In my review of the OSF’s Othello, I mentioned how Stephen Hemming’s Iago in the American Players Theatre production back in the early 90s was my benchmark performance. Indeed, I think my first exposure as an adult (post-college) to professional Shakespeare was at the APT–that would have been in the early 80s, and it was a production of Julius Caesar starring APT’s founder, Randall Duk Kim, as Brutus…wonderful! (RDK, BTW, was the Clockmaker in the Matrix movies and the voice of the ancient master Turtle in Kung Fu Panda, which my little boy Liam and I thoroughly enjoyed.)

I haven’t been back to the APT since 1995, alas, but I still like to follow the doings there, so it was with great interest that I learned, via this article by longtime Milwaukee theatre critic Brian Jaques that the APT, which has heretofore been solely an outdoor venue, is building a Black Box theatre on their grounds in Spring Green, WI.

What, Shakespeare without mosquitoes, a.k.a. the Wisconsin state bird…? What a concept!

But what, ho! Bopping around the APT site, I see a couple of other items of note…

First, Kenneth Albers, one of our favorites (both as actor and director), whose work we first saw back in our Wisconsin days, then enjoyed again here in Ashland at the OSF, is back in his old stomping grounds, directing a Shaw play, Widowers’ Houses, at the APT. (That looks like him in the O’Neill play, too.)

Matt Schwader as Prince Hal in APT production of HENRY IV

Second, starring in Albers’ Shaw production is our (young) old buddy Matt Schwader, whom we first met when he did an astounding turn as the Dane in a complete four-hour Tremper High School (Kenosha, WI) production of Hamlet. (Matt was a Senior.) Our family had the delightful experience of taking young Matt with us to the APT later that summer, and he regaled us en route us with a hailstorm of spot-on celebrity mimicry, including a Jurassic Park Velociraptor that would make Jim Carrey jealous. (Dan, as I recall, was laughing so hard he nearly lost control of the car.) We had little doubt that Matt’s ambitions to be an actor would be fulfilled, big time, and our only regret is that, having moved to Oregon in 1995, we haven’t been able to see it close-hand. (Put money in  my purse!)

But that reminds me: After our recent move, I was perfectly delighted when I unpacked a box of old VHS tapes and, lo and behold, there were a couple of tapes of Matt’s Hamlet that I forgot we had ! Now that I finally got our home theater system properly hooked up in our new house, we’re going to have to sit down and watch that again!

Here are a couple of Matt Schwader/APT links:

Young and restless: APT actor Matt Schwader taps into his own rebellious teen years for latest role (Wisconsin State Journal)

“A Place where excellence is possible” (Daily Isthmus, Madison, WI)

“Shakespeare Alfresco Brings Midsummer Magic to Dairy Country” (Bloomberg)

“Young Actors Prove Their Talent” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)