The Capital Times • 20th September 2021

Theater review: APT's 'Oedipus' explores the exquisite art of suffering

Staging the great Greek theatrical origin stories is a passion project for David Daniel, an American Players Theatre core company member who adapted and directed this production.

The Capital Times • 30th August 2021

Theater review: Flowery 'Phoenix Too Frequent' at APT seeks a spark

“A Phoenix Too Frequent,” now onstage in the Touchstone at American Players Theatre, sets a (relatively chaste) seduction in a tomb.

The Capital Times • 24th August 2021

Frustrated Madison arts leaders blast 'inconsistent' mask order

The order includes exceptions for eating and drinking in a crowded restaurant or bar — but not for fully vaccinated actors in a two-person play.

The Capital Times • 16th August 2021

Theater review: American Players Theatre finds humor and honesty in 'Cymbeline'

Like a pair of Chuck Taylors beneath an eighteenth-century smock, casting women as egotistical men nudges the audience to look closer, see multiple things at once, and find depth beneath a fantastical plot.

The Capital Times • 9th August 2021

In Monona, new KLJ Movement lifts up Black and brown dancers

“I wanted to create a company that really encompasses performance," said founder Kyra Johnson. "As well as empowers the contributions that Black and brown dancers have made in dance.”

The Capital Times • 4th August 2021

Madison Youth Arts Center brings dancers, drummers and divas together

With its sprung floors for dancers, black box theater, upright pianos and surfaces made of kid-friendly “indestructible stuff,” the Madison Youth Arts Center, or MYArts, is poised to make big changes for students. MYArts is the new, official home of CTM and Madison Youth Choirs, the two anchor partners.

The Capital Times • 25th June 2021

Home on the stage: Forward's 'Within These Walls' tells intimate stories

Forward Theate's “Within These Walls: Stories of Home,” has two main themes — the push and pull of home, and individual experiences of the pandemic.

The Capital Times • 16th June 2021

Madison Ballet dreams again: 21-22 season includes 'Midsummer,' new 'Nutcracker'

“We’re coming out of this pandemic with ‘Midsummer,’ which is going to be a healing process for our dancers,” said Artistic Director Sara Stewart Schumann.

The Capital Times • 13th June 2021

Q&A: Artist Rita Mawuena Benissan captures her Ghanaian heritage under one big umbrella

Now people are saying, “OK, I can't go to a museum, I can’t go into a space. But on Instagram, I just go on my phone, and all this history is accessible to me.” They’re seeing a different perspective on how Ghana was. A lot of times they don’t have these photos or have access to them, so how are they going to see these moments? Or even the different traditional music? You’ll see documentation from other databases on YouTube, and I’m able to place those on our page. Like – Louis Armstrong, he pe

The Capital Times • 9th June 2021

Hang at the bar with the Bard's headliners at American Players' 'Improbable Fiction'

American Players Theatre chose an imaginary hang with several of Shakespeare’s headliners to welcome us back to the Hill Theatre in Spring Green this summer. James DeVita wrote "Improbable Fiction" early in the pandemic using Shakespeare's own words and characters.

The Capital Times • 17th May 2021

Theater review: 'The Mountaintop' imagines a crucial night for Martin Luther King Jr.

Katori Hall’s 2008 play “The Mountaintop” opens American Players Theatre’s 2021 season with an invigorating blend of history, fantasy, apprehension and hope.

The Capital Times • 10th May 2021

'Apple pie and country pearls': Forward Theater spotlights America's first ladies

“46 Plays” moves with lightness. Director Jen Uphoff Gray’s cast appears visibly thrilled to be on a stage. Simmonds is a fantastic singer; González could do stand-up comedy for real. Everyone is a chameleon.

The Capital Times • 8th February 2021

Winter is Alive! lights up Madison with art about climate change

Some 30 sculptures will be hung, carved, dragged, lit and inflated around Madison. Crafted from fabric, wood and metal as well as ice and snow, each piece is part of Winter is Alive!, a new multi-disciplinary arts exhibition of global proportions. The event is an invitation for Madisonians to get out and (safely) enjoy the winter weather, while thinking critically about climate change.

The Capital Times • 3rd November 2020

Even the losers: 'Monument to the Unelected' looks at the presidents that weren't

Presenting work with a social justice theme fits with the Abrahamson family values. But Nina Katchadourian's “Monument to the Unelected” may resonate with viewers in a different, powerful way during this election cycle in particular.

madison.com • 24th October 2020

State Street murals, Black Lives Matter inspire new gallery show

“From Here On Out,” set to run through the end of February, features work by more than 17 Black artists and allies who support the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Capital Times • 2nd October 2020

Missing American Players Theatre? Take a walk in the woods, and listen

If These Trees Could Talk takes visitors on a two-hour tour of the APT grounds and theater, set to poetry read by APT actors and stories of their experiences on the hill.

The Capital Times • 4th September 2020

Filling the house: Forward Theater adapts to COVID-19 with 'Lifespan of a Fact'

When the pandemic shifted stories from stage to screen, finding theatrical magic got harder.

The Capital Times • 20th July 2020

Grab a glowstick for a digital Opera in the Park

For its first digital event, Madison Opera enlisted musicians, visual artists, restaurant partners and a range of technology.

The Capital Times • 15th May 2020

Coronavirus cancels American Players Theatre's summer season

The intention is to move programming for 2020 into 2021. APT will collaborate with PBS Wisconsin on “Out of the Woods," a live play-reading series that will stream free to the public for a limited time.

The Capital Times • 29th April 2020

Closed by coronavirus, Madison's performing arts adapt

Local arts leaders sound stressed but hopeful. They’re moving content online — archived material from previous shows, dance classes held like video conferences. Some companies canceled shows. Others were able to postpone spring productions to the fall.