American Players Theatre is a festival theater in rural Wisconsin that draws about half of its audience from a 50-mile radius, and the rest from across the country. The same aspects that draw in audiences also attract staff members. Since the outdoor theater is set in the woods, the peaceful work environment draws in staff trying to catch a break from the hustle and bustle of a big city.
Diving Into the Values at American Players Theatre
It's easy to see that at American Players Theatre staff members are really cared about, and that they have a voice while working there. It's a collaborative work environment where staff members consistently say they feel they have a seat at the decision-making table.
For example, in2017, the theater space was completely rebuilt. In the two years leading up to the construction, management reached out to every employee to give their input on that project. And that process was similar to how they treat other major decisions and projects.
Zippia spoke with Director of Communications Sara Young to find out more about their culture of treating people with respect.
Spacious Theater
Getting the Space You Need
American Players Theatre provides more than enough space for their staff of 200. In fact, it has 110 acres of woods and prairie, which makes it unlike most other theaters. "APT attracts actors who want to take a break from city life," Young said. "It's really a great atmosphere that allows them for focus and do great work.. This is true not only for the actors but also for artisans and designers working in costumes, scenery, props and other areas of production.
Since the theater is flexible on the amount of space the staff enjoys, it's no surprise it's also flexible on vacation time. While the staff works hard during the theater season, there is some flex time offered if employees need it. During the offseason, work hours are more informal and many employees choose to work remotely.
"While it can be an intense place to work sometimes, the work-life balance is pretty great," Young said.
Celebrate Good Times
Welcome to the Afterparty
"We do a lot of celebrating during the season," Young said. At the beginning of the season, the theater hosts a company picnic for the employees. During the picnic, every single person has a chance to introduce themselves. Long time staff members use the picnic to welcome new folks.
Employees at American Players Theatre also enjoy opening night parties throughout the season Since the theater is rotating repertory, they are opening several productions in a short amount of time. Young said, "Five productions open in June, with another three joining the schedule in late July. It's an intense period of work, so it's important to take a breath and celebrate everyone's accomplishments when the plays are open."
Being Heard
A Culture of Taking Action
Before each employee leaves at the end of the season, their manager has an exit interview with them to talk about how the season went from the employee's perspective.
"We listen to them. They tell us how we did during the season," Young said.
"Anything is fair game for the interview. From someone needing an anti-fatigue mat to someone thinking a process doesn't work the way they think it should. "We try really hard to take action on what they tell us," Young said. "If there's an issue, we do our best to take care of it."
Young included an example from four years ago. The theater is located in a small community, which isn't very diverse. During the theater season that year, an actor went out for a jog when a community member drove by and shouted out a racial slur (the actor was African American).
"We did our best to take care of that actor and went through steps to prevent that from happening again," Young said. The theater held a community meeting at the library right after that incident and 80 people showed up. "It started a movement within our community. We didn't just talk the talk; we acted on it," Young said.
The theater was able to take a negative experience and turn it into a learning experience., At American Players Theatre, they strive to make sure their employees feel safe and comfortable in their work environment.
