Tucked away on the grounds of Christchurch Boarding School in Saluda, Virginia, Traveling Players’ Residential Conservatories offer students in grades 8 through 12 an immersive, pre-college theatre experience unlike anything else in the country.
Participants receive expert, personalized training in advanced acting techniques whether through Shakespeare, technical theatre, or long-form improvisation, culminating in a professionally staged production. Shakespeare Troupe students take it even further, performing a full-length Shakespearean play on professional stages across Virginia.
3 weeks
Residential Conservatory
$6,250
Saluda Campus
A three-week residential conservatory where high schoolers master the art of long-form improv before taking the stage to perform an original show created entirely in the moment.
Grades 8-12
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3 weeks
Residential Conservatory
$6,250
Saluda Campus
In just three weeks, the Shakespeare Ensemble produces a 75-minute, professionally directed and designed production of one of the Bard’s greatest works.
Grades 8-12
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6 weeks
Residential Conservatory
$10,300
Saluda Campus
Troupe rehearses a full-length, professionally directed and designed Shakespearean play, then does a performance tour to amphitheaters throughout Virginia.
Grades 9-12
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3 or 6 weeks
Residential Conservatory
$6,250 or $10,300
Saluda Campus
Tech Apprentices work alongside our professional designers, receiving individualized, hands-on training and gain foundational knowledge in both the costume and scene shop.
Grades 8-12
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Rehearse in a cast of only 13 performers, building confidence, independence, and friendships.
Explore our historic boarding school in Virginia’s “Northern Neck,” close to Williamsburg, Richmond, and Norfolk.
Delve into acting techniques, explore your creativity, and enjoy a range of activities while building lasting friendships.
From picking an ensemble, to auditions, applying for financial aid, what to pack, and more, find answers to all your questions about summer camps and theatre programs at Traveling Players Ensemble. For more assistance, call us at (703) 987-1712 or email info@travelingplayers.org.
Day Camp: Nope! No audition for day campers. Just register!
Sleepaway Camps & Residential Conservatories: Yes, most of our residential programs are by audition or interview only.
Act: FIVE – Nope! This is the only sleepaway program that does not require an audition. Go ahead and register!
Jeanne E. Harrison founded Traveling Players in 2003 as a nurturing, challenging, educational theatrical community to bring great theatre into the great outdoors. In our first year, we had 18 students and toured our plays to Shenandoah National Park, where we performed As You Like It while backpacking off the Appalachian Trail. That is probably the quintessential Traveling Players play – you escape into the woods and return transformed.
Transformation is at the heart of what we do. We limit the ensembles to only 13 students so that we can give every student the attention they deserve. We only work with students (in grades 1-12) who are literally transforming before our eyes as they grow up, become the next best version of themselves, and, on stage, take on bold roles in our plays. All of this is to help them on their way to adulthood, when they will impact our world.
The basic formula remains the same, but many details have changed since our founding in 2003. We serve over 1000 students a year, offering programs year-round in our Studio in Tysons Corner Center, a major shopping center. We have won national awards for our comprehensive and intensive curricula, and we have seen our alums perform on Broadway and in the West End, serve as Artistic Directors, have their plays published, and become theatre professors. We still tour our plays to the community in our signature purple school buses.
I always knew I could form student ensembles that could create wonderful art while challenging themselves and each other. What I didn’t know was that I was creating friendships that would last a lifetime – the people who will be your “maid of honor/best man” at your wedding. Traveling Players’ friendships endured well beyond summer, through college and adulthood. As an alum said, “Most adults don’t name their summer camp as a central part of their identity.” Traveling Players do.
Traveling Players faculty are a mix of professional educators, theatre artists and aspiring educators and theatre artists.
Each ensemble and technical theatre shop is led by an experienced educator-director, who carefully mentors our students through the creative process from rehearsals to the final performance. They excel at supporting and challenging each student, crafting a summer of discoveries and growth.
Our residential advisors, assistant directors, and technical artisans are a mix of professional educators, theatre artists, and college students who have completed at least two years of an undergraduate degree, generally in theatre or education.
Traveling Players has two distinct reputations.
Called a top “25 summer school for the arts” by the National Endowment for the Arts, Traveling Players is known and nationally awarded for our artistic excellence. Our curriculum is rigorous, and the Shakespeare Troupe in particular has been noted for offering artistic challenges “unlike any other pre-college theatre program in the country.” You can read more about our awards and the excellent work of our students and alumni here.
However, if you asked a Traveling Players student, parent, or alum to describe us, they wouldn’t start by talking about the awards we’ve won, or the best show they were in or had seen from us. They would talk about our community.
With a 70% retention rate, our community is vibrant, connected, and kind. Our curriculum is intentionally designed to promote artistic collaboration. We limit our ensembles to just 13 students to ensure that everyone receives individualized training and attention. We select scripts that offer a wide range of roles and cast to maximize each student’s artistic growth. We help foster friendships both in and across ensembles through theatre games, low ropes challenge courses, and structured fun. The result is a community that remains thriving – and always welcoming. You can read more about why parents choose Traveling Players here.
Traveling Players is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. 100% of your tuition supports your students’ experience. As a nonprofit, we are mission-driven – designing our programs for access. We want every dedicated performer to be able to join us. We charge parents only 70% of the true cost of a Traveling Players summer. (Donations and grants cover the remainder.)
We also have the most generous artistic financial aid program in the area, with no annual or lifetime caps (read more about financial aid below). Our approach ensures a vital ensemble that is diverse in every way.
