APT Blog in the Woods

Pistachios and Almonds

2009-08-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know Why it started.

Ken called them "Community Pistachios" and every day at notes, there they were. To one of us, maybe the only thing we'd eaten in far too long. To another of us, the salt of the shells perfect to counteract all the whiskey (aka water) we'd been drinking during the repetition of scene work. And to another, perhaps an obstacle to easily win--the cracking of the shell to get to the good stuff--as opposed to the monster of life O'Neill created for us to live in, only to come out empty-handed at times, still trying to figure things out. Almonds came along to slow down the consumption of the pistachios--then more pistachios--which made note-time with John feel like six friends getting together, spitting watermelon seeds and sunflower seeds into the lake that we have our bare feet in, talking about life.

All I know is notes aren't the same without them. The nuts, at least to me, have become what bind us together--as silly as that may sound. They bring us back to real life, back to the every day, back to casual. As we crack each pistachio, bite into each almond, we slowly but surely come back to being Ourselves again.

Perhaps that's where YOU come in.

We're running low and are gratefully accepting donations.

American Players Theatre
ATTN: The Cast of Long Days Journey

5950 Golf Course Road

P.O. Box 819

Spring Green, WI 53588

Excited/Terrified HENRY V

2009-08-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ah, beautiful Monday... Mondays are our day off, you see, and for me it is an important time for sitting outside with a cup of coffee and doing absolutely nothing for as long as possible. But that isn't working so well at the moment because I am equal parts excited and terrified about HENRY V as we head into Tech on Tuesday. Instead of gentle, flowing thoughts of sleepy nothings my mind turns to lines and inflections and rhythms and accents.

What is so exciting about this particular HENRY V (besides an absolutely riveting King Henry courtesy of Matt Schwader) is that we are doing it all with 13 actors. That means each of us is playing 4 or 5 or 6 different parts. We have been exploring the ranges of our voices and bodies to find where all these various characters live. In some cases we have a good 5 minutes before we come back onstage as someone else but sometimes we have only a few seconds to switch costume pieces and dive into a completely different person and place.

The one that scares me the most is playing Alice (al-LEECE), the waiting gentlewoman to the princess Katherine of France. Not only am I playing a woman but I am also speaking French. No stress there. I actually made up my mind early on that this would be the character closest to me in terms of voice and body. I didn't want it to be like a Monty Python skit (though I do love me some Monty Python). In taking that big a leap, and asking the audience to go along with me, I felt that I needed to be extra conscious of being absolutely real. Playing a woman isn't about a cheap laugh, it's about playing a unique person and inhabiting her world the best I can. It has been a fascinating journey so far to try to find where she lives, how she connects to those around her, how she dreams and worries and strives.

One of the things I love the most about acting is how it can open up parts of yourself you never knew of before. By trying to inhabit another person you get to see things from a new perspective. In the case of HENRY V, I get to juggle 5 different perspectives. That would be where the terrifying comes in. I'm glad I have a few more days to work on it and layer it in. And then I have the rest of the season to play and explore.

Making Up Polixenes

2009-07-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I've tried 3 times to upload a video here and it doesn't seem to want to work for me, so here's a link!

It's of me doing my make-up for the role of Polixenes in Winter's Tale. I actually made the video primarily for this blog because I thought it'd be neat here, so hope you enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MljI_cUjgN4

It's Been A While..

2009-07-12T07:47:00.001-07:00

What a day to try to start anew, and by writing, erase the fact that I haven't written in over a month. 30 years of APT summers. WOW. You guys have been doing this before I was even born.

There have been so many incredible moments I've wanted to write down and share with you. Believe it or not, my climbs up the hill for rehearsals or shows are usually spent working out sentences in my head for my blog I'll write as soon as I get home. But I'm so tired, so maybe tomorrow... too busy, so maybe the next day... need to go for a run, so maybe----

I remember the first time I saw cars in the parking lot for our first performance with an audience for Comedy of Errors, as a soft smile came to my face at the silly thought of them coming to see me. I remember feeling too cool to be parking elsewhere, because I was an "APT Employee" and have the sticker on my car to prove it. I remember my first entrance as Sonya, Adriana's Spanish Servant, and out of my peripheral seeing all the bright colors having filled up nearly every seat of the 1148-seat house. I truly felt like a moth to a flame. I had to look. I was being drawn like Eve to the Tree of the Forbidden Fruit. Like being in a gallery of breakables and wanting to touch everything despite all the warning signs.

I remember feeling proud for Colleen when she nailed the trial-scene in Winters Tale on Opening Night, having been there for part of her journey throughout rehearsals as trepidations about it began to surface. I feel pride every night at her courageousness. I also remember the immense pain of putting on what feels like a 100-pound "Queen Elizabeth" costume, neck ruffle and all, in 90 degree weather with 100% humidity and having to sit under a sheer sheath, motionless and pristine, while my body was boiling.

I look forward to every night that the cast of Comedy of Errors is fortunate enough to perform such a fun play in front of a too-generous audience. I'm lucky enough to witness the support we give one another and the energy in the green room before and during this show because of the immense pride and joy we have in performing it. I look forward to every time I sit down by the upstage steps of the stage as Mopsa, and wait for Kiwi the Clown to bring me my drink of choice like Pomegranate Liquor and Tequila, or Ginger Ale spiked, or surprise me with something new like an entire mango, peeled and in my pint glass to drink--courtesy of the infectious silliness that is Steve Haggard. No one realizes how funny a whole peeled mango is until you can't laugh uproariously about it for fear of stealing focus.

I lose sleep over being in a room with Ken Albers, Sarah Day, Jim DeVita, Darragh Kennan, and John Langs for the start of rehearsals for Long Days Journey Into Night. In the new Touchstone Space no less. I cringe at the thought of cutting into the thick air of family pain and suffering with a heavy Irish accent and the all-consuming woes of a peasant servant.

I don't know what I did to deserve feeling these things over and over again here, throughout APTs 2009 season. But what I do know, is that I'm not the first to feel them. There have been 30 wonderful years of newbies and veteren actors that have experienced much of the same that I'm fortunate enough to feel every day. And if that's not a reason to celebrate, I don't know what is...

