American Players Theatre Announces 2016 Season

By: Oct. 29, 2015
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American Players Theatre (APT) is excited to announce its 37th season, which will run June 4 to October 16, 2016. In APT's flagship outdoor amphitheater, William Shakespeare will bookend the Hill season with The Comedy of Errors and King Lear. Also playing on the Hill: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde and Arcadia by Tom Stoppard.

The 200-seat indoor Touchstone Theatre will host: The African Company Presents Richard III by Carlyle Brown, Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl and Endgame by Samuel Beckett. Stephen Massicotte's Mary's Wedding will comprise the 2016 shoulder season in the Touchstone in late October and November. The 2016 season schedule will be available early January. Tickets will go on sale to returning patrons February 29.

The Game of Love and Chance Begins October 30. APT's autumn production, Marivaux's The Game of Love and Chance, translated by Stephen Wadsworth, begins its run in the Touchstone Theatre tomorrow, Friday October 30 at 7:00 pm. Directed by APT's former Producing Artistic Director, David Frank, the romantic period comedy features Kelsey Brennan and Marcus Truschinski (Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, 2015; Cecily and Algernon, The Importance of Being Earnest/Travesties 2014). Performances run through November 22. Tickets are on sale now, though some performances are currently sold out. Tickets and information at americanplayers.org or by calling 608-588-2361.

2015 Season Set To Break Previous Attendance Records. APT is on track to have record-breaking attendance this season. Pending the completion of The Game of Love and Chance, attendance for the season is 114,500, well above the previous record of 113,160 set in 2011. Managing Director Carrie Van Hallgren said, "This has been a tremendous season for APT, both in terms of ticket sales and the quality of the work on stage. We are grateful to each and every person who came out to the woods to see a play in 2015 - we truly believe APT has the best audience in the world. Preparations are well underway for the 2016 season. The anticipation of staging this group of exquisite plays next season will keep us warm through the winter."

The 2016 Season, June 4 - October 16, 2016

The Comedy of Errors By William Shakespeare Directed by David Frank Separated from their family and each other in a shipwreck, two long-lost brothers search for answers with the help of their hilarious servants. This one hits all the big themes: love, loss, family, friendship - all balled up with a serious case of mistaken identity. One of Shakespeare's most enduring comedies about two men, their fools and the people who love them. Featuring Kelsey Brennan and Cristina Panfilio as the Dromios.

Death of a Salesman By Arthur Miller Directed by Kenneth Albers Arthur Miller's Pulitzer Prize-winning American classic comes to APT for the first time. A poignant look at the life of everyman Willy Loman, complete with grand hopes and heartbreaking missteps. Willy is on a quest for the American Dream, and wants more than anything for his family to achieve it alongside him. But their own visions of that dream - and their perceptions of who Willy really is beyond his façade - don't necessarily match up with his reality. Featuring Brian Mani as Willy Loman.

An Ideal Husband By Oscar Wilde Directed by Laura Gordon Deception and blackmail are just the beginning of this witty Wildean classic. Over the course of 24 hours, Mrs. Chiltern goes to great (read: ridiculous) lengths to save her husband's political career in the face of an impending scandal. A funny and thoughtful comedy about the obstacles she's willing to hurdle to save a loved one's reputation - both at large and in her own mind. Featuring David Daniel and Colleen Madden as the Chilterns.

Arcadia By Tom Stoppard Directed by James Bohnen A riveting, time-shifting love story about a brilliant young woman and her philandering, but well-meaning tutor, told the way only Stoppard can tell it. Thomasina is mesmerized by the link between mathematics and nature from a very young age, making brilliant deductions that her devoted tutor Septimus can hardly believe. A genius tragicomedy, muddling the relationships between past and present; romanticism and classicism; order and chaos. Casting to come.

King Lear By William Shakespeare Directed by William Brown Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece comes to APT for the first time in 16 years. A King is undone by his own vanity when he asks his daughters to sing his praises, and harshly punishes the only one of them who cares enough about him to tell the truth. Lear's act of cruel folly sets his kingdom on a path toward betrayal, war and unspeakable loss from which few will emerge unscathed. Featuring Jonathan Smoots as King Lear.

The African Company Presents Richard III By Carlyle Brown Directed by Derrick Sanders Forty years before the Civil War, the African Grove Theatre Troupe in New York sets about staging a production of Richard III. But when a major (and white) New York company scores a big name star to be featured in their own production of Richard, they are determined to shut down the African company's show at any cost. Casting to come.

Eurydice By Sarah Ruhl Director TBA After an accident claims her life, Eurydice joins her father in the underworld. But her husband Orpheus isn't ready to let her go, and vows to rescue her from Hades. A moving and funny retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus from the perspective of his wife, Eurydice, who's forced to choose between her husband and her father, and between life and death. Featuring Kelsey Brennan as Eurydice, Nate Burger as Orpheus and James Ridge as Eurydice's father.

Endgame By Samuel Beckett Directed by Aaron Posner Samuel Beckett returns to the Touchstone with another installment in the "Theatre of the Absurd." In life, as in chess, relationships between the pieces matter. Hamm, who is blind, and his servant Clov rely on each other for many things, including their own survival. But such relationships can be brittle - especially when Beckett is involved - and in life, no matter how you play the game, the end is the same for all of us. Featuring Brian Mani as Hamm, David Daniel as Clov and Sarah Day as Nell.

Mary's Wedding By Stephen Massicotte Directed by Brenda DeVita Mary and Charlie embody a love that, if not quite perfect, rings sweetly true from its very beginning. Unfortunately, world events have little consideration for such things and the lovers part as Charlie joins the war effort, leaving Mary alone with her dreams. An exquisitely personal examination of the cost of war. Casting to come.

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