1984- Todd Schmidt (General Manager) Brian Kelsey - (Managing Director) 2008- Guest directors William Ball Maurice Gnesin Amy McKenzie Tom Mula Todd Schmidt Nancy Simon New stage house In the fall of 2005 the Players ended their season early and demolition and construction began on a new stage house. The new stage house, which opened in the summer of 2006, has a full fly tower, a grass roof, cushioned seats, and solid walls that can be raised and lowered based on weather conditions. The new theater also has a radiant heated floor that allows performances well into October. Direct from Broadway The Peninsula Players were known for getting the rights to Neil Simon plays not long after they opened on Broadway. Through executive producer Jim McKenzie’s association with Emanuel "Manny" Azenberg, Simon’s Broadway producer, he was able to negotiate the Midwest premières of a majority of Simon’s plays from 1963 through 1986. Simon's “Biloxi Blues” made its Players debut on July 29, 1986, months after closing on Broadway. McKenzie gave Nancy Simon, Neil’s daughter, her first opportunity to direct when he produced the Peninsula Players production in 1986. In 1987, Biloxi Blues was re-staged by Nancy Simon at the Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut where McKenzie also served as executive producer. Fall season In 1981, actors John Walker, Pamela Gaye, Amy McKenzie, and a small troupe of artisans from the Players created the first Fall season. The play Children of a Lesser God, with Walker and Gaye in the principal roles was presented. James McKenzie remained executive producer until his death in 2001. The fall season continued with an additional play that opened after the end of the traditional summer theatre season. Comedy Cabaret In 1983, while in New York City, executive producer Jim McKenzie contracted Amy McKenzie and Richard O'Donnell to create an after-show revue to complement evening performances at the Players. The Comedy Cabaret, produced by Amy McKenzie and written by O'Donnell, opened the summer of 1984. The Comedy Cabaret eventually opened in Chicago as New Age Vaudeville whereby they "won over critics and audiences." The Play's the Thing In February 2010, Artistic Director Greg Vinkler established a winter play reading series The Play's the Thing, produced in coordination with Door County Reads. It is performed at Björklunden, the northern campus of Lawrence University in Baileys Harbor. Actor's Equity Association Actors at Peninsula Players are members of Actors'