American Players Theatre: Picnic
Rasell Holt and Alina Taber
American Players Theatre Presents PICNIC Review - Finding Vulnerability Against All Odds
TLDR: While we can’t escape all stereotypes and tropes of a play written in the 50s, American Players version of William Inge’s Picnic creates deeper motivations for their characters that both work within the time period and defy its traditional standards. A one set play, the Hill Theatre is the perfect backdrop as we watch the goings-on of these neighbors in their backyards.
The cast of Picnic
Pull Up a Chair and Cool Down In This Heat
As dusk settles over the Hill Theatre, it feels like a picture perfect summer evening. The backs of two houses face each other, one with a porch and chairs, the other painted blue with a storage shed around the corner. Both are a little weather worn, but neat and tidy. Off to the left there’s a sign pointing to the boarding house with rooms available for let. They share a backyard with lush green grass and more lawn chairs surround an old tree stump. We can already see the neighbors who live here are close and most likely spend a lot of time out here chatting in the yard together.
Barreling out of the screen door is Millie played by Kelly Simmons. She’s dressed in a t-shirt, jean shorts, and a baseball hat. When the newspaper delivery boy pokes fun at her, she immediately tries to fight back. The other women emerge from their houses and fall into their regular routine with each other. Cue the record scratch because today is not like any other day. When new to town Hal is helping Mrs. Potts around the house, and is doing so shirtless, it throws everybody in small town Indepence, Kansas into a tizzy.
Out of the 50s
Picnic was originally written in the 1950s and set in the 20s, and we can see how the overall play has those tones from the era - objectifying women, women only wanting to get married, men feeling the need to justify their egos etc, etc. This production of Picnic finds ways to enhance the context of that period while also changing some intentions and adding more subtext to soften those problematic areas.
Tracy Michelle Arnold as Flo is still an overbearing mother, but gives more worried about her daughters’ futures rather than disappointment over not meeting society's expectations.
Colleen Maddon as school teacher Rosemary is your favorite single aunt who regales you with her crazy single life stories and you can’t wait to see her next. So when she launches into an emotional rant fueled by bootleg whiskey, we believe she’s genuinely horrified at the words that came out of her mouth as she sits stricken on the treestump.
Trinity Sandoval plays Howard as a little doofy, maybe a little oblivious, store owner but ultimately has a good heart and good intentions. When he dances with Madge in the yard, it doesn’t feel creepy, just a normal part of the fun evening as they all laugh, switch partners, and dance together in the backyard.
More Than Just Stereotypes
What’s more is that these characters become human and not stereotypes. We see a fully rounded picture of each of them.
Alina Taber as Madge is cast into the mold of being “The Pretty One,” but she stares longingly towards the train station in the distance. She does not stand back demurely. She is grounded, speaks up, and isn't afraid to tussle with her tomboy sister.
Rasell Holt as Hal postures like he’s supposed to. He pulls out his tall tales about how success has always been just beyond his reach, but we can tell it’s just an act he feels he has to put on. He’s confident and charming, but his light heartedness doesn’t quite reach his eyes. When he and Taber connect over their insecurities and expectations surrounding them, we feel both their guards drop.
These two create an undeniable chemistry between their characters that make us believe Picnic is a love story about finding the right person who understands you. It creates a much different atmosphere and with all our characters, we see how each actor creates new depths from what could be a typical portrayal of their characters.
Alina Taber and Colin Covert
The After Party Thoughts
A play set outside in a backyard during summer, you couldn’t ask for a more on point show to stage on the Hill Theatre Stage at APT. While Picnic can’t shake the entirety of the time period it was written in, I liked the way director Brenda DeVita found ways to make it less problematic and heighten the atmosphere of the play.
Picnic would be a good fit for those who like small town dramas where everyone gets a little messy but ultimately we understand why they’re making the choices they do.
RECOMMENDED
Alina Taber, Tracy Michelle Arnold, and Rasell Holt
When
Now through September 13, 2025
Where
American Players Theatre
Hill Theatre
5950 Golf Course Road
Spring Green, WI 53588
Runtime: 2hrs 40min, including an intermission
Tickets
$66+
Tickets can be purchased through the box office by calling 608-588-7401 or through the American Players Theatre website
Photos
Dan Norman
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
CAST
Dee Dee Batteast (Helen Potts)
Rasell Holt (Hal Carter)
Kelly Simmons (Millie Owens)
Isaac Daniel (Bomber Gutzel)
Alina Taber (Madge Owens)
Tracy Michelle Arnold (Flo Owens)
Colleen Madden (Rosemary Sydney)
Colin Covert (Alan Seymour)
Elizabeth Ledo (Irma Kronkite)
Sun Mee Chomet (Christine Schoenwalder)
Triney Sandoval (Howard Bevans)
CREATIVE
Brenda DeVita (Director)
Ann-Louise Wolf (Voice & Text Coach)
Gina Cornejo (Assistant Director)
Holly Payne (Costume Design)
Takeshi Kata (Scenic Design)
Dawn Chiang (Lighting Design)
Andrew Hansen (Music Composition & Sound Design)
Brian Cowing (Choreography)
Jeb Burris (Intimacy, Movement & Fight Director)
Krista Kanderski (Assistant Stage Manager)
Sarah Nicholson (Stage Manager)