30 Years of Summer

2009-07-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

Big festivities today! APT turns 30 and celebrates the opening of the Touchstone. Can not wait. It's such an exciting time to be a part of this extraordinary company. It's growing and expanding and the art is getting better and better.

The Story

2009-07-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

I was listening to WPR a couple of days ago while driving on County T and I heard an amazing interview with a doctor who had spent a year in a town in Darfur. He had just written a book about his time there and was talking about how he tried to translate the entirety of his experience. He said that people had a very difficult time wrapping their minds around it unless he was able to make the stories personal and specific. When he talked about the little malnourished orphan that tried to suck the moisture off his metal stethoscope because she was so thirsty, that reached people in a way that statistics or generalizations never could. He acknowledged this with a wonderful statement: "The story is the unit of human understanding".

That stuck in my craw because when you come down to it all that we do up the hill is tell stories. That is our purpose. To tell stories. To make them personal and specific. To share in our collective human understanding.

I got to thinking about one of the stories on our stage right now - Winter's Tale. It is both complex and heartbreakingly simple at the same time. The language is rich and densely layered and yet the ideas are clear and light as the spun silk of spider's web; within their arcing strands there is truth and understanding that a direct gaze could never discern. It is one of my favorite plays.

What I like so much about it is that it is neither a comedy or a tragedy, light or dark; it is both and more. It is moments of incredible joy and devastating sorrow. It is laughter and wails of anguish. It is love and thick-venom hatred. It is a story told in all the gray shades of life. And above all, it is a story of redemption.

For me, the most powerful, meaningful stories we can tell one another are those of redemption. We are all imperfect beings. We all fail and fall short. We all trip, stumble and fall along the way. But what saves us, what defines us is our ability to forgive and to redeem. We cannot undo but we can rebuild. We can accept our failures, accept the consequences of our actions, and make humble amends to the best of our ability. Sometimes black-and-white stories of right-and-wrong have their place, but they are artificial at best, removed from actual life and set in the clean, cold world of ideas. Stories that get dirty, that don't flinch, that bleed and breathe, those are the ones that "hold the mirror up to nature". And those are the ones that help us to understand ourselves in all our shades of gray.

Late Night Walk

2009-07-05T00:05:00.000-07:00

Spring Green is a beautiful place. One of my favorite things to do is walk around here at night with my dog, Chevy. She does the sniffing and the rustling and I usually am either memorizing lines or exploring some aspect of a character I am working on. Tonight though I was hit by the beauty of the place and came home and wrote this poem...

Low Roam Clouds

The clouds roam low tonight.
They meander under the corner lamps
and tread upon the bean rows
as silent elephant ghosts,
misting into fragment beams
the moon glow and street light flicker.
One kisses the nape of my neck
with chilling moisture,
but when I turn to catch
the lurking phantom, he's faded on.

My girl Chevy and I
move in tandem with even breaths,
she on her padded fours,
me in a dusty autumn jacket
unusually roused from deep within a closet;
a late night early July stroll
encased in perfect rural silence;
nearly.

The sand piper is having a terrible night.
He screams again and again,
we follow this moan
deeper steeped in mist,
not sure if he's doing his duty
luring us away from babies
somewhere tucked in rocky nests
or if he's clueless of our presence
and aching for a painful wound
or mortal loss to his tiny heart.

Lonesomeness settles in
like gravity pulling rain puddles
down into the groundwater
and for a second
the clouds roam clear...
My dog spends hours each day
with the hum of an empty room,
the piper braves the night,
and I will never be anyone
but my self.

matt schwader 2009

BRRRRAAAAAWWWWWGGGGHHHHH!

2009-07-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

That's a war growl. I'm so excited about getting started on Henry V! If you doubt the power of language this play will put you in your place!!! I'm listening to Jim Ridge's work as the Chorus (mind you it's still only the first week of rehearsal) and I am blown away. The vivid living mental paintings Shakespeare inspires go far beyond any film or other visual art could ever even attempt to achieve. Just read this out loud a couple of times to yourself...

Thus with imagin'd wing our swift Scene flyes,
In motion of no lesse celeritie then that of Thought.
Suppose, that you haue seene
The well-appointed King at Douer Peer,
Embarke his Royaltie: and his braue Fleet,
With silken Streamers, the young Phebus fayning;
Play with your Fancies: and in them behold,
Vpon the Hempen Tackle, Ship-boyes climbing;
Heare the shrill Whistle, which doth order giue
To sounds confus'd: behold the threaden Sayles,
Borne with th' inuisible and creeping Wind,
Draw the huge Bottomes through the furrowed Sea,
Bresting the loftie Surge. O, doe but thinke
You stand vpon the Riuage, and behold
A Citie on th' inconstant Billowes dauncing:
For so appeares this Fleet Maiesticall,
Holding due course to Harflew. Follow, follow:
Grapple your minds to sternage of this Nauie,
And leaue your England as dead Mid-night, still,
Guarded with Grandsires, Babyes, and old Women,
Eyther past, or not arriu'd to pyth and puissance:
For who is he, whose Chin is but enricht
With one appearing Hayre, that will not follow
These cull'd and choyse-drawne Caualiers to France?
Worke, worke your Thoughts, and therein see a Siege:
Behold the Ordenance on their Carriages,
With fatall mouthes gaping on girded Harflew.
Suppose th' Embassador from the French comes back:
Tells Harry, That the King doth offer him
Katherine his Daughter, and with her to Dowrie,
Some petty and vnprofitable Dukedomes.
The offer likes not: and the nimble Gunner
With Lynstock now the diuellish Cannon touches,

[ Alarum, and Chambers goe off.]

And downe goes all before them. Still be kind,
And eech out our performance with your mind.

The Marathon

2009-07-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

We knew this year would be different. We are opening a new theater, going from five plays to eight plays, and battling a not-so-great economy. We knew it would feel different, but we weren't exactly sure how it would feel. How it would affect our workloads and our morale.

For me, I'm realizing this season is a marathon, and I have to pace myself accordingly. We're maybe in about mile 7 right now? Of course, as an administrator, I don't bear the brunt of it. Most nights I'm still home in time for dinner. Not so with the production staff and the operations staff. Our production stage manager, Evelyn Matten and Dundee McNair, our operations manager, have to feel like marathon runners right now. Both are working very hard, and doing an amazing job.

