Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/37509
I’m driving west on Highway 14, meandering through lush green hills and farm fields just outside of Madison. Cross Plains, Black Earth, Mazomanie and Arena straddle the path to my final destination: the wooded cam- pus of American Players Theatre in Spring Green. After the 40-mile excursion, I turn onto APT’s 100-plus acre home and look for a place to park that won’t be in anyone’s way. It’s June—just days before the start of their summer season—and there is a bustle of activity before the actors begin rehearsing each day from noon to midnight. As I turn around in the gravel parking lot next to the administra- tive offices, a familiar face catches my eye. Sarah Day, the veteran APT actress, waves; she’s here to help. With a smile she points me to a spot, and I can’t help but think: Where else but in Wisconsin would a seasoned actor in a renowned theatre company help me, a total stranger, park my car? That’s just the APT way. From the actors and directors, set de- signers and costume creators to the office staff, you can sense the friendliness as soon as you arrive. It may be the summer-camp at- mosphere that develops when hundreds of workers descend upon Spring Green prior to the season, or it may be the relationships that naturally evolve at a uniquely run organization in a welcoming Mid- western town. Whatever the case, it’s this kind of warmth—and decades of high-caliber theater—that make visiting APT a magical experience. A 33-year-old theater company that has grown into a powerhouse on the arts scene—described as “one of the finest classical reper- tory companies in the country” by Theatre in Chicago—APT relies on a simple mission: “To perform the classics, especially the works of Shakespeare, outside, under the sun, moon and stars.” To ac- complish the task of bringing classical theater to life in the great outdoors, APT is one of the few theater companies nationwide to employ a “core company” of actors. Each with a long-term commit- ment to the organization, they work together throughout the sea- son’s run, building a camaraderie and understanding of each other rarely found elsewhere. Deeply involved in the family of actors are a unique group of wom- en who have matured with the company through various stages of its growth. Actress Day, embarking on her 26th year with APT, could be considered the group’s matriarch. Actress Colleen Madden is in her 11th season while actress Tracy Michelle Arnold is em- barking on her 12th. And Brenda DeVita, on her 16th season with the group, is a former professional actress who now plays a leading role behind the scenes as associate artistic director. A group of women with an overwhelming wealth of creativity, knowledge and experience, they joined me during a brief moment of down time to discuss living the artistic life. 38 BRAVA Magazine July 2011