More Shakespeare: American Players Theatre

One of these days, I'm going to start a separate blog about Shakespeare-related road trips. After all, this blog is supposed to be about classes in Indianapolis, not theater gems like the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. For the moment, however, please bear with me.

This past weekend, I checked another theater company off of my list: the American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin. This is a unique outdoor venue, situated on top of a heavily wooded hill in the Wisconsin River Valley. Here, you can watch Shakespeare under the stars while listening to the crickets and sipping hot chocolate spiked with peppermint schnapps.

Even better, each weekend you can catch a lecture in the Bard Talks series, which is all about understanding, acting and directing Shakespeare's work.

I saw all three of the company's Shakespeare plays for the season: "A Winter's Tale," "Henry V" and "Comedy of Errors." All three were very well done, although I must admit that I prefer the "Comedy of Errors" done in Stratford two seasons ago.

Spring Green truly has something for everyone, from outdoor activities like canoeing to one of the world's craziest tourist traps. The area is also home to architectural gems like Taliesen, the home of Frank Lloyd Wright. Or, you can tour one of the dozens of dairies and wineries in the area, such as the Wollersheim Winery near Prairie du Sac. My husband killed some time at the local batting cages, and he's planning to play some golf on our next visit.

The APT attracts a lot of repeat business, and it was difficult to find a hotel room on short notice. So, I'm planning ahead for next year, and I'll be making a hotel reservation as soon as the 2010 season schedule is announced. Spring Green isn't as enchanting as Stratford; it lacks the cute boutiques and incredible restaurants. But the theater itself is worth the drive, and I'm looking forward to being there again.

Greetings from Stratford, Part II

Stratford, Ontario, is my own personal miracle: a town full of people who not only appreciate Shakespeare but even depend on him for their way of life. On top of that, it's a haven for world-class independent restaurants and the epicenter of Canada's slow-food movement.

And, there are so many educational opportunities here: lectures on the plays, discussion groups, theater tours, acting classes and more. (Yesterday, I overheard a woman discussing her recent stage-fighting class. Now that sounds like fun!)

So, as promised, here's a quick photo tour of the city. First, here are the two largest of the four theaters. The Festival theater, at left, overlooks the River Avon (yes, really). The Avon theater is downtown.


Here are a few of the independent restaurants downtown. Both Tango and Bentley's have inns upstairs (which are both wonderful). Balzac's is the town's independent answer to Starbucks.







The city also has lots of green spaces, including a Shakespeare garden. On Saturdays, you can stop by Art in the Park (a mini Penrod) or head over to the year-round farmers' market, which is fully stocked with meats, cheeses, veggies, herbs and baked goods. Build your own picnic and head down to the water:



Intrigued? The festival runs each year from April to early November, so there's still time for a trip this year. Visit the festival Web site for more information, and shoot me an e-mail for tips about inns, restaurants and timing.

Greetings from Stratford, Ontario

Today's post comes to you from north of the border: I'm in Stratford, Ontario, for the annual Shakespeare Festival. Every time I come here, I'm reminded how incredible it is to visit a town that lives and breathes Shakespeare (and has a world-class culinary tradition, to boot).

Check back over the next few days for updates and photos of some of my favorite Stratford sites. (I know, this blog is supposed to be about Indianapolis. I'm cheating. Stratford is a quick seven-hour drive north--easy to accomplish in a long weekend--and there's really no other place on earth like this one.)

As a quick overview, here's my theater schedule for the weekend:

Friday, 8 p.m.: The Importance of Being Earnest
Saturday, 9 a.m.: Backstage tour
Saturday, 2 p.m.: Macbeth
Saturday, 8 p.m.: Julius Caesar (Wow, Saturday is going to be intense.)
Sunday, 2 p.m.: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

And, just for fun, let's conclude with my favorite quote from my favorite Shakespeare play (King Lear):

O reason not the need! Our basest beggars
Are in the poorest thing superfluous.
Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Man's life is cheap as beast's.

Weekend in Review: Back "Home" Again in Stratford

This weekend, I made my final trip of the year to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario. I brought my mom along for the first time, and we saw three plays: the musical "Cabaret" and Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and "Hamlet." Yes, I know, we could have chosen at least one cheerful show.

All three shows were outstanding, as always, and we had a great time exploring the area, shopping and eating at some of my favorite Stratford restaurants, including Features, Fellini's, Balzac's Coffee, Tango, Bijou, Rundles, Pazzo and the Parlour.

During the next few weeks, the festival's shows will begin to close, but preparations are already underway for the 2009 season. Here's a sampling of what to expect next year:

• Shakespeare: "Macbeth," "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Julius Caesar"


• Musicals: "West Side Story" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"


• Other shows I'll be seeing: "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "The Importance of Being Earnest"