Mercury Players Theater

Mercury Players is celebrating our 15th season of bringing action-packed, thought-provoking theatre to Madison audiences. Mercury brings the very best in contemporary theatre to Madison - especially if the show is something "traditional" theatres won't touch. Featured in our 15th season are world premieres by local playwrights (Rob Matsushita's 1SW33T RIDE) and our third play competition (We're picking our 8 favorite 15-minute comedies), plus IN THE BEGINNING, the newest full-length musical by Catherine Capellaro and Andrew Rohn (Blasphemy, Walmartopia, Temp Slave). Be sure to check out our full season taking place both at the Bartell Theatre downtown and at Mercury's Laboratory Warehouse at 930 Fair Oaks Ave!

Our Mission:

Mercury Players is a company of theatre artists. We are dedicated to creating exceptional productions of original, new and unusual plays. With our work, we challenge participants and audiences to see themselves and their world with a fresh perspective.

Rachel Jenkins Beldsoe is current Artistic Director, Jessica Jane Witham is Associate Artistic Director.

This Season

• Tearoom Tango -- FringeNYC Preview - August 7-15, 2009
• In the Beginning - September 4-26, 2009
• Vin - October 9-24, 2009
• 1 SW33T R1DE - November 20 - December 12, 2009
• Fat Men in Skirts - January 22 - February 13, 2010
• Mercury Rising: A New Play Competition - April 16 - May 1, 2010
• Poona the F^>k Dog & Other Plays for Children - May 28 - June 12, 2010

---

Past Productions

• Blitz 10th Anniversary! 8 plays in 24 hours - June 13, 2009
• Blitz Smackdown Round Three - June 12, 2009
• Well - May 15 - June 6, 2009
• Cloud 9 - March 6 - April 4, 2009
• Vamp - February 27 - March 28, 2009
• Tearoom Tango - November 21-29, 2008
• Exchange at Cafe Mimosa - October 31 - November 15, 2008
• The Full Monty! - September 4-27, 2008
• Blitz IX - July 11-12, 2008
• Celeste and Starla Save Todd and Win Back the Day - June 6-28, 2008
• Compleat Female Stage Beauty - April 11-26, 2008
• Blitz Smackdown - Round 2 - February 16, 2008
• The Pillowman - January 18 - February 2, 2008
• Reefer Madness: The Musical - September 13 - October 6, 2007
• Mercury Potluck Picnic - August 19, 2007
• Blitz VIII - July 13-14, 2007
• Short Shorts/Hot Pants - June 26, 2007
• the long christmas ride home - June 8-23, 2007
• A Number - June 1-23, 2007
• Revenge of the Mini Musicals II - April 20 - May 5, 2007
• Short Shorts 2.0 - February 27, 2007
• Sweet/Psychosis - July 20 - 29, 2006
• Short Shorts - September 26, 2006
• The Faculty Room - September 28 - October 28, 2006
• Brides of the Moon - October 6 - 22, 2006
• Short Shorts - October 31, 2006
• Blitz Smackdown! - January 6, 2007
• Bug - January 12 - February 3, 2007
• Blitz VII - July 14 - 15, 2006
• Brides of the Moon (a reading) - July 12, 2006
• Ballots - July 9, 2006
• Short Shorts - June 27, 2006
• Mercury Rising - May 5-20, 2006
• Circle - February 17 - March 3, 2006
• Never the Sinner - February 10 - March 4, 2006
• Walmartopia, a Musical - December 9, 2005 - January 14, 2006
• Chesapeake - September 17 - October 1, 2005
• The Goat, or, Who is Sylvia - September 9 - October 1, 2005
• Sixth Annual Blitz Mania - May 27-28, 2005
• Cementville - March 25 - April 16, 2005
• Homeland - January 28 - February 11, 2005
• We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! - January 28 - February 12, 2005
• Wanton Joy - December 3-17, 2004
• The Glory of Living - December 3-18, 2004
• 10th Anniversary Festival of Plays - September 9-25, 2004
  • Comedia - September 9-11
  • Politik - September 16-18
  • Pathos - September 23-25
• The Glory of Living - a reading - August 16, 2004

