At Third Avenue PlayWorks, we are hard at work on our next production, Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night, by Alec Silberlblatt, and something that makes the show special is the fact that it is a world premiere.
You can attend a trivia night in Sturgeon Bay beginning on Wednesday without worrying about answering a single question. “Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night” has its world premiere on Wednesday at Third Avenue PlayWorks, with Kelli Strickland playing the role of Marci and Doug Mancheski posing as Richie. The play by playwright Alec Silberblatt is about a Pittsburgh-area trivia team dealing with a pair of cheaters and their own personal demons. Artistic Director Jacob Janssen says the production speaks to those who have participated in trivia nights and believe it could draw a following similar to when area book clubs came to Third Avenue PlayWorks during a play’s run on that culture.
At last year’s Door Kinetic Arts Festival, David Maraniss and Eric Simonson came together for a fascinating discussion about turning Maraniss’s biography of Packers legend Vince Lombardi into a Broadway play. Moderated by Jacob Janssen of Third Avenue Playworks, the writers bring you a great discussion not only about Lombardi and the Packers, but also about the creative process and the choices they made to bring a sprawling biography of one of history’s most compelling sports figures to the stage.
Performances start September 24th for Third Avenue PlayWorks’ world premiere production of Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night by Alec Silberblatt. The fourth show of the 2025 season at Third Avenue PlayWorks, this play runs from September 24 to October 12, 2025, featuring performances by Kelli Strickland and Doug Mancheski.
Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night gives the audience a look into the pub trivia phenomenon that was popularized in the United Kingdom. The Guinness Book of Records claims that the first pub quiz happened in Yorkshire in 1946. While more instances of early pub quizzes can be found, the events were unorganized until a couple, Sharon Burns and Tom Porter, started taking their quizzes around to other pubs throughout the country in the 1970s. Pubs saw trivia as a successful marketing ploy for the quiet nights and soon trivia became the reason to visit the pub!
Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) kicked off rehearsals this week for its upcoming production of Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night by Alec Silberblatt. The fourth show of the 2025 TAP season, the play runs Sept. 24 to Oct. 12, featuring performances by Kelli Strickland and Doug Mancheski.
You have the opportunity every year to see plays and musicals get their start in Door County. Third Avenue PlayWorks and Northern Sky Theater routinely offer world premiere productions as a part of the season’s schedule. The latest example opens on September 24th when “Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night” takes the Third Avenue PlayWorks stage in Sturgeon Bay. The play features Kelli Strickland and Doug Mancheski, who play the roles of Marci and Richie as they navigate their friendship and trivia night challenges. Artistic Director Jacob Janssen says playwright Alec Silberblatt has been in the room for readings and rehearsals, offering rewrites and other tweaks to improve the play in real time before the curtains go up for the public. Janssen says it is an exciting process to be a part of, whether on stage or in the audience.
Rehearsals have officially begun with Doug Mancheski and Kelli Strickland for the world premiere of Ryan's Pub, Trivia Night at Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. In this play, Marci and Richie are the best trivia team at Ryan's Pub until cheaters in billowy khakis stroll in. Faced with failure and an endless supply of drinks, the night takes a turn when Marci comes face to face with her demons. More than a quirky tale of trivia, this is a story of friendship between two teammates and the lengths they will go to win.
Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) kicked off rehearsals this week for its upcoming production of Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night, by Alec Silberblatt. The fourth show of the 2025 season at Third Avenue PlayWorks is sponsored by Linda Berns, Chirs & Judi Collins, Linda Kohn, and Anthony & Judy Licata. This play runs from September 24 to October 12, 2025, featuring performances by Kelli Strickland and Doug Mancheski.
