Review: Scenic road leads back to summer theater

Have plans for the summer? Just over the border and an easy car ride away are three wonderful theater venues whose season curtains are about to rise. Popular among northern Illinoisans and surrounding areas, the American Players Theatre (APT), the Peninsula Players, and Northern Sky Theater have found loyal audiences for years, and all have box offices open for business.

American Players Theatre, located in Spring Green, Wisconsin, has two theaters: the 1,089-cushioned-seat, flagship outdoor amphitheater and the 201-seat indoor Touchstone Theatre. And this year, APT offers a season that runs through mid-November with contemporary and classical plays: the comedy “The Rivals,” the romantic fable “The River Bride,” Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility,” the drama “The Brothers Size,” Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet,” the American drama “A Raisin in the Sun,” the romantic comedy and new play “The Moors,” the Shakespeare comedy “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” and the Irish parable “Stones in His Pockets.”

Interestingly, APT’s founders in 1978 determined the amphitheater’s location – after walking to the base of a steep hill, one person’s voice reached those above with “uncanny clarity.” The first production was in 1980: Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” APT draws an annual audience of more than 110,000 people, and famous alumni include James DeVita, Carrie Coon and Randall Duk Kim. APT is also noteworthy for its educational programming, focus on Shakespeare and classical dramatic works, and theater, in general.

America’s oldest resident summer theater, the Peninsula Players, located in Fish Creek, has a five-show season running June through October. Its 87th season includes the American classic “The Rainmaker,” the thriller “Write Me a Murder,” the comedy “Ripcord,” the drama “I and You,” and the musical comedy “Murder for Two.”

Peninsula Players’ notable alumni include Stacy Keach Sr., Harvey Korman, Ralph Waite and Rene Auberjonois. The original Peninsula Players stage was built with the help of Samuel Wanamaker, the actor and director most responsible for the modern recreation of Shakespeare’s Globe theater in London.

The lesser-known Northern Sky Theater, also located in Fish Creek, has two separately located theaters: the indoor Gould Theater and the outdoor Peninsula State Park amphitheater. Northern Sky Theater creates all original musical shows, and runs through October. The brainchild of University of Wisconsin professor Dave Peterson, the theater company produces shows appropriate for all ages and ranging in length from one to one and a half hours, generally, with no intermission. This season includes “Dad’s Season Tickets,” “Fishing for the Moon,” “Love Stings” and “Sunflowered.”

Obviously, we have the great mecca of Chicago for theater, or even closer to home, the Raue Center For The Arts, Woodstock Opera House, Paramount Theatre, Elgin Theatre Company and Metropolis. But if you enjoy the novelty of a change of scenery and high-caliber production venues, these three theaters offer invitations to be serenaded and entertained in nature settings worthy of discovery under a canopy of stars.

• Regina Belt-Daniels is an ardent admirer of summer theater with nature as a backdrop and stars for a ceiling. Currently serving on the RCLPC Theater Board and It’s Showtime Advisory Committee, when not attending live theater, she can be found happily teaching, traveling with her husband, acting, directing and writing theater reviews.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: American Players Theatre, boxoffice@americanplayers.org, 608-588-2361, americanplayers.org/tickets

WHAT: Peninsula Players, tickets@peninsulaplayers.com, 920-868-3287, peninsulaplayers.com

WHAT: Northern Sky Theater, info@northernskytheater.com, 920-854-6117, northernskytheater.com