SPRING GREEN, WISC.: American Players Theatre (APT) has announced its 2017 season.
“We’ve put together a season that is quintessential APT,” said artistic director Brenda DeVita in a statement. “We’ll open our renovated Hill Theatre with Midsummer, the same play that began it all when APT opened in 1980. Together, the plays on the Hill will deliver on what I believe our audience has come to expect: a sweeping, romantic adventure with Cyrano, a hilarious comedy with A Flea in Her Ear, two Shakespeares that are tailor-made for our theatre in the woods, and the beautiful, achingly human Chekhov play Three Sisters as our accent piece. For the Touchstone, we have chosen four plays that will showcase our company of actors and be very well-served by the intimacy of that space. I’m especially eager to continue our exploration of American classics with A View from the Bridge.”
The outdoor season will begin with Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by John Langs.
Next up will be Georges Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear, adapted by David Frank and translated by Abbot Chrisman, a comedy about a suspected love affair. Frank will direct.
Following will be Cyrano de Bergerac, adapted by James DeVita from Edmond Rostand, about a fearless soldier who is promised in marriage but in love with another woman. DeVita will direct.
The season will continue with Chekhov’s Three Sisters, translated by Susan Coyne, about three sisters in the country longing for a different life in Moscow. William Brown will direct.
Next will be Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre, about a prince who sails from island to island in search of love and discovers a dangerous secret on his travels. Eric Tucker will direct.
The Touchstone season will begin with Jean Genet’s The Maids, translated by Bernard Frechtman, about two sisters and servants who pass their time impersonating their Madame. The cast will feature Melisa Pereyra, and Gigi Buffington will direct.
Following will be Yasmina Reza’s The Unexpected Man, translated by Christopher Hampton, about an author and a devoted fan who share a train car. The cast will include Sarah Day and Brian Mani, and Laura Gordon will direct.
Next up will be Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, about a longshoreman working in Brooklyn in the 1950s who is protective of his family. The cast will include Jim DeVita, and Tim Ocel will direct.
To conclude the season will be August Strindberg’s The Creditors, translated by David Greig, about a man and his mentor, who aids him in artistic ventures and matters of his marriage. The cast will feature Tracy Michelle Arnold and Jim DeVita, and Maria Aitken will direct.
Founded in 1979, American Players Theatre presents classics and future classics on 110 acres of hilly woods and meadows above the Wisconsin River.
