Jeanne (she/her) founded Traveling Players Ensemble to give theatre students a joyful, rigorous, and nurturing artistic community to grow up in. She serves as both Producing Artistic and Executive Director, including vision and creative leadership for all educational and artistic activities, organizational direction, and staff management. She collaborates with staff on programming and marketing. She coordinates with the board on partnership development, finances, budgeting, fundraising, and strategic planning.
Jeanne continues to teach and direct all year long for Traveling Players, including directing Shakespeare Troupe in the summer. In her 35-year teaching career, Jeanne has taught for The Folger Shakespeare Library, Catholic University, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Loyola University (MD), Chapin School (NYC), and Interlochen Center for the Arts (MI), where she directed the Shakespeare program. Jeanne has worked in camping for 36 years, directed two other camps, and is a certified Camp Director (American Camp Association) and Instructor with the American Red Cross.
Often doubling as choreographer and sound designer, Jeanne has directed over a hundred theatrical productions. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet, Commedia Christmas Carol (her own adaptation), Comedy of Errors, Hecuba (Kenneth McLeish’s translation of Euripides), Taming of the Shrew, Antigone by Jean Anouilh (based on Sophocles), Dust by Sarah Daniels, and Cymbeline.
An expert in mask, Commedia dell'Arte, and physical training for actors, Jeanne has presented workshops at the National Conference of the American Alliance for Theater & Education (AATE). She holds an MA in Theater from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MFA in Directing from Catholic University.
She served as a judge for Theatre Washington’s Helen Hayes Awards as well as the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare competition. She served as a panelist for Virginia’s Commission for the Arts and Maryland’s Council for the Arts & Humanities. Her lesson plans are published in The American Girls Collection, a Teacher’s Guide. She was selected as one of ArtsFairfax’s three 2015 Middle School Artists-in-Residence, she also received ArtsFairfax’s 2016 Strauss Artist Award for her distinctive fusing of physical and classical theatre.
In collaboration with the Producing Artistic Director, Robin (she/her) manages financial reporting to the board and funders, fundraising and grants, payroll, bookkeeping, and operations. Robin has worked in arts and nonprofit management for over 18 years. She served on the board of the Herndon Foundation for the Cultural Arts from 2005-2015 and managed ArtSpace Herndon on a volunteer basis from the arts center’s launch in 2008 through 2012. She has worked for Traveling Players since 2015.
With a BA in Public Policy and Political Science from Duke University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Robin’s professional experience is in banking, marketing, strategic planning, and finance. In 2013, Robin was honored as one of three “Women in the Arts” by the Council for the Arts of Herndon and was recognized by the Town of Herndon with a Distinguished Service Award. She completed the Leadership Fairfax Lifetime Leadership Program in 2015. She has served on the Arts Education and the Teaching Artist Roster Panels for the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Robin’s mother Ruth was one of the first physical education (PE) teachers in the US, in addition to being a Girl Scout leader and camp director. Robin spent her youth in North Carolina exploring the outdoors with her family. The Ruthie Award, named in honor of Robin’s mother, is given out every summer to a residential camper and staffer who embodies Ruth’s spirit – boldly navigating the great outdoors while educating others to revel in our natural world.
Anne (she/her) is serving her first summer as Camp Director in 2024. She has a deep history with Traveling Player as an enthusiastic parent of two long-time campers. In her role as Camp Director, she supports the kind and brave culture of Traveling Players, where camp is a space for discovery and growth. She will helm communications in the Camp Office, answer emails and the phone, as well as coordinate and manage our vibrant and dedicated summer staff of 30 teaching artists and camp counselors. Anne also works on grant writing and other projects to support the hidden administrative backbone of Traveling Players.
Anne comes to Traveling Players with extensive experience in Shakespeare, theater, and education. She served for four years as the Assistant Head of Education at the Folger Shakespeare Library, where she developed and implemented innovative arts programming in local public schools. As a Fulbright Scholar, she earned her M.A. with Distinction at the Shakespeare Institute of the University of Birmingham (England), focusing on race, casting, and performance history.
For the last two decades, Anne has been working in churches, focusing especially on programming for children and teenagers. She holds a Master of Divinity summa cum laude from Yale, as well as a Doctor of Ministry from Emory with a focus on preaching and trauma. She teaches and supports preaching in the Episcopal Church. Her understanding of trauma has proved invaluable in working with young people during and after the pandemic.
