April 16, 2026
By Door County Pulse, Peninsula Pulse
Heroes, the first show of the 2026 season at Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP), will run from April 22 through May 10, featuring performances by Alan Kopischke, Michael A. Torrey and C. Michael Wright.
Performances take place Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, with Sunday matinees and a special Friday, May 1 matinee at 2 pm.
Heroes follows three aging World War I veterans, tired of dull routines, fading memories and the oppressive atmosphere of their retirement home. They hatch an elaborate plan to break free, which becomes a comic battle against time and infirmity.
The play by Gérald Sibleyras, adapted by Tom Stoppard, won the 2006 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. It runs eighty minutes with no intermission, co-directed by Jackie and Steve Kane Artistic Director Jacob Janssen and Education Coordinator Dan Klarer.
“Heroes is in large part about friendship, so when it came time to put together the 2026 season, the idea of collaborating together on a play felt like the most obvious choice in the world,” Janssen said.
In addition to the two directors, supporting the three-person cast behind the scenes are scenic designer Alyssa Mohn, costume designer Kellyn Gagner, lighting designer Colin Gawronskil, sound designer Dee Etti-Williams, props designer Haley Anne Cranstoun and production stage manager Kelsey Brennan York.
Operation Not Alone, an organization that helps service members and veterans across the nation and overseas, is the community partner supported by a pay-what-you-will preview of Heroes on Wednesday, April 22, at 7:30 pm. Attendees may arrive as early as 6:30 pm on the evening of the performance for general admission seating; space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Donations may be made in cash or with checks made out to Third Avenue PlayWorks. Half of the proceeds from the preview will benefit the community partner, and donations can be made at the lobby display throughout the run of the show.
After the pay-what-you-will preview comes a ticketed preview on Thursday, April 23; an opening night reception on Friday, April 24; a special Friday matinee with a post-show conversation on May 1; and closing day on Sunday, May 10.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit thirdavenueplayworks.org/heroes or call the box office at 920.743.1760. TAP’s Steve and Jackie Kane Theatre is located at 239 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay.