Actors' Theatre of Columbus is a performing arts

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

troupe located in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded in 1982 by Gary and Patricia Ellson, and was initially called Actors' Summer Theatre. Actors' Theatre presents plays by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and other time-honored playwrights, with relevance, to a contemporary audience. Actors' performs outdoors from

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

weekend through Labor Day weekend at Schiller Park in

German Village German Village is a historic neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, just south of the city's downtown. It was settled in the early-to-mid-19th century by a large number of German immigrants, who at one time comprised as much as a third of the city's ...

History

In 1982 Actors' Theatre kicked off its first season with a single production of Shakespeare's ''" A Midsummer Night's Dream"'' (1590 and 1596). The success of that season proved that Schiller Park was an excellent venue for open air Shakespearean theater, and the troupe returned the following summer with two productions; Shakespeare's ''"

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

"'' (1601–02), and the troupe's first

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

, ''"

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

"''. In 2011, the troupe celebrated its 30th annual season. Over the last 30 years, the troupe has increased its schedule from one production to two in their second season, and three productions each summer from their third season on. They briefly increased to four productions during the 2005–2007 seasons, but have returned to three productions since the 2008 season. As part of their "Cool Classics" series, they have also occasionally performed at indoor venues. Two recent Cool Classics are

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

' ''"

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...

"'' (1944) in 2010 and James Thurber's ''"

The Male Animal ''The Male Animal'' is a 1942 American comedy-drama film produced by Warner Bros., starring Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Leslie. The film was based on a hit 1940 Broadway play of the same name written by James Thurber and Elliott ...

"'' (1942) in 2011, both at the Columbus Performing Arts Center. By far the most frequently produced play is Shakespeare's ''" A Midsummer Night's Dream"'', which has had five productions to date. The troupe first performed on the grass, and later on a simple wooden stage erected at the southern end of Schiller Park. The stage had to be erected and struck for each performance. Costumes and props were stored in the Ellson home nearby, which also served as dressing room and rehearsal space. In 1995, a permanent stage was constructed on the troupe's traditional performance site. This brick and concrete platform is completely open above, allowing the construction of multi-story sets that can remain intact throughout a production's run. The troupe's success is at least partly due to the popularity of open-air theatre in Columbus. The stage's scenic location within the park allows the audience to view the show from a gentle slope facing the stage. Audiences have a choice of bringing their own chairs, or using blankets. Food and drink are permitted during the shows. Outdoor summer shows are free and open to the public, though donations are encouraged. Although they had moved on to other activities years before, during the 2006 season Gary and Patricia Ellson returned to co-write, produce and direct a unique musical adaptation of Shakespeare's ''"Twelfth Night"''. It would be the pair's final involvement with the troupe they had formed. Gary Ellson, already diagnosed with cancer during the shows run, succumbed to the disease in 2008. Artistic Director John S. Kuhn served the company from 2003 until 2015. Mr. Kuhn brought Actors' Theatre productions to several venues in Columbus, as well as training a new generation of ATC artists. He was succeeded by Philip J. Hickman. In 2016, Actors' Theatre expanded its summer season in Schiller Park to four productions. The 2017 season includes plays by William Shakespeare, Aphra Behn, and Jon Jory.

History

References

Further reading