A lasting love of the outdoors also brings Anne to Traveling Players. She has supported many groups of girls on their first backpacking trip, and she herself completed a solo hike of the Long Trail through Vermont.
Morgan (she/her) joined the Traveling Players community in 2007 as a student in the Thespian Ensemble and remembers well the days of being “a middle school theatre kid.” Today she is the Head of our middle school programs, fondly called our Thespian programs, teaching acting classes and directing plays throughout the year, including directing our Thespian Ensemble over the summer. This is her seventh year on staff. She spent six summers as a camper (Thespian and Shakespeare Ensembles, as well as Commedia and Shakespeare Troupes).
As the Director of Communications & Marketing, Morgan lets the community know about our programs and opportunities - as well as the ways the Traveling Players community can be a transformational experience and a touchstone for the rest of their lives.
Morgan has taught and developed new curricula for our community and middle school classes including Preparing a Role [Thespians] and Scene Study & Acting Technique [Thespians]. She co-developed and now leads our workshop “Embedded Bias in Classical Literature” (with Ryan Fields).
In 2022 she launched and now leads the Greater Washington Middle School Theatre Festival. This festival, hosted by Traveling Players, is exclusively for Middle School students and designed to help them connect and learn with peers from other schools while celebrating the joy of theater.
Recent Traveling Players directing credits include Carlo Gozzi's Green Bird, King Stag, and Blue Monster, Molière’s Tartuffe, The Odyssey by Gregory A. Falls & Kurt Beattie, PUFFS by Matt Cox, and The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, adapted to the stage by James DeVita. Previously, she served as our Assistant Director on Jane Eyre, The Learned Ladies, The Doctor In Spite of Himself, Tartuffe, Rumpelstiltskin, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Morgan also designs and constructs props for Traveling Players productions and mentors the Technical Theatre Apprentices during the academic year.
Other artistic work includes directing Mojo at Studio 115, and Assistant to the Director for Smile Lines at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, where she also worked in the box office for many years.
Emma (she/they) is the Head of our Elementary School Programs, teaching and directing our youngest students all year long, including our summer Mythology Ensemble. She is our Director of Programs and registrar, assisting families as they navigate the website and join the community. They started teaching with Traveling Players during the summer of 2019.
Growing up she was consumed by her love of Greek Mythology – reading whatever she could get her hands on. She studied Latin in school and even went to a Greek Mythology camp. She was also (and still is) a lover of the outdoors. From sleepaway camp to Girl Scouts, to white-water rafting, horseback riding, hiking, and high ropes courses, she loves adventuring in the great outdoors.
Her passion for theatre began with Musical Theatre – training in voice, dance, and even cello. Her interest in music and movement continues to inspire her directing. She loves creating rhythmic ensemble moments that allow students to work as a storytelling unit.
Through her time at Traveling Players, Emma has been lucky to direct three World Premieres written by our playwright-in-residence, Judith Walsh White: Eros & Psyche, Heracles, and Atalanta. Other Judy plays Emma has directed include Persephone, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire, as well as Alice in Wonderland by William Glennon and Dracula: A Comic Thriller by Kent R. Brown.
She teaches Acting and Improv classes and is the lead teacher for our Girl Scout theatre badge program.
Previously, Emma was assistant director for Green Bird, Commedia Christmas Carol, King Stag, The Odyssey, Blue Monster, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire.
She is a graduate of James Madison University, where she earned her BA in Theatre.
Ryan (they/he) is the Co-Head of the High School Programs (with Jeanne Harrison), teaching year round and directing our Shakespeare Ensemble over the summer. This is Ryan’s seventh year on staff. In addition to being a teaching artist, he is our Outreach Manager, connecting us with the local schools. He represented Traveling Players in ArtsFairfax's DEIA Cohort program in 2021-2.
Ryan’s a Traveling Players alum, and his closest friends remain those that he made as a high schooler performing Shakespeare with Traveling Players. He is a veteran of our Thespian and Shakespeare Ensembles, as well as Commedia and Shakespeare Troupes, and performed with Traveling Players at the Reston Multicultural Festival and the International Children’s Festival at Wolf Trap.
Ryan directs our Shakespeare Ensemble over the summer, breathing new life into Shakespeare’s plays: As You Like It (their favorite play), Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Henry IV, Part 1 (Shakespeare’s first history that Traveling Players produced). Ryan has also been an assistant director on Commedia Christmas Carol, and Hecuba as well as working on earlier productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, and Jack and Beans. Ryan most recently directed Jane Eyre for Traveling Players Thrills & Chills festival.
