Steven T. Platteter Memorial Event

An evening with Luis Alberto Urrea
Monday, September 28, 2026

6:30 p.m.
The Octagon Barn
E4350 Horseshoe Rd, Spring Green, WI 53588

Join acclaimed author Luis Alberto Urrea—bilingual poet, novelist, and essayist—for an inspiring evening exploring themes of family, immigration, love, loss, and the connections that unite us.

This unforgettable event will feature Luis sharing stories from his life and work, along with dramatic readings of his writing by American Players Theatre actors Phoebe Gonzalez and Sam Luis Massaro

Presenter bios:

Luis Alberto Urrea, a bilingual poet, novelist, and non-fiction writer, was born in Mexico. He uses his “dual-culture life experiences to explore greater themes of love, loss, and triumph” through a variety of topics, including immigration and his family. Urrea was born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and an American mother and spent much of his childhood in San Diego.  Recognized as a border writer, he is more interested in bridges than borders. That philosophy aligns with the purpose of the Morrill Lecture Series to foster community and a sense of connectedness and enables participants of all ages to expand their knowledge and critical thinking on important topics.

Phoebe González is a Mexican-Irish-American performing artist who proudly hails from Washington Heights, New York City. A true nomadic actor, she has worked professionally at regional theaters across the country, including but not limited to: Forward Theater Company, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Writers Theatre, American Shakespeare Center, Paramount Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf, the Kennedy Center (nat'l tour), Teatro Vista, the Marriott Theatre, and American Players Theatre (where she has been a core company member for three years). She studied acting, musical theatre, and playwriting at Northwestern University. When not auditioning, working, or thinking about auditioning and working, Phoebe can be found reading, hiking, and giving head scratches to her cattle dog Artie. IG: @phoebegonzo

Sam Luis Massaro is a performing artist, educator, and administrator who calls the Midwest his creative home. Sam has been in the American Players Theatre acting company four consecutive years, from 2023-2026, appearing in Sueño, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Anna in the Tropics, Fallen Angels, and The Liar, along with many others. His film appearances include Somewhere in Queens with Ray Romano, and VICE with Christian Bale. And, Sam starred with Ty Burrell in one of James Burrows final developmental pilots at ABC, Forgive and Forget. Currently, Sam serves on faculty as an Assistant Professor of Acting and Musical Theatre at Ball State University, and is the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Circuit Theatre Company in Chicago, IL. IG: @samluismassaro, @circuittheatreco


This project is funded in part, by a grant from Sauk County Economic Development, Arts and Culture Committee, a Committee of the Sauk County Board of Supervisors and the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Thank you to Roxane Bartelt for her generous donation in memory of Steve Platteter.

  • No! This event is free and unticketed.

  • Yes!