Selecting a Season

How artistic directors decide which plays to present

by VICTORIA LINSTROM

When choosing the productions that will make up a theater season, artistic directors have many considerations to make. Every theater deals with its budget, who its audience will be, how large or small of a cast it wants, the potential interest in a production and more. 

But here in Door County, artistic directors must consider even more factors, some of which are specific not only to Door County clientele, but also to the theater’s individual objectives, needs and wants.

At Peninsula Players Theatre, Linda Fortunato strives to continue the long tradition of presenting a large variety of works for audiences. Throughout its 86 years, Peninsula Players has truly done it all, so she keeps her eyes open for works that will inspire everyone: the audience, actors and creative team. Sometimes she finds a show that fits all of her criteria, but it may not fit into the flow of the rest of the season she’s put together. In those instances, she adds it to her list of potential future productions for a year when it may find its perfect fit. 

Another element that Fortunato keeps in mind is cast crossover, or continuity of work. For most theaters in Door County, this is very important because an actor is often cast in multiple roles throughout the season. Therefore, the pieces chosen must allow for roles that are similar enough for the same actor from one show to appear in additional productions that season. 

Jeff Herbst of Northern Sky Theater has this same consideration. Housing continues to be an issue not just for service-industry workers, but for arts performers as well, so choosing shows with high cast crossover takes some of the strain off housing while also allowing the actors to stretch their professional muscles by performing in a variety of productions. 

Northern Sky also considers other details when choosing its season because it focuses on presenting new works. 

Herbst said the theatrical troupe is looking to attract and entertain a multigenerational audience this summer, as well as increase and amplify the voices of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists. Its fall premiere has an ethnically diverse cast, as well as a BIPOC creative team, which it has not had before. 

A new challenge at Northern Sky is selecting shows for a longer season now that it’s built its new Gould Theater in Fish Creek because the indoor space allows for the theater to operate into the winter months. 

Amy Ensign and Michael Stebbins of Door Shakespeare note that although William Shakespeare’s works are vast, they are also finite, so with each revival of one of his productions, the company strives to breathe new life and perspective into it. Their main focuses when choosing their productions are highlighting the integrity of the piece and trying to ensure that the audience has as much fun as possible.

This year, with The Tempest, among other artistic decisions, there will be gender blind and diversified casting to help audiences view characters in this classic piece in a new light. Door Shakespeare is also expanding from the Bard by offering a second production that’s a Three Musketeers adaptation titled The Three Musketeers: An Adventure with Lyrics. Ensign and Stebbins are confident that this show will appeal to audience members of all ages with its themes of grand adventure, swordplay, music and humor. 

Jacob Janssen of Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) spoke of the large, year-round peninsula audience that he wants to attract, as well as audience members from Green Bay, De Pere, Manitowoc and beyond. 

His main focus is how to serve his community: Which shows will appeal to residents as well as to visitors? 

TAP also focuses on providing theater and other arts year-round and wants to engage as many local artists as possible to make that happen. With the recent renovation of the theater, TAP staff members are excited to get as many new audience members in to see what they can do, as well as delight longtime TAP supporters. Janssen hopes that, moving forward, TAP can be viewed as a valuable artistic resource for the community and a space that’s safe and accessible for all.

The best part of the local theater scene is the variety you can find, not just within a single company’s season, but all together among them all. Door County theatergoers are sure to find something new and engaging to see each year.