But it's not all sweat and grit. The highs are really high. Opening the new Touchstone Theatre is immensely exciting for all of us, and we're all extremely proud of the work on both stages this season. For me, every day that the audience is here on property gives me a little rush.

So, yeah, every year at APT is hard work. This one is a little harder. But we sort of love hard work here. We revel in it, in fact. On to the next mile.

Power in the Preview

2009-06-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

Right now is the time in the season when the cast and crew are really feeling the push. It's a lot of work to get one show up and running, let alone five!

Winter's Tale is now finally previewing. What an extraordinary time in the process of theatre making! This is where we add the final, most important ingredient to the art form... the audience. At APT we have 3 previews before we "open". (Once the show is "open" there are no more rehearsals. The directors are done, the designers are done, and the show now lives only in the hands of the actors and crew, guided by the steady hand of the Stage Manager.) The preview process is essential. I used to think that we might as well consider ourselves open on the first preview, because that's when we finally had an audience, but I now understand it's essential distinction. So much or so little can happen over the span of "previews". I have seen shows completely transform from the first preview to Opening night and conversely I have witnessed subtle, near impossible to notice shifts happen in the same time period for another show.

If "the play is the thing", than the audience is all. It's during this crucial period that we learn what jokes land in what way, how our precious heart rending moments move a spectator's being, or even more importantly... we learn where the audience is "getting ahead of us" (which is when the play begins to feel boring) or when we've meandered off track and lost their attention. It really is where we especially learn what and where we are failing. Then, we know we have only so much time to transform what we've been working on for so long into the work of art it will ultimately be.

Now... yes, Theatre is a living art and it will continue to grow and change as the production moves on through out an entire run, but this is the last period of time for intensive inspection, construction, deconstruction, and reinvention before the ship begins to set to sea, so to speak.

Winter's Tale is smack dab in the middle of that part of the journey now. In a collaborative art such as this is it produces a variety of different experiences. Soon we will all be of one mind... "let's play!" When actors, directors, designers, crew, & audience meet under that one theme... "let's play!" ...

...well, there's nothing in the world I can yet compare it too. It's a golden moment and reason enough to be a theatre maker. I love it violently.

Winter's Tale tech

2009-06-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

This wonderful picture captures the essence of our tech rehearsals: the rain on the seats, the director in conference with designers and stage managers under the tent, an actor in her stunning costume focused on the scene ahead. As Matt discussed a few weeks ago when Comedy of Errors was in tech, that is the time when we finally put all but one of the pieces (the audience has to wait a few days) together on stage and hammer it all out. It is the first time we have all of our costumes, props, sound, lighting all together. It reminds me a bit of a barn-raising: we've all been working separately on our individual pieces and then in tech we put them all together and pull them up and only then do actually get to see the real structure of it.

We had our final Winter's Tale technical rehearsal last night and we get out first preview audience tomorrow. It's been a week of long, demanding rehearsals in the rain and the mosquitoes but it has also been inspiring to witness this show taking shape. Each night we run the show it has opened up more and more as the words ripen and all of the elements come together.

One of the most amazing qualities of this theater is that, to a person, everyone is selfless and dedicated. Tech week can be a trying and exhausting process under the best conditions but with this group it is more like exhilarating. And I know if I'm tired the rest of the crew must be wiped out because the actors get off easy in tech. We have rehearsal during the day and runs at night but there are costumes that need to get altered in between, lights that need adjusting, sound cues that need to be finessed, and props that need modifying. It is a such a gift to have so solid a team behind you because once you step on stage you know all you have to do is be there and play the scene, everything else is taken care of. A big THANK YOU to all of the wonderful artists that make this happen!

Now we just have to add our audience.

It's already here!

2009-06-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Yep, the official opening weekend is upon us! Saturday night we open the first show of the 30th season of American Players! nah-nah, nah, nah, nah, NAH! the Comedy of Errors. I'm loving this show and loving the audiences we've had so far in the previews. They seem to be having a BLAST our there which is great because it only increases the energy of the cast on stage which, in turn, gives them an even better show.

There is nothing like that interplay with an audience. This is what makes theatre so different than film and TV and in my mind more exciting, too. You never really know what is going to happen at any given moment. Sure, you've rehearsed all the beats and the bits, but it's when the audience starts to respond that those things really come to life. Saturday night it, it's official... we're open!

Tim Gittings, Andrew Truschinski, & Matt Schwader (photo by Carissa Dixon)

Late Night Ramble After a Long Week of Tech

2009-06-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

So, tomorrow night we have our first "preview" of the season! I think I can safely say that the entire cast as well as production teams are chomping at the bit to see how our Comedy of Errors plays in front of an audience. It's a rockin' cast, a butt kickin' sound track, a sweet set, some awesome lights, mesmerizing costumes, a fairly respected playwright and wild ride of fun for the entire family!

The week of tech is a crazy and busy one... which is why I haven't popped in here with an entry in a while. It's actually too bad I haven't, because it's a very exciting time. As an actor I witness the process step away from the assembly of relationship building and language execution to the inhabitation of a new environment. All the hard work of the designers and builders of the costumes, sets, props, sound, and lights get to put their magic to work. (here's a good spot for a shout out to the stage managers, there isn't a more important job in the theatre! They keep it all under control and on schedule.) Anyway, we actors all have about an hour before the few technical run throughs we have to get into costume, experiment with makeup and hair options, do a run through of the potentially physically dangerous parts of the play, and then we get our calls to places!

There is a practice pre-show announcement lights go down (though in "out door theatre" that really doesn't happen) and then the music begins. On your cue, whether it be a light that goes off or a sound you can hear off stage, you enter...

This is a strange moment. I always slip into a certain thought at this moment. I think, "my job is to wear other people's clothes, say other people's words, and move where other people have told me to move." That's a bit crazy isn't it? But seriously it's an amazing experience, because when you take all that input (really inspiration) you spin it, twist it, twirl it into what is truthful, powerful and honest from your own heart. So, you step out there and the production team is fine tuning the lights, sound, look, and timing of everything you are moving around in. The result is a unique collage of a variety of artists that transforms a viewers mind into a receptacle for story telling. It's such a thrill to see it all come together!!!

Anyway, I'm jazzed about this show. I think it's going to be a more heartfelt three-dimensional Comedy of Errors than I've ever seen... that's not just bias.

