For nearly 50 years the American Players Theater has offered a unique theater experience for Wisconsinites. Nestled in the woods of the Driftless Region, the theater has two stages – one of which is outside.
Brenda DeVita is the artistic director at the American Players Theater. She describes what you'll find on a visit there.
"The campus here is absolutely gorgeous, as you might imagine, in the Driftless area," DeVita explains. "It's all hilly and the founders started this theater on a hillside. So it's about 110 acres of wooded area with some hills. So the Hill Theater, which is an 1,100-seat theater outdoors, sits on the side of a hill side with amazingly beautiful acoustics, which is why this place was chosen specifically."
With 110 acres of woods and walkways to explore DeVita recommends showing up at least an hour early before a performance to enjoy the grounds. There's a longstanding tradition of picnicking on the grounds.
Each summer the theater offers a rotation of shows rooted in the traditions of Shakespeare.
"We want to make sure we have enough comedy, we want to make sure we have something that we all believe is really important and serious and in going to really challenge the audience about what it is that we're up to as human beings," DeVita says.
Earlier this summer the American Players Theater was recognized with the 2026 Regional Theater Tony Award. DeVita says, "It's incredibly humbling and we're incredibly proud and we feel really lucky and fortunate to be acknowledged on that kind of stage."
Other places to visit near Spring Green:
Other places to enjoy live theater outdoors in Wisconsin:
- Peninsula Players Theater in Door County
- Northern Sky Theater in Door County
- Summer Stage of Delafield