Ryan has developed new curricula for our community and high school classes, including Scene Study & Acting Technique, Preparing a Role, and Ryan's Playlist (an introduction to queer & female playwrights). They co-led two workshops: Embedded Bias in Classical Literature (with Morgan Shotwell) and Directing 101 (with Jeanne Harrison).
Ryan is a Muhlenberg College graduate in Theatre and English. While an undergraduate, Ryan starred in Allentown Public Theatre’s production of The Island by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona.
Jeanne (she/her) founded Traveling Players Ensemble to give theatre students a joyful, rigorous, and nurturing artistic community to grow up in. She serves as both Producing Artistic and Executive Director, including vision and creative leadership for all educational and artistic activities, organizational direction, and staff management. She collaborates with staff on programming and marketing. She coordinates with the board on partnership development, finances, budgeting, fundraising, and strategic planning.
Jeanne continues to teach and direct all year long for Traveling Players, including directing Shakespeare Troupe in the summer. In her 35-year teaching career, Jeanne has taught for The Folger Shakespeare Library, Catholic University, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Loyola University (MD), Chapin School (NYC), and Interlochen Center for the Arts (MI), where she directed the Shakespeare program. Jeanne has worked in camping for 36 years, directed two other camps, and is a certified Camp Director (American Camp Association) and Instructor with the American Red Cross.
Often doubling as choreographer and sound designer, Jeanne has directed over a hundred theatrical productions. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet, Commedia Christmas Carol (her own adaptation), Comedy of Errors, Hecuba (Kenneth McLeish’s translation of Euripides), Taming of the Shrew, Antigone by Jean Anouilh (based on Sophocles), Dust by Sarah Daniels, and Cymbeline.
An expert in mask, Commedia dell'Arte, and physical training for actors, Jeanne has presented workshops at the National Conference of the American Alliance for Theater & Education (AATE). She holds an MA in Theater from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MFA in Directing from Catholic University.
She served as a judge for Theatre Washington’s Helen Hayes Awards as well as the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare competition. She served as a panelist for Virginia’s Commission for the Arts and Maryland’s Council for the Arts & Humanities. Her lesson plans are published in The American Girls Collection, a Teacher’s Guide. She was selected as one of ArtsFairfax’s three 2015 Middle School Artists-in-Residence, she also received ArtsFairfax’s 2016 Strauss Artist Award for her distinctive fusing of physical and classical theatre.
This is Mat Middleton’s (they/them) first summer with the Traveling Players Ensemble, and they are beyond excited to be joining the team as an assistant director for the Shakespeare Troupe. Mat earned a BA in Theatre Arts at Furman University and recently earned an MFA in Drama with a Concentration in Design at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Their specialties are design for the stage and devised theatre. In addition to working as a lighting designer for multiple shows over the past eight years, they have extensive experience in performance and directing. Most notably, they studied Commedia Dell’Arte and clowning at Accademia Dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. They value the collaborative and supportive nature of theatre above everything. Especially with their work in devised theatre, they believe the best art is revealed when everyone’s unique, artistic voices are heard. They can’t wait to start working with the campers and possibly teach everyone how to juggle!
Emma “Monty” Montgomery (she/her) is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University and is beyond excited to spend her second summer with Traveling Players Ensemble as the stage combat teacher and assistant director for Troupe. She is an Advanced Actor Combatant in eight weapons with the Society of American Fight Directors, studying Stage Combat under Fight Master Mark Guinn and Fight Director Andrew Ray. Monty was a part of Louisiana Tech University School of Theatre’s productions since she was 14 years old, working not only as an actor, but as Fight Capitan, Wardrobe Supervisor, House Manager, and other positions.
She has served in multiple Leadership Positions including President of the Theatre Honor Society, Alpha Psi Omega, Secretary of ACTS at Louisiana Tech University, and spent her Senior year as a Freshman RA. Outside of Theatre, Monty enjoys spending time with children and working as a Special Education teacher in Elementary Schools. She is looking forward to spending this summer with Shakespeare Troupe and spending time with everyone at Traveling Players!