Sneak Peek

2009-06-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Two days until the first performance of the APT season. Things are humming along around here, but everyone is very busy which might account for the decrease in blog posts lately. Thought I'd post a couple pictures to give you a sneak peek of The Comedy of Errors.

Both photos by Carissa Dixon.

Andy Truschinski as Antipholus of Ephesus and Tim Gittings (one of our wonderful bloggers) as Balthazar.

Marcus Truschinski as Antipholus of Syracuse and Steve Haggard as Dromio of Syracuse.

Piecing it together.

2009-05-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

As I wondering around the grounds and buildings of APT looking for furniture, supplies and decorations for the new Wardrobe Office in the new Touchstone Theatre I can’t help but laugh at this action. It seems over the past half year of my life my mantra has been “piecing together a life.” Staring down the road of my 3^rd season playing in the woods, I’ve finally decided to take the leap and become a year round resident of Spring Green. As I unload boxes from years of storage room sabbaticals I discover a wealth of hand-me-downs and thrift store purchases that over the years I’ve collected. I look around and think, “well Amy, you’ve piece together a nice little life.” And this statement echoes itself not just for me but for many people in the theatre biz. We all “piece it together”, we job around leaving friends and partners, we take temp jobs and under the table gigs. All so that we can survive in this career we’ve chosen. Because we love it, because we’ve learned how to scrimp by during the famine and celebrate during the feast. And because once a year we come together out in the woods, all the people that have been pieced together as part of this company to create and share something truly amazing. It is being so thankful simply to be a part of this that it keeps me smiling as I haul laundry basket loads from up the hill to down the hill and piece together the start of a new season.

Anxiety

2009-05-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

There's a little bit of stress going around APT right now. The vast majority of it is happy stress -- you know, the kind that spikes your adrenaline and makes you work harder. The actors are getting ready to go into technical rehearsals, a very intense time. The production folks are pushing hard, knowing that three shows will be opening in the next few weeks (and then two more soon after that...).

For me, sitting at my desk removed from that action, it's ticket sales stress. We've been doing remarkably well so far this year in light of the economic hard times we're all going through. Next week is the deadline for our pre-season discounts, and should be a pretty big week at the box office. I think I've done everything I can do...brochures are in homes, e-blasts going out, print ads placed, press alerted. Will it be enough this year? Yikes. Just have to wait it out, I guess. And have faith that the people who love APT will be back, in force and in large numbers. Here we go.

Designing Violence!

2009-05-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

My dear friend and colleague Kevin Asselin, is an especially talented fight choreographer. Bill Brown, director of Comedy of Errors, has brought Kevin up to APT to help in the wild, crazy, and hysterical physical violence.
Kevin Asselin directing stage fight for Comedy of Errors

You may not know this, but it takes A LOT of time to get these fights down just right because, if not, they can actually be very dangerous. You have to maneuver not only a stage of varying levels and set pieces but also a large cast of people and props like ropes and shackles.

Kevin demonstrates a struggle for Andy

Kevin has created an exciting display of chaos and comedy. I know you'll love it!

Bring It.

2009-05-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Being an apprentice this summer, I have the wonderful opportunity to have private sessions to work with different AMAZING teachers here at APT. I have been meeting with Brenda to discuss the book that we (Brenda, Nick, Travis and I—aka The Apprentices) are all reading: The Actor and The Target by Declan Donnellan. This book has rocked my world so far. Brenda and I spent most of our time together talking about one particular chapter that had a profound effect on us both. Donnellan discusses our homes vs. the theatre. In hopes of not butchering what he actually wrote, I’ll copy and paste: “...At the theatre we see others feeling what we dare not admit we feel. We like our homes to be safe, so we need our theatre to seem dangerous. The process of the theatre may be a mystery, but it is a process we can in some way supervise, rather like a controlled fire. We can begin and end a performance, rather like lighting and dousing a bonfire.” This tangent concludes with the tag, “Don’t go home.” And the chapter ends.

Me being who I am took this to heart, and thus began to stare at the wall in front of me—which was just an ordinary plain wall—as if a Jackson Pollock masterpiece hung proudly. I thought two things: what kind of person am I that my job is the “dangerous” thing normal people only take in small doses? And two, don’t go home. I obviously took the “don’t go home” phrase a little out of context, which provoked a more visceral response to the statement because I thought, and maybe it’s just me, but having spent time away from home for extended periods of time, I sometimes fear that the person I have become, the same person that has grown as an actor because of risks taken that I would have never allowed myself to take ‘at home’, is not the person who my parents raised. How scary it will soon become to go home and realize that perhaps you’ve grown a part from your roots and those core beliefs you were taught as a child, and maybe those absolute truths aren’t exactly what you thought they were. That you live every day questioning instead of in a comfortable state of dare-I-say ignorance.

After living in those thoughts for a while, spending time with the people who are making these plays for APT’s summer’s season Spectacular, I’ve discerned that the kind of person who makes the theatre their job despite and because of it’s dangerousness is nothing to shy away from. And though I am not the same girl that left California to pursue her dreams, I am still exactly who my parents have raised me to be: convicted, conscientious, and capable.

Deconstructing Polixenes

2009-05-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

OK so Broh got geeky, so I feel I can too!

Here's a small example of how an actor can go mad maneuvering through the genius of Shakespeare. The following is from Winter's Tale. At this moment in the play Camillo, the former servant to Leontes, has just requested leave of his current master Polixenes to return to his now repentant former King. In this small speech of Polixenes', I have to say a few seemingly simple things.
1. “Camillo, if you love me, don't leave my service”.
2. “Don't talk about Leontes and the past, I can't handle that.” and..
3. “What's going on with my son? Our relationship pains me.”

Boom. Done. So why didn't Shakespeare write that? It'd be so much easier. The first thing you need to do as a classical actor is to make sure you know precisely what it is you are saying in a speech. So I look at this one and ok, the first part's pretty straightforward & easy...

As thou lou'st me (Camillo) wipe not out the rest
of thy seruices, by leauing me now: the neede I haue of
thee, thine owne goodnesse hath made: better not to
haue had thee, then thus to want thee,

Basically I'm saying... “for all of our dear friendship, Camillo, don't put a stop to this wonderful partnership we've got going by leaving now. The reason I need you is because you have made yourself invaluable to me. I'd rather have never known you than to now have to miss your service and friendship” Easy, huh?

But then we start to get a window into something a bit deeper in the next part...

Of that fatall Countrey Sicillia, prethee speake no more,
whose very naming, punishes me with the remembrance
of that penitent (as thou calst him) and reconciled King
my brother, whose losse of his most precious Queene &
Children, are euen now to be a-fresh lamented.

When I see this section at first glance I see... “don't talk about the past”, but woven into that are some potent words: “fatal”, “punishes”, “as thou callst him, “afresh lamented”. These speak to me about Polixenes' perspective and psychological state. If Sicillia is “fatal”, Polixenes sees something tantamount to death there. What do we do when we think of death? We try to think of something else! It's not a thought we like to ponder, right? Then we learn why a few words later. “Punishes me”- WOW! That implies to me a sense of guilt. Punishment is a consequence for doing someone wrong. Polixenes doesn't want to think about the past because he feels some guilt for the way things fell out. “As thou callst him” says to me that Polixenes is not yet convinced of Leontes repentance. “afresh lamented” says to me it is an old wound not yet healed. The pain is just as strong 20 years later! That's a whole lot more than “don't talk about the past”.

Now we get even more complicated...

Say to me, when saw'st thou the Prince Florizel my son?
Kings are no lesse vnhappy, their issue, not being gracious, then
they are in loosing them, when they haue approued their Vertues.

The first part is an apparent change of subject, right? “don't trouble me with the painful past- WHERE'S MY SON?” But then we get a convoluted expression of Polixenes' only surviving familial relationship. Basically he says Kings are just as heartbroken when their children are wayward and difficult as they are if they were to lose the life of a child with whom they had a healthy and dear relationship. HUH!? Wow. He's in pain, but the reference to the loss of a child is also an echo of his previous sentiments about Leontes losing his wife and children. His world is so out of order and he is refusing to deal with the guilt and pain of the past by pouring all his energy into his immediate troubles with his son. In the process he neglects his dear friend Camillo's desire to return to his homeland.

Wow, lot's of stuff right? Now.... playing it on stage. Go.

You can't. The truth is, after so much exploration and analysis. You can not play ALL of that. You can only play the action and let the poetry and the expression add up in the audience's hearts and minds into an understanding of the psychological state of the character.

So what do you do as an actor? Learn what all those words mean and then you take all the energy from Camillo's information about Leontes and the past and pour it into... “I need to solve this problem with my son and YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!”

That's the action you play. You have to trust that the poetry of the words connected to that action will tell the deeper, greater story.

Polixenes:
As thou lou'st me (Camillo) wipe not out the rest
of thy seruices, by leauing me now: the neede I haue of
thee, thine owne goodnesse hath made: better not to
haue had thee, then thus to want thee,
Of that fatall Countrey Sicillia, prethee speake no more,
whose very naming, punishes me with the remembrance
of that penitent (as thou calst him) and reconciled King
my brother, whose losse of his most precious Queene &
Children, are euen now to be a-fresh lamented. Say to
me, when saw'st thou the Prince Florizel my son? Kings
are no lesse vnhappy, their issue, not being gracious, then
they are in loosing them, when they haue approued their Vertues.

I once met Patrick Stewart while he was preparing to play Prospero for the 3rd time in his life. He told me he first played it when he was a teenager, then in his early 20's and now in his later-middle age. Each time, he was amazed at what was new there to discover and explore. He said that the genius depths of Shakespeare never change, it's all in there. The only thing that had changed as time went by was he himself.

Shakespeare's poetry is far reaching and infinite in depth and power. Which, I think, is why we keep coming back for more!

When the Horns Blow

2009-05-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

So I was sitting outside the rehearsal hall today trying to cram understudy lines into my head when I hear a distant fanfare from up the hill. They must have been testing the pre-show sounds or something. I just stopped what I was doing and smiled while the sound of the horns took me instantly back to the excited buzz before a show. I reflected back on seventeen years worth of picnic dinners and parking lot beers in the dusty haze of humid summer evening; anticipation and excitement bringing a spring to my step as I bound up the nature trail drinking in the liminous spell of the gloaming.

That sound of the horns telling us it is time to head up the hill triggers a Pavlovian response in me. I don't necessarily start drooling but my appetite for wonder does awaken. It's like the national anthem at a ballgame. Hearing it again on a warm May afternoon, looking out on an empty parking lot, it makes me hungry for the stories and the magic.

Geek Alert

2009-05-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

We all get stumped sometimes. If we're lucky, for each couple of hundred people that can't help us, there is one who can. This time I was lucky.

When we were designing the Touchstone Theatre, we had many discussions about the lobby, and in particular, the concessions stand window. We wanted the biggest opening we could get when it was open; we didn't want a sliding glass window, or folding closet style doors, and were looking for a sort of homey solution. Our architect suggested a coiling overhead door, but it didn't really suit us. We settled on a door that would flip up, overhead, a bit like you might see at a carnival hot dog stand, or church picnic. Here it is in real life:

It looks just the way we want it, but it is just heavy and awkward enough that one person can't put it up alone. We talked about counterweighting the top of the window (above the hinge point), or running some cables up to pulleys overhead for counterweight, but everything we thought of seemed to cumbersome.

I had long felt that the approach my car manufacturer had on the hatchback to my mini-van would help with the weight and make these much easier to open and close, and add a level of safety. On my mini-van hatchback, there are 2 self-contained gas pistons that do the job, and I figured they could do the same for our window. Unfortunately, no one on our project seemed very interested in making that work, so we were left to solve it on our own. I was sure we were up to the task.

So far so good. (this is where it really gets geeky)

I went to the auto parts store and picked up a a couple of pistons with the longest throw they had in stock that could also handle the weight of the window. Now I just had to figure out where to place it. If I wanted the piston to be fully closed when the window was closed, and fully extended when the window was open, there would be only one position of attachment on each end. But I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to figure it out. I knew I could solve it with a prototype and trial and error (which I did), but it was killing me that I couldn't be more specific than that.

So I put the word out. I wrote old professors. I asked friends. I even asked my boss. Then I posted it on Facebook.

I was pointed to some geometrical approaches, and tables, but nothing seemed able to handle a window that opened past 90 degrees.