2003-04 Season

• Balm in Gilead - September 27 - October 11, 2003
• Loving More - December 5-20, 2003
• True Confessions of a Go-Go Girl - December 5-19, 2003
• Gotterdrama-rama - February 6-21, 2004
• The Wheel - Cancelled
• Fifth Annual Blitz - July 10 and 17, 2004

2002-03 Season

• Fuddy Meers - October 4-26, 2002
• Short Stacks - October 11-26, 2002
• Attack of the Mini-Musicals - December 2002
• Killer Joe - February 6-23, 2003
• Bash: Latterday Plays - April 3-19, 2003
• The Blitz Plays - April 25-26, 2003

2001-02 Season

• Temp Slave - July 17, 2001
• Debris - September 6-22, 2001
• Betty's Summer Vacation - October 25 - November 17, 2001
• The Mercury Players' Computer Love Fest - January 10-26, 2002
• Blitzkrieg 3-D - March 2, 2002
• On the Open Road - March 14-30, 2002

2000-01 Season

• Stonewall Jackson's House - October 5-21, 2000
• Blitzkrieg 2: Electric Boogaloo - January 27, 2001
• The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told - January 31 - February 17, 2001
• Stop Kiss - March 15-31, 2001

1999-2000 Season

• Jeffrey - July 1-18, 1999
• Little Sister - October 7-21, 1999
• The Mercury Players Holiday Blast-Off - December 2-29, 1999
• 5:45 - March 9-26, 2000
• The Good Person of Setzuan - May 6-27, 2000
• Project: Blitzkrieg - July 15, 2000

1998-99 Season

• Hot 'n' Throbbing - October 1-18, 1998
• Temp Slave, The Musical - January 7-31, 1999
• Bent - March 11-28, 1999
• Motel Destiny - April 22 - May 8, 1999
• The Oldest Profession - May 7-23, 1999

1997-98 Season

• White People - September 5-21, 1997
• Temp Slave, The Musical - December 5-20, 1997
• The Mercury Players' Love Fest - February 6-28, 1998
• Temp Slave, The Musical - March 26-28, 1998
• Welcome to the Moon - June 4-20, 1998

1996-97 Season

• December Skies by Barry Teicher - September 1996
• The Mercury Players Night of Horror - October 1996
• Savior of the Universe by Gip Hoppe - December 1996
• Escape from Happiness - May 16-31, 1997

Productions to date

November 1994
Family Life: Three Brutal Comedies by Wendy Hammond

• The Transmogrification
• Minna and the Space People
• Mom and the Razor Blades

March 1995
Little Slices: Thirteen plays by Joe Pintauro

• Rules of Love
• Two Eclairs
• Rosen's Son
• Lenten Pudding
• Men Without Wives
• Swans Flying
• Birds in Church
• Lightning
• Fiat
• Fur Hat
• Rex
• Bird of Ill Omen
• Uncle Chick

May 1995
Desire: Three Plays of Freedom by Robert Peters

• Daisy and Violet
• Ann Lee of the Shakers
• Snapshots of a Serial Killer

August 1995
Beirut by Alan Bowne

December 1995
The Mercury Players Holiday Pageant: Eight original plays about the holiday season

• Colorado Springs by Rick Vorndran
• Deck the Malls by Mark Peters
• Christmas Spirits by Jennifer Howard
• My Own Private Santa by Marcy Weiland
• Christmas with the Rosenbaums by Rick Vorndran
• Season for Giving by Paul Wells
• Louie Learns a Lesson by Ray Olderman
• A Barry Manilow New Year's Eve by Lisa Peschel

March 1996
Raised in Captivity by Nicky Silver

May 1996
Italian American Reconciliation by John Patrick Shanley

July 1996
The Kitchen Fantasies

• Poof! by Lynn Nottage
• A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking by John Ford Noonan

October 1996
The Mercury Players Night of Horror: Four original horror plays.

• Tap by John Sable
• History Giants Theater 3000 by Callen Harty
• Portrait of Catherine by Mark Peters
• Meet the Folks by Buck Hakes