Eli Wassertzug (they/them) is a Traveling Players alum who was a part of the Thespian Ensemble, Shakespeare Ensemble, and Shakespeare Troupe, and has pitched in on staff in various capacities over the years. They couldn’t be more thrilled to be on the Shakespeare Troupe team for their first full summer back at Traveling Players! Originally from the DC area, Eli is now an NYC-based performer who most recently appeared in the world-premiere productions of La Pucelle with The Wallpaper Company and Boy My Greatness with The Firebird Project, and has also worked with New Relic Theatre, The Tank, and Notch Theatre Company, where in addition to performing they serve on the Artist Advisory Committee.
Eli graduated with honors from Vassar College with a BA in Drama and Minors in Vocal Performance and Queer Theory. In their free time, they make music, go hiking, and read as much sci-fi/fantasy as the library will let them get their hands on. Eli is so excited to bring their background and skills back to Traveling Players and make inclusive, collaborative, and spectacular theater this summer.
Casey (he/him) has choreographed fights for Traveling Players since 2006. He has served as fight director for more than 200 academic and professional productions, including the Folger Theatre, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Rorschach Theatre, Studio 2ndStage, and National Players. His work at universities includes American, Catholic, Gallaudet, and North Carolina School for the Arts. Casey has served on the faculty of Rapier Wit Studios in Toronto and the Paddy Crean Workshop as well as numerous regional workshops in the U.S. He is a company member with Rorschach Theatre, affiliated teaching artist with the Shakespeare Theatre Company, and regular presenter at the Folger Library. A Certified Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors, Casey has been a guest instructor for Fight Directors Canada and Nordic Stagefight Society. Holding a doctorate in theatre history, he has taught at the University of Maryland, College Park, Old Dominion University, and George Mason University. He now teaches at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Country.
Rae (he/they) is a graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in Theatre and is thrilled to be returning to assistant direct the Mythology Ensemble and tech Shakespeare Troupe tour! Rae is Traveling Players' resident lighting designer and elementary school assistant. Traveling Players lighting designs include: Hecuba, Odyssey, Ariadne’s Thread, Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors, Alice in Wonderland, Commedia Christmas Carol, Dracula: A Comic Thriller, and Jane Eyre. They spent their college years creating, writing, designing, teching, and performing in both mainstage and student-produced works. While having experience in many kinds of theatre, they have always most enjoyed youth theatre. He currently works as a substitute in Stafford County and does overhire work for DC theaters. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his bearded dragon (John Henry "Doc" Holliday), perusing the LEGO website for the latest sets, and cheering on the Capitals. He is ecstatic to meet this summer’s Mythology Ensembles!
Jharrel Liam Bernardo (he/him) is from Long Island, NY, and a rising junior BFA in Theatrical Production and Design, focusing on props and scenery at SUNY Fredonia. Fredonia granted Jharrel the opportunity to work alongside professors in their mainstage season, but he also gets to work with his peers producing 5 student-run shows a year, as he is the Production Manager for Fredonia’s Performing Arts Company. While at SUNY Fredonia, Jharrel has been a props assistant, scenic designer, and scenic artist for shows such as Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Hamlet, The Crucible, to name a few, which showcased his skills in upholstery, paper props, various paint techniques, and carpentry.
Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, Jharrel is excited to be back in his home state after almost a decade of living in NY. Outside of theater, Jharrel loves to play volleyball, go thrifting, venture off and explore, and listen to music. This is his first summer working with the Traveling Players Ensemble. He is filled with enthusiasm about this summer and what it has in store and can’t wait to meet all of your beautiful faces!
Languages other than English: Intermediate Spanish and Tagalog (Filipino Dialect)
Ryan (they/he) is the Co-Head of the High School Programs (with Jeanne Harrison), teaching year round and directing our Shakespeare Ensemble over the summer. This is Ryan’s seventh year on staff. In addition to being a teaching artist, he is our Outreach Manager, connecting us with the local schools. He represented Traveling Players in ArtsFairfax's DEIA Cohort program in 2021-2.
Ryan’s a Traveling Players alum, and his closest friends remain those that he made as a high schooler performing Shakespeare with Traveling Players. He is a veteran of our Thespian and Shakespeare Ensembles, as well as Commedia and Shakespeare Troupes, and performed with Traveling Players at the Reston Multicultural Festival and the International Children’s Festival at Wolf Trap.
Ryan directs our Shakespeare Ensemble over the summer, breathing new life into Shakespeare’s plays: As You Like It (their favorite play), Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Henry IV, