With an infusion of cash from the sale of a chain of waffle houses owned by former Mercury Players Theatre artistic director Pete Rydberg, the local theatre company announced its acquisition of Spring Green's American Players Theatre (APT) today, April First. APT is well known and respected for its summer productions of plays by Shakespeare and other great playwrights, and both companies appear in the top three of the current Madison's Favorites - Local Theater Company results.

To compromise on the combined name, the new entity will use the first word of Mercury's name and the second and third words of APT's name.

Highlights of the new theatre company's upcoming season include: A Blitz Smackdown competition between Lisa Konoplisky, Doug Reed, and a clone of George Bernard Shaw; a production of Macbeth featuring nudity and puppets, an encore outdoor performance of Reefer Madness in Christian's backyard, and a version of Much Ado About Nothing with an alternative ending by Rob Matsushita.