Then Aaron Ferstl (the spouse of our own Beth Ferstl) committed himself to the task. He ultimately came up with this formula:

2x^2*cos a + 2Dcx*cos a - 2x^2 - 2xDc - Dc^2 + De^2 = 0

Which immediately made me feel not so bad about my previous failure to figure it out. I felt even better when I learned I would need to use the quadratic equation to finish the job.

Here is a diagram that helps explain the formula. x1 and x2 are the 2 x's that come out of the quadratic equation:
In the end, it took a lot longer to dig up the math than it did to make a prototype and find the locations with trial and error, but the satisfaction was immense. The fact I would choose to write about it only proves I'm still geeky enough for theater tech.

Light-Hearted

2009-05-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

In real life, your average person wouldn't consider me to be tall.

At APT, I'm a Giant.

In real life, your average person wouldn't consider me to be fat.

At APT, I'm a Giant.

...I just purchased a few "flats", as women call them, so that my 5'6 & 3/4" (barefoot) Giant frame might ever so nonchalantly blend in more with the crowd here.

As for the other part of me that is of Giantess-proportion, I think the Topper's Stick I'm currently eating is totally helping.

Comedy "sequential review"

2009-05-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

So we had what is so pleasantly referred to as a "sequential review" of the entire play of Comedy of Errors today. Basically it's a run through of the play in the rehearsal room to see where we're at so far. What a cast! What a play! It is already so entertaining and so engaging. I've seen many, MANY productions of this play in the past and so often it gets swamped down in slap-schticky humor that you lose what it is everyone is saying or trying to accomplish... not so here! I found myself thinking on more than one occasion, "wow! I've never seen that scene before! or heard that beautiful language!"

Bill Brown, the director, has a real talent for demanding clear, honest as well as theatrical relationships of his actors... ALL of them from the largest roles all the way to the jailers. Everyone has a place, perspective, and goal to fight for. It's so much fun to watch and even more thrilling when it's time to jump in the fray! And to think we still have two weeks before our designer run. (FYI for those who don't know, a "designer run" is the chance for our costume, set, sound, prop & lighting designers to see what we've mapped out. After that run we move very quickly into adding those technical elements and soon thereafter an audience.)

It's rare to be where we are so soon, but super exciting because it means we have so much more time to fine tune & finesse the show!

Good day.

2009-05-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Good day all.
After my last post, I feel I should backstep and introduce myself.
My name is Nicholas Harazin. As with Matt, I have never blogged before in my life, but in talking with Sarah Young, I knew more than likely I would end up keeping a journal of my first summer here at American Players Theatre, and if that were indeed the case - I figured why not share some of those thoughts and experiences with folks reading along online.
So - in effect - I will be blogging as though I were writing in my dearest of diaries.
As I have mentioned this is my first summer with APT, and serving as an Acting Apprentice. And let me tell you what a gift it is to learn from such talented artists across the board. From the artistic staff, to the stage, to the designers and crew. I feel honored and priviledged to watch this work from onstage - as you may have guessed from my last post.
Originally, I come from the front seat of a blue 1979 Mercury in which I was birthed, then southern California, straight to MN following the first two years of life, and over the last four years I have been splitting time between Milwaukee and Minneapolis working professionally with area theatres in both locations.
As far as other personal information goes, I am sure I will drop bits and pieces over the length of the summer and fill folks in accordingly.
Most of all, however, I am excited to share this summer's journey with you.
-Harazin

Those Words We Need

2009-05-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

So - A week and a half into the summer I find myself loving this place, the people, the poetry.
This is my first summer in Spring Green and I can tell you the days are long and the night air is sweet.
I write today, because quite frankly I am blown-away in the most beautiful way. You follow?
I like to think that at least once a day there is something that blows-my-mind or stops-my-heart, making me rediscover or renew or review something in myself, my process, my life.
And sometimes it can be the tiniest of things that sets it off.
Today, it was words.
And I can thank Colleen Madden and David Daniel for that mind-blowing moment.
Watching both of them rehearse the trial scene in Winters Tale today, reminded me of why we do what we do.
It was beautiful. Their characters were present. In the moment. Accessible.
And that's what we're after right?
They were King and Queen. Husband and Wife. Friend and foe.
And it was the words that got me. Every. Time.
The precision with how they chose the words they used, why they chose those words to speak, and the elegant nature with which they were delivered - sometimes in the most devastating of ways.
It reminded me just how wonderfully horrible we can be to the ones who are the closest - we know where their weaknesses lie, well frankly, because they trusted them to us.
I repeat. It was beautiful.
And it wasn't beautiful simply for the words chosen and spoken but for the NEED of those words.
That make sense?
The beauty was the search, the discovery, and the delivery of the only words a Queen can find to tell her husband that her life lay in the balance of his dreams. The only words a King can find to tell a wife she had a bastard by his friend and he but 'dreamed' it. The only words a soldier can find to tell them their son is dead.
It is the journey to finding those words we need, that is so compelling, engaging, and ultimately rewarding in this work. And it was nice of David and Colleen to remind me of that fact time and time again this afternoon.
Again, it was just the tiniest of things, but it blew-my-mind today.

Too beautiful to work

2009-05-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

What a gorgeous day today was. Nice cool breeze under a hot constant sun. I was out on stage working Comedy for the first half of the day and I'm a little sun-sleepy now.

It was cool to watch our electricians and light guys, all decked out in their harnesses and gear, climbing the giant towers to set up the lighting instruments. I SO WANT TO CLIMB UP THERE! Somehow I don't think they'll let me.

Up the Hill

2009-05-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

I'll say up front.. I've no great ambitions to be recognized a poet, however I do seem to spill out a lot of poetry. I wrote this one after my first rehearsal "up the hill" this year. For those of you new to APT, our outdoor space sits in this amazing spot atop a hill in the Wisconsin countryside, surrounded in forest and meadow wildlife. The first hike up the hill for the year is a special moment in it's own right. We have great indoor rehearsal spaces, but nothing can ready you for the stage itself like being out there, on it... up the hill. So, here it is.

Up the hill.

The first time every year
is a little off putting.

You know it gets easier.
The summer wears on
and as the great sun
gets hotter, the air
heavy and humid,
endurance builds and builds
so that when fresh, crisp
autumn strikes
you pound your way up
like a wild cat,
darting in and out
of the patrons' picnic pace.

