If you’ve been waiting to visit the lush, green countryside of rural Spring Green, Wisconsin, home of American Players Theatre (APT), this year’s recent news may encourage you to schedule a visit soon.
On June 7, American Players Theatre administrators will accept the 2026 Tony Award’s Regional Theatre Tony, which comes with an official, gleaming statuette and a $25,000 prize. According to APT’s communications director, the company is “over the moon” about this recognition.
It comes at a particularly welcome time, when many live theaters nationwide are still struggling to fill seats after the pandemic.
The 79th Annual 2026 Regional Tony Award is expected to be presented June 7 during a televised, pre-show event on the same night as the mainstream Tony Awards show. That sounds confusing (and it is). Check your local TV programming for Tony Awards coverage on national television and streaming services.
This is the first Regional Tony Award win for a Wisconsin-based theater company. Six Chicago theater companies have won Regional Tony Awards over the years. The recipients of the award are Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Victory Gardens Theater. The Regional Tony Award is considered highly prestigious for the handful of theaters that have won it. The award, presented annually since 1976, recognizes “a regional theatre company that has displayed a continuous level of artistic achievement contributing to the growth of theatre nationally,” according to a press release.
A Successful Mix of Shakespeare, Other Classics and Contemporary Plays
For nearly half a century, APT has attracted about 100,000 visitors annually to view its rotating repertory of performances. Although APT draws its audience from across the country, a sizable portion of its patrons drive north from the Chicago area and northern Illinois cities. What’s onstage? Usually, a mix of Shakespeare, classics, thought-provoking contemporary works and, occasionally, the world premiere of a new play.
APT theatergoers can choose between indoor and outdoor venues. The 1,075-seat, outdoor Hill Theatre is the first to open each summer (this year, it opens on June 5 with a production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It). The indoor, 201-seat Touchstone Theatre kicks off a few days later, allowing visitors to experience both of its impressive theater spaces.
The plays are presented in rotating repertory, which allows visitors a chance to sample several plays during a long weekend. Regular visitors know there’s something here for the entire family to enjoy. Please note that this year's roster does NOT contain a world premiere. But it has a spooky-themed play coming in fall.
The theater administration notes that tickets should be purchased directly from APT (not third-party sellers) to avoid any scams.
Here is a schedule of APT productions; each play is listed by the month it opens. The 2026 season runs through mid-November (although the outdoor stage closes in early October). Tickets are on sale now for the entire lineup of plays. For more information, visit americanplayers.org, or call the APT box office at 608-588-2361.
In the Hill Theatre
(Outdoors, +1,000 seats)
JUNE
As You Like It, by William Shakespeare. A pair of best friends and cousins, Rosalind and Celia, are torn apart when one of them is deemed less suitable for marriage than the other. In typical Shakespeare fashion, one of the cousins dresses up as a young man as the pair flees to a forest. One of Rosalind’s male suitors is also forced to flee to the very same forest. Mixed identities and a band of merry forest misfits create a sublime comedy. It has been called the “rom com” of the season. Directed by Core Company member Laura Rook.
The Matchmaker, by Thornton Wilder. A character named Dolly Levi stars as the funny, irrepressible “matchmaker.” In a time that existed long before internet dating, Dolly had a knack for uniting couples—for a price. In her quest for romance, the widowed Dolly also seeks a new partner for herself. Dolly brings a sense of adventure to everyone in her life, including the curmudgeonly hardware store owner, Horace Vandergelder.Directed by the Madison-based Brian Cowing.
Uncle Vanya, by Anton Chekhov. A new adaptation (by company member Nate Burger) brings to life the tale of longing, regret and missed opportunities. Tensions simmer between family members who live together at a large, country estate. This production contains adult themes and language. Directed by APT Artistic Director Brenda DeVita.
JULY
The Two "Gentlemen" of Verona by William Shakespeare. This is about as close to a musical as an APT play will ever get, apparently. Renowned playwright Aaron Posner directs his own adaptation of this magical adventure. It stars two longtime friends, Proteus and Valentine, who set out to make their fortunes. One follows his heart towards Julia, but they both wind up in the same town and fall in love with the same woman, Silvia. The women have some remedies for this situation, as do some willing clowns, a group of outlaws, and a dog.
AUGUST
Sueño, translated and adapted by José Rivera. This play is based on an older play written by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Prince Segismundo is imprisoned at birth, based on a prophecy that he’d grow into a tyrant. Eventually, the king wonders whether this decision was a good one, or not. He wonders whether releasing the prince is a better choice. This play promises to be a funny, absurd and strangely beautiful take on a 17th century classic. Contains adult themes and language. Directed by Marcela Lorca.
In the Touchstone Theatre
(Indoors, air-conditioned, 200 seats)
JUNE
Casey and Diana, by Nick Green. The “Diana” in the title is Princess Diana, who is scheduled to visit a Toronto AIDS clinic in 1991. As the patients and caregivers await the big day, they share stories of hopes, fears and coping with a sickness that unfortunately bears a social stigma. Their memories and present circumstances are offered in a play that’s sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, but eventually satisfying. Directed by Michael Herwitz.
The Chairs, by Eugene Ionesco. The last time APT offered an absurdist comedy was in 2018 (Exit the King). Now another absurdist play is in the Touchstone Theatre. It’s by one of the greats, Eugene Ionesco. What begins as a practical exercise—finding chairs to seat arriving guests—becomes increasingly surreal. Contains adult themes and language. Directed by Vanessa Stalling.
AUGUST
Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea. By Nathan Alan Davis. Driven by dreams, a teenage Dontrell searches for connection to his past as his family attempts to anchor him to the present. It has been called “lyrical, funny and theatrical.” Contains adult themes and language. Directed by Tyrone Phillips.
OCTOBER
Witch, by Jen Silverman. Hitting the Touchstone Theatre just in time for spooky season, the Devil is making the rounds in Edmonton when he encounters a woman living on the outskirts of town. She has witchy powers, and gives the Devil a run for his money (or a run for her soul, as it were). Contains adult themes and language. Directed by Keira Fromm.
The 2026 APT season runs through mid-November (although the outdoor stage closes in early October). Tickets are on sale now for the entire lineup of plays. For more information, visit americanplayers.org, or call the APT box office at 608-588-2361.
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