American Players Theatre

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American Players Theatre (APT) is a classical theater located in Spring Green, Wisconsin, about forty miles west of Madison. The outdoor theatre itself sits in a natural amphitheater in the woods near the Wisconsin River. Founded in 1979, APT is now among the most popular theaters in Wisconsin, and among the most popular outdoor classical theaters in the country.

APT’s repertoire consists primarily of plays by William Shakespeare. Each season, APT puts on about five plays in rotation; usually three of them are by Shakespeare. The remaining plays are generally taken from other noted (usually Western) playwrights such as George Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekov, Molière, and others; APT's productions usually include at least one lesser-known play each season.

A significant part of APT's mission is their education program. APT works with schools and educators to teach students both about Shakespeare (as well as other classic dramatic works), and about the theater in general. APT occasionally tours around Wisconsin and the midwestern United States.

APT is known for offering picnic dinners (and a picnic area for those who bring their own food) to enjoy before the show. Showing that APT doesn't take themselves too seriously, Thursday night shows are billed as "Skippeth-Out-Of-Work-Early Thursday Nights".

APT was co-founded by Randall Duk Kim, Anne Occhiogrosso and Charles Bright, and Kim was the Artistic Director and mainstay lead actor for 15 years before reviving a movie career after a dispute with the board of directors.[1]