Spring Green Encore

We mentioned Spring Green, Wisconsin back in March as the epicenter of a spate of Frank Lloyd Wright-related events. This week, the bucolic area puts out the welcome mat for Chicagoans during its Chicago Open House Weekend at American Players Theatre. This means all kinds of deals, treats, and incentives to make the roughly four-hour trip north for a play in the woods. Below, a sampling of activities:

Offstage
The House on the Rock Resort offers a $39 “Southwest Wisconsin Pass” that’ll get you into the House on the Rock, Little Norway, Cave of the Mounds, and Wollersheim Winery; the pass is also good for a 20 percent discount on APT tickets. For information, call 608-935-3639 or go to thehouseontherock.com.

Backstage
12 p.m., Friday, September 10
All are invited to a welcome reception at the Touchstone Theatre, where appetizers will be offered as well as the chance to mingle with the artists. The event is free; RSVPs are required via e-mail to Beth Ferstl at bferstl@americanplayers.org.

1 p.m., Saturday, September 10
APT’s “Bard Talks” will feature Susan Sweeney discussing her 30 years as a voice and text coach working with actors across the country and, for the past decade, at APT. Free.

4 p.m., Sunday, September 11
The actors Susan Shunk and Marcus Truschinski, APT veterans who both married other APT company members, will discuss “Growing Up at APT.” Free.

Onstage
The weekend’s roster of theatricals is nothing if not eclectic: On the two stages at APT (indoor and al fresco), you’ll find a rotating repertory of Greek-inspired classics (The Cure at Troy), American tragedies (John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie), Russian tragedies (Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment), Shakespearian dramas (The Tempest), and ghost stories (Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit). Chicagoan Kate Buckley directs Of Mice and Men; Remy Bumppo’s founding artistic director James Bohnen directs The Tempest. For tickets, call 608-588-2361 or e-mail boxoffice@americanplayers.org.

GO American Players Theatre Open House Weekend in Spring Green, Wisconsin; 608-588-2361, americanplayers.org.

Where to stay: The most convenient lodging to APT is the House on the Rock Resort (400 Springs Drive, Spring Green; 800-822-7774, thehouseontherock.com), where free shuttle busses ferry guests to and from the theater; rates start at $175 a night.

Where to eat: Arthur’s (Highway 14 and 23, Spring Green; 608-588-2521, kauldine.com) is the quintessential dairy land supper club serving generous portions of steaks and seafood. The Kitchen at Arcadia Books (102 E. Jefferson St., Spring Green; 608-588-3923, readinutopia.com) sells locally sourced picnic fixings and homemade soups.