You remember that vigor,
from the previous autumn,
on approach
of the first trip up
this brand new season.

But you know,
you're out of shape.
Slowly thawing winter's
fat and atrophy
from your bones,
you ready your mind
and spirit
with dreams
from younger days-
hazy glowing memories
of the very first visit
to hear a story
in the woods,
told masterfully.

You want
that magic
back.

So you begin
the ascent.

Inside and Out

2009-05-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

For the last three years working towards my Masters in Acting at UW-Madison, I have had the opportunity to witness some amazing theatre at APT. On the forty-five minute long drives to and from Spring Green these past few years, the only reason it made sense in my head to see such incredible actors was to see them as horrible people off-stage. Does this make sense? Let me explain myself ...I'll continue:

I thought their work was so brilliant. I wanted to know them, to see them in their acting process, to be with them on stage as Tree #2 or stage-right Stepping Stool, I didn't care. It seemed impossible though, to be a part of it all, unattainable. But the 22-year-old who started graduate school isn't much like the 25-year-old who finished it. Somewhere in these last three years, I learned a thing or two, and my passion for the stage became bigger than I could bare, at times. I made being a part of APT's acting company a goal of mine, and by God's humor alone it seems, I am here.

Now as for these actors being horrible people off-stage. I set that up for myself so as to not be disappointed when APT did NOT come knocking on my door. Who would want to be a part of a theatre company whose core company are jerks? I mean, they've gotta be jerks in real-life. That's the only way it made sense to me. How often do you meet people who are brilliant at what they do for a living and are also wonderful human beings?

In my first week at APT, I can whole-heartedly say these people are some of the kindest, most generous souls I have ever met. They have all, staff included, opened their arms to me as if I'm some puzzle piece that's been missing and they're glad they found me. They have created an open arena, full of support and judgement-free air that is infectious. I have received hugs from people who I have never met before, jokes and teasing as if our friendship had more history, a helping hand requiring absolutely nothing in return.

With one week completed, and over five months to go, I'm very Grateful to be calling Spring Green my home, and APT my refuge.

The Daily Schedule

2009-05-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

I love to read the daily schedule -- it mostly lists rehearsals but also other things going on at APT. The Daily Schedule is put together by our crack stage management staff. The schedule for the following day comes out around dinnertime(or on Sunday for Tuesday since Monday is the day off).

You never know what you're going to find. For instance, under Meetings and Events for Tuesday, May 12 it says "11:15 -- Winter's Tale Fruit Test."

New Beginnings

2009-05-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

o.k.... I’ve never blogged before, but am excited to do so here!

So, we’re winding down our first big week… well, the first big week for the actors. There are so many people here at APT that do so much for the season. Designers, directors, costumers, wig masters, prop masters, milliners, wardrobe, carpenters, painters, electricians, PR, accounting, box office, grounds keeping… the list goes on and on. We actors are really only the last element before the audience arrives (the true final ingredient). It never ceases to amaze me the kind of work that goes into producing theatre, especially theatre in repertory! This year is a unique one too. The 30th anniversary of APT and the opening of a new indoor space to compliment our beloved out door theatre. Double the theatre, double the work load! There are so many talented artists making it happen.

But, I can only talk about what I see and do here so here that goes. Our first week is always an exciting one. Susan Shunk, my wife and fellow actor, moved up to Spring Green (our favorite home away from home) and pretty much hit the ground running. The first day at the theatre is a lot of fun and usually no pressure, but as an actor I have a lot of “homework” to do before I join the rest of the team. Shakespeare isn’t easy. It's a challenge and that’s the joy in it. Often times people assume it comes naturally to certain people, and while that may be so somewhere in the world, MOST people I know need to sit down and get to answering the question, “what the heck am I’m saying!?” Because if the actor doesn’t understand what he/she is saying, there is NO WAY the audience will. So we got right to learning our roles and the process of memorizing.

Memorizing is probably one of the more challenging parts of the work for me. It’s the practical aspect. Everyone does it differently. My way is to first learn what it is I am saying, and when that is done I repeat the words over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and- well you get the point. It’s a boring and tedious process for anyone to watch, but for me, it’s exciting to rediscover different words and the power they can possess. My favorite way to work on my lines is by hiking though the woods at Governor Dodge or Devil’s Lake with my wife and our dog, Chevy, gleefully marching along.

Once that first day at work hits, there’s a buzz of joy running through everyone. We have a GREAT cast of actors this year; so many funny, talented people. The first read-throughs are always exciting. They’re so simple and fun. We all sit in big room and hear each play. No pressure to be perfect and all the freedom in the world explore! We had some really great reads. I’m so excited we’re now on to the next step. Getting up, moving around, and the magical, complicated experience of collaboration begins!

Down to Business

2009-05-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

We're on to the 4th day of rehearsal now. People are starting to settle in, learn the new people's names. Getting used to being together in the group. I work on the second floor, removed from the main hubbub. But it seeps up, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yesterday, they held a Winter's Tale rehearsal in the conference room next to my office. The walls are pretty thin; I couldn't hear the words, but I could make out the excitement in the room. Discoveries, whatever they were, were starting to be made. It was oddly comforting as I went about buying ads, arranging press interviews, and reviewing the lobby display.

John Langs (directing In Acting Shakespeare and later in the season Long Day's Journey) arrived yesterday and they did the first reading of In Acting Shakespeare. They're finalizing the script this week. Sounds like it's going to be a great show -- funny and wonderful. Don't mean to do a commercial, but that production is 87% sold as of today. People should get their tickets while they're still available.

One Moon's Time

2009-05-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

I was struck still tonight when I walked out of the rehearsal hall and into the soft light of an almost-full moon. I forget, living in Chicago the rest of the year, how pure and watery-bright the moon is out here. Glimmering through the trees as it rises slowly up over the hills until it spills it's gentle flood over path and road and slow, winding river. It is timeless, quintessentially beautiful, and simply magical. There is a reason why full-moon performances are marked on the APT calendar.

As I stood basking in the moonlight I thought about the next the full moon in early June and how it will rise with the setting sun and grace our very first preview performance of the season. I'm not the first to say it but there is magic here. I felt it the first time I walked up the hill to watch A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1992. It felt like the sky and stars and trees were as invested in these stories as the people coming together to share them.

The breeze blows like a blessing tonight over the space. The seeds we are planting now will be in full-flower in one moon's time. I know all the work we are doing in rehearsal hall and shop and box office but walking outside tonight I am reminded also of all the work that is going on by the rich light of the gibbous moon. Frogs and bats and owls and stars. Dreams and inspiration. We awaken our own sense of wonder. We seek to share the achingly human soul that only poetry can express. We work to be worthy of this beautiful place.

First Read

2009-05-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight was our first read-through for Comedy of Errors. That meant we were sitting around the table for the first time with one another and stumbling, running, tripping, falling and flailing through the play. The whole company was there for the read-through, even those that were not in it, and it could very easily have been a stressful situation where we were all scared of screwing-up or flat-out just being bad. The great part about APT is that the situation was actually the complete opposite. Everyone in that room was there to listen and laugh and support and enjoy.

Our fearless director (Bill Brown) had only one request before we got started; that we not play it safe. So of course we took that ball and ran with it. Each time one person brought a new urgency or energy to the table we all called that bet and re-raised. As the emotional pot grew bigger and bigger the play was lifted off everyone's highlighted, marked-up pages and took on a life of its own, more wonderful and complex than anything any of us could have imagined alone.

Yeah, I'm still a bit jazzed by it. I know we have a long way to go before we're ready to perform. There are many hours of rehearsal ahead of us and countless discoveries waiting to be made. But it is exhilarating to begin that journey.

You know it can be hard to get started. I just left my wife back in Chicago and I'm facing five months of living without her in my everyday life. There are a lot of things you give up to be able to do this work at this level and at this magical place. There are things about that which are really hard. But when you have a night like tonight and the breath of inspiration stirs your soul and you savor those rich, delicious words in your mouth and in the air, it makes you grateful for the opportunity and for the fearless, enthusiastic, talented people around you.

2009-05-04T12:44:00.001-07:00

Fewer and fewer hard-hatted construction workers are buzzing around the new theatre -- only to quickly be replaced by ACTORS moving into rehearsals this week.

Each season of the year has a dramatic effect on our lives here at APT. Spring has to be my favorite. The new beginning it brings, the sweet mild air, the tiny buds of the wild flowers on the greening prairie -- such complete synergy with the start of our own season of plays. The promise of something inspiring...

It's Time for Us To Do Some Plays

2009-05-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Last summer, we had bad flooding in the Spring Green area. It was a rough, emotional time for everyone at APT and throughout the community. We had to cancel a performance and several rehearsals prior to the opening of A Midsummer Night's Dream. After that week, everyone around here was beyond ready to be back on stage, backstage; we just wanted to see an audience in the theater. I remember Bill Brown, the director of Midsummer saying, "we really need to do a play." It was time for us to get back to doing what we do.

It's been a long, exciting off-season of planning, preparing, building the Touchstone Theatre, raising money, designing sets, costumes and brochures, casting the shows, and all the other things that keep us busy in the winter.

But, for me anyway, the craving is coming back: it's time to do some plays. Luckily, it's beginning. The costume shop, scene shop and prop shop are already working. Rehearsals begin next Tuesday; that's when we really start riding the wave to the first performance.

Seats in the Touchstone

2009-04-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

Just a quick blog entry before I leave for the weekend. The seats have just been installed in the Touchstone Theatre and they look terrific. Our journey for figuring out what seats to put in there has been long, but I think we made a great choice. The seats are refurbished -- they were pulled out of another theater and rebuilt, re-stuffed and re-painted. We were drawn to this idea because it was "green" but also because we loved the look of the old seats that we had access to. New theatre seats are lovely, but they're largely made out of plastic, which is great for the Up-the-Hill Theatre but we wanted a little different feel in the Touchstone. These seats have actual wood and metal on them.

The installation started on Wednesday and finished today with a crew of about 6 men. These are professional seat installers, who apparently do this all over the country. They definitely knew what they were doing and took a lot of pride in their work. I loved watching them do their craft.

On Monday, the carpet goes in to the theater and they start laying the flooring of the stage.

Signs of the Coming Summer

2009-04-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

In the last week it's become clear that the spring is here, summer will soon be here and, with it, the new APT season. It's exciting and intimidating at the same time. We're always really anxious to welcome back the company, but the rhythm of APT changes completely. The first of those changes are beginning. Here's what I've noticed:

1) The deer that have been out in force on the House on the Rock golf course over the last couple months have been replaced by actual golfers.

2) I came to work the other day and noticed that the two APT golf carts have been brought out to the parking lot. That's how the stage managers and others get from place to place in a hurry during the season, but in winter they're tucked away.

3) Our company manager, Carissa Dixon, has been moving a lot of furniture lately to prepare APT housing for the company's arrival. This time of year, I always want to buy Carissa a massage.

4) It's getting harder to find a place to park in the employee parking lot.

5) The Touchstone Theatre is almost done! And we're moving into the new Production Support Building now.

Some costume shop staff report to work on Monday. Only 17 days until rehearsals begin. Then things get really interesting.

Trying out this blogging thing

2009-04-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our 30th season and the opening of the new Touchstone Theatre, we at APT also thought it was time to start a blog. We hope to add several APT bloggers over the next few months as the seasonal staff starts to arrive on property. For now, it's just me -- Sara Young, APT's Director of Communications -- trying to keep you up to date on what's up at APT.

We just finished what we call our renewal campaign, the 6-week period when we invite our returning ticket buyers to get their tickets for the upcoming season. I'm happy to report that so far our sales are on track for this season. I know there's a long way to go, but so far, so good.

Also on track: the new Touchstone Theatre and the production support building. In fact, Bill DuWell, our intrepid Technical Director, has already started moving into the production building. All the sets will be built and painted in the new shops starting in a couple weeks. The theater is almost done too. I can't even tell you how excited we are. The building is beautiful -- a little gem. I can't wait until it opens and I really can't wait to see a show in there. It will be done around the beginning of May.

We've heard recently that part of Highway 14, the main road that people drive from Madison to get to APT, is going to be closed for much of the summer. We're checking into alternative routes, and think there is one that is much shorter than the posted detour. We hope it's not going to be too big an inconvenience for our audience. More on that when we find out.