Capacity Crowd Attends Peninsula Players' Reading of POPULATION 485

Peninsula Players Theatre presented a reading of "Population 485" by Michael Perry at Björklunden Monday, February 6 to an audience of more than 150. "Population 485" was produced as part of The Play's the Thing, a winter series of play readings organized by Peninsula Players Theatre.

Participating in the reading were Door County-based artists and performers Amy Ensign, John Wilson, Chad Luberger, Amy Ludwigsen, Mark Moede, Larry "Thor" Thoreson alongside Chicago-based Peninsula Players company members Maggie Kettering ("Lend Me a Tenor," "Outside Mullingar") and James Krag ("Over the River and Through the Woods," "Witness for the Prosecution"). The cast was under the direction of Peninsula Players Artistic Director Greg Vinkler.

The reading of "Population 485" was produced with support from and in coordination with Door County Reads and its exploration of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Empire Falls" by Richard Russo. Russo introduces readers to the life-long residents who make up the community of a faltering blue-collar town in Maine.

Perry adapted to the stage his best-selling memoir "Population 485: Meeting your Neighbor One Siren at a Time" in which he captures small-town, rural America in a series of essays reflecting on his service as a volunteer EMT/first responder in New Auburn, Wisconsin.

"Population 485" was the first of three readings of The Play's the Thing. Peninsula Players will host additional readings Monday, March 6 of "Salvage," by Joseph Zettelmaier and Monday, April 3 of "Miss Holmes" by Christopher M. Walsh.

The Play's the Thing is funded in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin, as well as generous grants from the Door County Community Foundation, Door County Medical Center, Friends of Door County Libraries and operating funds from Peninsula Players Theatre.

Peninsula Players Theatre is America's Oldest Professional Resident Summer Theatre. The Play's the Thing is part of the Players' winter outreach programming which presents professional play readings for the public. Season and group tickets are now on sale for the 2017 season. Learn more about the Peninsula Players 2017 season at www.peninsulaplayers.com or phone 920-868-3287.