fiancé, Diana Messerman (Laura Rook), but she would prefer to have Frederic’s misanthropic brother, Hugo, who is disgusted by Diana’s wealth and privilege. Hugo doesn’t want his brother to marry Diana either, so he hatches a plan to lead Frederic astray by throwing a party and inviting a lovely young nobody, Isabelle (Phoebe González), and creating a mystery about her identity.  However, Phoebe’s grasping mother (Colleen Madden), who arrives with her daughter, cannot be controlled, nor can Hugo and Frederic’s meddling elderly aunt, Madame Desmortes (Barbara Kingsley). The two women threaten to ruin Hugo’s plans at every turn, but to hysterical ends.
 
Ring Round the Moon is a classic farce, but a terribly clever, witty, and romantic one that will keep the audience delighted and laughing until the very end.  Nate Burger is just perfection as the identical twins with very different personalities, demonstrating his aptitude for physical comedy as he disappears and reappears on different parts of the stage with impossible speed.  Colleen Madden and Barbara Kingsley give inspired performances but keep an eye out for David Daniel as Joshua the crumbling butler and Sam Luis Massaro as Patrice Bombelles – they’re absolute scene stealers.  I loved each show that I saw over my weekend at APT, but this one was my favorite.
 
 
Whether you are a theatre fanatic or simply looking for a nearby weekend getaway, a visit to Spring Green and APT is where it is at.  Also playing at APT this season is MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, THE VIRGIN QUEEN ENTERTAINS HER FOOL, WOLF AT THE DOOR, CONSTELLATIONS, and NAT TURNER IN JERUSALEM.  For more information and to purchase tickets, go to: americanplayers.org/ or call the Box Office at 608-588-2361.

Know Before You Go

• American Players Theatre is not the place to wear your heels. The climb to The Hill and the Touchstone is through the woods along a gravel path; it is best to wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather.  There is a shuttle available for those who cannot make the walk. 
• When it's incredibly hot, there is a free water station by the gift shop with small cups, or you can refill your own water bottle.  The seats can get hot and may be in direct sunlight; consider wearing a hat and clothes that will cover areas where your body will be touching the seats.  A small towel to wipe up sweat is adviced.
• Unless it really starts to rain, the show will go on, or may only be delayed for a while; it is best to bring a raincoat and umbrella if there is any rain expected, though they do sell ponchos at the gift shop. 
• In the evening, it can get cold; consider bringing a blanket and/or jacket.  Bug spray is available at stations on the way up the hill, if needed.
  
• There are picnic areas available, should you care to bring a luncheon, or order a picnic before you go.  The Hill and Touchstone have concession stands with a good variety of drinks and snacks, as well as some pre-made sandwiches, and the downhill concession stand has made-to-order sandwiches and wine for your group.  

What to do in Spring Green
Spring Green is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin, as well as the iconic Wisconsin attraction, House on the Rock.  Spring Green, itself, is an adorable little main street community with some lovely shops and restaurants; I highly recommend making a stop at Arcadia Books and Homecoming Restaurant.  There are also two State Parks nearby: Tower Hill and Governor Dodge.  

For the history buffs, you can see two State Historical Sites just a bit further south down 151: in historic Mineral Point there’s Pendarvis and you will find the First Capitol in Belmont.  There's also historic Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, where you can check out the trollway and visit the nearby Cave of the Mounds.

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Nate Burger and David Daniels in RING ROUND THE MOON at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin.