Actor Gavin Lawrence (Right) with a group of students from Madison College. Photo courtesy of Madison College.
Art for Everybody
Contact Community Engagement Coordinator Anna Gonzalez for more information.
American Players Theatre’s (APT's) mission is to perform timeless, challenging, poetic texts, with Shakespeare at the center, to the broadest audience possible. In 2023 APT created the Community Engagement department to broaden APT's audience, and this ongoing work is grounded in the following tenets:
- Expand the range of perspectives, identities, and cultures that make up APT, while we work to make sure that all feel supported and empowered.
- Identify and Disrupt the structures, obstacles, and systemic forces that have excluded artists, artisans, and audiences.
- Invite and Welcome a diverse audience.
This report provides an overview of APT's efforts to build and strengthen strategic partnerships with community groups and individuals during the 2024 season.
The Strategic Goal: Broaden APT’s audience through outreach and ticket programs that target racially diverse audiences and audiences under the age of 40, and also make APT accessible to audiences at all socioeconomic levels and of differing abilities.
The Approach: A range of techniques were employed to meet and connect with community leaders and organizers in Madison and Dane County. Complimentary tickets were offered to community leadership teams to see a performance and tour the grounds.
I had an extraordinary experience that included the tasty catered picnic lunch, and the short walk to the outdoor theater. August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom play was a well-directed and well-acted play, with fabulous singing, and a storyline that was relatable even in our modern times. Keep up the good work APT!
- UW-Odyssey project student
Participating community groups received free or deeply discounted tickets to the performance of their choice. Focus was placed on connecting community groups to August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Wolf at the Door to help foster diverse audiences for those two productions. Community groups that were not able to attend a performance together received a promo code for deeply discounted tickets so individuals could attend on a date that best suited their schedule.
In addition to tickets some groups participated in pre-show discussions with actors. APT also provided coach buses for select groups when access to transportation would create a barrier to attending a performance.
Participating Organizations: The following organizations participated in community engagement events at APT and/or received promotional codes for complimentary/deeply discounted tickets.
Educational Tours: Community Engagement worked in conjunction with APT’s Education department to provide backstage tours for community groups working with young people interested in the arts. High school and college-aged students attended the tour prior to seeing a performance, and this 360-degree view of APT exposed these young adults to the wide variety of career paths in the arts, including jobs in production and arts administration. In addition, students often had an opportunity to participate in conversations with APT staff about careers in theater.
Next Steps: Participating groups expressed strong support for establishing ongoing strategic partnerships. Efforts for next season include maintaining these current relationships as well as creating opportunities for groups who were not able to attend this past season to visit APT.
Next season, the engagement process will focus on Anna in the Tropics, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Tribes and The Death of Chuck Brown.
For more about APT's Community Engagement Work email agonzalez@americanplayers.org, or visit americanplayers.org/community-engagement.