Rehearsals began this week at Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) for the new adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Door County by Neil Brookshire with additional material by Dan Klarer. The final show of the 2026 season at TAP runs from December 2 through December 27, 2026, featuring Cassandra Bissell, Brian Grimm, Ray Jivoff, Dan Klarer, Ryan Schabach, and Rachael Zientek.
In 1952, the second Red Scare is at its height. Televised Senate hearings fan the flames of suspicion, the hydrogen bomb is under development, and paranoia seeps into every aspect of American life. The fear that a communist might be around every corner—or even sharing your bed—turns neighbors into suspects and private lives into political battlegrounds. Holy Mackerel! Who couldn't use a break from such relentless pressure? Audiences came together at the cinema to see their anxiety and paranoia reflected in Film Noir or they watched screwball comedies to float for a time above those same anxieties while society’s rigid social norms were skewered with fast talking repartee and farcical situations.
More than 500 playwrights submitted theatrical works to Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) inaugural WinterWorks New Play Festival. In July, TAP put out the call for submissions. After receiving over 500 submissions from writers in 37 states, and countless reading hours by staff and more than 50 volunteers, 10 finalists have been selected for possible inclusion in the festival. The finalists in alphabetical order are:
Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) is proud to announce the finalists for the inaugural WinterWorks New Play Festival coming to Sturgeon Bay in February of 2027.
Volunteers are an essential part of TAP, helping us facilitate professional theatre year round. Did you know that the process of deconstructing the set for a show is called strike? While that thought may seem intimidating, there is actually a job for everybody in this process!
The expanded WinterWorks New Play Festival spans the entire month of February and will feature workshop readings on Saturdays at 7 p.m. of three new plays, as well as two other readings of new and contemporary plays.
Engage creative and critical thinking through theater exercises and games.
Ticketed event held the first Thursday of each show’s run 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm in the theatre lobby including wine tastings from Von Stiehl Winery and cheese from Wisconsin Cheese Masters.
Calling all theater enthusiasts, literature lovers, and the community at large to the 11th Annual WinterWorks Play Reading at Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The annual WinterWorks Play Reading series features four contemporary plays to run each Saturday in February at 7:30 p.m.
