Len Villano
Northern Sky Theater.
Northern Sky Theater
During the Renaissance, most theater took place outdoors. Traveling companies put on shows in town squares. Even in London, theaters like The Globe were open air. Wisconsin takes that tradition to heart in the summer months. Playgoers are ready to bring a picnic and a camp chair and to enjoy plays that range from fun farces to Pulitzer-prize winning dramas to Shakespeare. Bring a sense of adventure — and bug spray.
Alley Stage
June 8, Aug. 17, Sept. 7
Mineral Point
Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts is the home of Alley Stage, which seasonally offers staged readings of plays-in-progress from several playwrights; feedback is part of the mission. The stage makes good use of nature — the backdrop is the stone wall of a former quarry and the proscenium is a simple metal arch to hold the lighting. The summer kicks off June 8 with Phil Darg’s Al Gore Rhythm, an exploration of our increasingly complex relationship with technology. On Aug. 17 it’s Richard Conlon’s One Time, the story of a complex relationship between two people. And on Sept. 7, it’s Robert Lynn’s political comedy Stop the Monsanity! All shows are at 4 p.m. and followed by a talkback and a reception. Tickets are $5 — that’s less than a Big Mac
American Players Theatre
June 7-Oct. 5 (outdoor theater only)
Spring Green
The granddaddy of area outdoor theater, APT’s magical setting in the rolling hills outside of Spring Green is almost as big a draw as the excellent theater it presents throughout the summer. It began nearly a half-century ago concentrating on Shakespeare, and while a work or two from the Bard remains part of the repertory each season (this year, perennial crowd-pleaser A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the late romance The Winter’s Tale), the company has diversified its offerings. Familiar favorite Picnic by William Inge is joined by Fallen Angels, a lesser-known rom-com from Noel Coward. The most contemporary play, Anna in the Tropics, by Nilo Cruz, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2003 — though it’s set amid the 1929 stock market crash. Picnicking before the show is almost a civic duty, whether it's a BYO nosh or a pre-ordered box lunch.
Door Shakespeare
July 2-Aug. 16
Baileys Harbor
There’s a surprising amount of outdoor summer theater in Door County — and what a wonderful place to take in a performance, under the mostly unobscured stars. Door Shakespeare is located on a former summer estate called Björklunden (now owned by Lawrence University), on Lake Michigan just south of Bailey’s Harbor. The season starts on July 2 with Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s playful tale of shipwrecked twins Viola and Sebastian. Lovers in this comedy are certainly crossed, if not star-crossed. (Shows are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. through Aug. 15.) Door Shakespeare’s other production is Charles Dickens’ masterpiece Great Expectations adapted by Milwaukee-based Gale Childs Daly. The story of the orphan Pip after he helps an escaped convict is both typically Victorian and surprisingly contemporary in its themes of kindness and guilt. Shows are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 5 p.m. through Aug. 16.
Fresco Opera
June 21-29, garages around Madison
This scrappy opera company aims to make opera fun and accessible by staging its original summer shows in garages and driveways across Madison. This year it’s Sconnie Street, inspired by the ageless PBS children’s show. The neighborhood has been transplanted to Wisconsin, with local characters known as Count Von Brew, Big Curd and the Gouda Monster. The opera arias are also tributes to famous works, reimagined. The Saturday and Sunday shows are all at 2 p.m.; on June 21, at 21 La Crescenta Circle; June 22 at 30 Millstone Road; June 28 at 2110 Vilas Ave.; and June 29 at 5013 Hammersley Road. Bring a lawn chair and prepare to enjoy an inventive afternoon that’s as much about community as opera.
Madison Shakespeare Company.
Madison Shakespeare Company
Madison Shakespeare Company
June 7-8, Tyranena Brewing Company, 1025 Owen St., Lake Mills
July 18-27, Madison Country Day School amphitheater, Waunakee
Madison Shakespeare Company keeps it casual with its Shakespeare's Lovers in June, performed outdoors at the bier garten at Tyranena Brewing. Scenes from Antony and Cleopatra, The Comedy of Errors, Two Noble Kinsmen and more are joined with participatory fun like “Order Beer Like Shakespeare” and sonnet improv. That’s June 7-8 at 2 p.m. The group’s more formal summer offering is The Comedy of Errors, playing July 18-27 at the outdoor amphitheater at Madison Country Day School.
Northern Sky Theater
June 11-Aug. 22
Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek
We love the idea of the Northern Sky Theater — Wisconsin’s only theater permanently inside a state park. Across Shore Road from the Nicolet Bay campground in Peninsula State Park, Northern Sky Theater puts on a slate of light comedies perfect for this wooded summer setting. This summer’s fare starts with a comedy about competitive barbecue, No Bones About It, June 16-Aug. 22. The mystery Something In the Water runs June 11-Aug. 21. Finally the musical Dairy Heirs tells the story of, what else, a family dairy farm, June 12-23. Note: theatergoers do not have to pay state park admission fees to attend, if they arrive no earlier than one hour before the performance and park in the theater lot. Campers at the park get a special deal on tickets (but you must call the box office, no online orders — also, if you don’t already have reservations at Peninsula for summer, you are likely too late). Your pup can come to the show, too (though those with pets are asked to sit near the back on an aisle). See full schedule and ticket info at northernskytheater.com.
Optimist Theatre Shakespeare in the Park
July 12-Aug. 17
Milwaukee area parks
Optimist Theatre is changing its approach again this summer, but the bottom line is, it’s a fun, free day of Shakespeare, performed at 12 parks all over Milwaukee. The programs, which are on Saturdays and Sundays, follow the same schedule at every park. At 1 p.m. there’s an hour of Shakespeare-inspired games and interactive activities. At 2 p.m., a 45-minute puppet show version of Much Ado About Nothing entertains kiddos and adults alike. At 2:45 p.m. games and activities resume, and at 4:10 p.m., Early Music Now will be performing music of Shakespeare’s time. The curtain rises on the headliner, The Taming of the Shrew, at 5 p.m. See full schedule at optimisttheatre.org/shakespeare-in-the-park-2025.html.
SummerStage of Delafield
W329 N846 County Highway C, Delafield
June 12-Sept. 13
SummerStage of Delafield stages several light plays in summer at the amphitheater at the Lapham Peak Unit-Kettle Moraine State Forest. This year’s plays are The Liar (June 12-28), An Inspector Calls (July 17-Aug. 2), and the children’s classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Aug. 21-Sept. 6). Wednesday through Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday is “value night,” with a reduced $15 admission fee. Bonus: The season closes with Dance at Delafield (Sept. 12-13, also at 7:30 p.m.), with a program of dance that ranges from ballet to contemporary. The site is right off I-94 on the way to Milwaukee; state park admission fee is also required. Don’t forget your camp chair, as there are no permanent bleachers. Picnicking before the show is welcomed, and it’s worth it to arrive early and take the hike (or drive) up to the observation tower, with its grand view of the countryside.
Summit Players’ Shakespeare in the State Parks
June 13-July 27
State parks throughout Wisconsin
Summit Players is, so far as we can ascertain, the only theater group in the country that puts on Shakespeare in state parks. In partnership with the Wisconsin State Parks System and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Summit has been putting on 45-minute theater workshops and then 75-minute versions of plays in park amphitheaters since 2015. This year, Summit tackles Shakespeare’s early, talky comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost, featuring some of his most delightful wordplay in an unusual battle of the sexes. No tickets are required, and the play is free (although State Park admission is still necessary). The theater workshops held in advance of the performance are intended for kids 8 and up; adults are also welcome. Summit takes its show on the road to parks all over the state (see the full schedule at summitplayerstheatre.com). Those closest to home are Lake Kegonsa State Park on June 20 (workshop at 5:30 p.m., performance at 7 p.m.), Blue Mound State Park on June 22 (workshop at 1 p.m., performance at 2:30 p.m.); and Mirror Lake State Park on July 26 (workshop at 5:30 p.m., performance at 7 p.m.).
