Chicago Directors Set for American Players Theatre's 37th Summer Festival Season

American Players Theatre (APT) announces its 37th Summer Festival Season, June 3 - October 16, 2016, a diverse lineup of eight classical and contemporary plays in repertory that includes the return and work of two visiting Chicago directors: Derrick Sanders, founding Artistic Director of Congo Square Theatre Company directing The African Company Presents Richard III by Carlyle Brown in APT's intimate 200-seat Touchstone Theatre; and Jeff Award winner William Brown taking on William Shakespeare's King Lear in APT's flagship 1140-seat outdoor amphitheater on the Hill.

Additional outdoor productions for 2016 include: William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors; Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman; Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband; and Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. Also playing in the Touchstone Theatre are Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice, and Samuel Beckett's Endgame. Mary's Wedding by Stephen Massicotte will run in the Touchstone Theatre from October 28 to November 20 after the regular season closes.

Located on 110 acres of hilly woods and meadows above the Wisconsin River in Spring Green, Wisconsin, American Players Theatre was founded in 1979 and continues to be one of the most popular outdoor classical theaters in the nation. Returning patrons can purchase tickets beginning Monday, February 29 and tickets go on sale to the general public Monday, April 11. Single tickets for APT's 2016 Season start at $47, with special 4-Pack ticket packages starting at just $108 for four tickets to select shows on the Hill. Ticket and lodging packages are also available at discounted rates. For more information on ticket prices, schedules, plays and casting, call the APT Box Office at 608-588-2361 starting February 29, or visit www.americanplayers.org.

American Players Theatre's 2015 Summer Festival Season

The Comedy of Errors - June 4 to October 2, 2016 (On the Hill)

By William Shakespeare ? Directed by David Frank

Opening night: June 11 at 8 p.m.

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 - June 10 to September 16, 2016 (On the Hill)

By Arthur Miller ?Directed by Kenneth Albers

Opening night: June 18 at 8 p.m.

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 - June 17 to September 24, 2016 (On the Hill)

By Oscar Wilde ? Directed by Laura Gordon

Opening night: June 25 at 8 p.m.

Deception and blackmail are just the beginning of this witty Wildean classic. Over the course of 24 hours, Mrs. Chiltern goes to great 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 - July 29 to October 1, 2016 (On the Hill)

By Tom Stoppard? Directed by James Bohnen

Opening night: August 6 at 8 p.m.

A love story, as told by the author of Travesties and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. A group of present-day scholars attempt to interpret the lives of people long-dead, as we watch those lives play out in the same room. A genius tragicomedy, muddling the relationships between past and present; romanticism and classicism; art and chaos. Featuring Tracy Michelle Arnold, Nate Burger, Jim DeVita, Steve Haggard and Colleen Madden.

King Lear - August 5 to September 30, 2016 (On the Hill)

By William Shakespeare?Directed by William Brown

Opening night: August 13 at 8 p.m.

Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece comes to APT for the first time in 17 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 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 - June 3 to September 14, 2016 (Touchstone Theatre)

By Carlyle Brown? Directed by Derrick Sanders

Opening night: June 11 at 3 p.m.

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) 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. Featuring Johnny Lee Davenport, Jennifer Latimore, Gavin Lawrence, Cedric Mays and Greta Oglesby.

Eurydice - June 21 to October 8, 2016 (Touchstone Theatre)

By Sarah Ruhl? Directed by TBD

Opening night: June 25 at 3 p.m.

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, Nate Burger, Melisa Pereyra, Cedric Mays, James Ridge and Christopher Sheard.

Endgame - August 6 to October 16, 2016 (Touchstone Theatre)

By Samuel Beckett ? Directed by Aaron Posner

Opening night: August 13 at 3 p.m.

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, David Daniel, John Pribyl and Sarah Day.

Mary's Wedding - October 28 to November 20, 2016 (Touchstone Theatre)

By Stephen Massicotte ?Directed by Brenda DeVita

Opening Night: October 30 at 6 p.m.

Mary and Charlie embody a love that 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. Featuring Nate Burger and Laura Rook.

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