Peninsula Players is a summer theater located in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. Founded in 1935 by Richard and Caroline Fisher, it is known as "America's Oldest Professional Resident Summer Theatre." History The Players was founded in 1935 by the brother and sister team of Caroline and Richard Fisher in a garden behind the Bonnie Brook motel in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. In 1937 the Fishers moved the newly founded theater to the recently vacated Wildwood Boys Camp, along the shores of Green Bay between the towns of Egg Harbor and Fish Creek. There they built a barn-like proscenium stage house for an audience sitting under the stars. This is the present site of the theater. The original Peninsula Players stage was built with the help of Samuel Wanamaker, an American film director and actor who is credited as the person most responsible for the modern recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. In 1946 a canvas tent was erected over the audience to provide some shelter from inclement weather, and in 1957 a new audience pavilion with open sides was built as a permanent structure. In 1960, the Fishers sold the theater at public auction, where it was purchased by Kenneth Carroad, a lawyer from New York City. Carroad asked long-time “Player”, James B. McKenzie, to oversee business operations as producer. McKenzie accepted and in 1962 assisted in forming the Peninsula Players Theatre Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization created to operate the theater. In 1978 Carroad sold the property to the McKenzies, who maintained ownership until 1993, when the Peninsula Players Theatre Foundation purchased the property. Todd Schmidt organized more improvements for the Players, such as a new theatre and stage house, improved actor housing, new public restroom facilities, expanded and upgraded rehearsal and storage areas, a computerized box office, and new gardens. Executive Producers Caroline and Richard Fisher - 1935-1953 Caroline Fisher and Rodion Rathbone - 1953-1962 James B. McKenzie - 1962-2001 Todd Schmidt - 2000-2007 Artistic Directors and Resident Directors Caroline and Richard Fisher (Artistic Directors) 1935-1960 Richard Fisher (Resident Director) Leo Lucker (Resident Director) 1955 Jeanne Bolan (Resident Director) 1957-1976 Bob Thompson (Resident Director/Artistic Director) 1953-57 and 1976-91 Greg Vinkler (Resident Director/Artistic Director) 1997-2021 Linda Fortunato (Resident Director/Artistic Director) 2021- General Managers and Managing Directors Caroline and Richard Fisher (General Managers) 1935-1953 Caroline Fisher and Rodion Rathbone (General Managers) 1953-1962 Tom Birmingham (General Manager) 1960-1984 John Walker (General Manager)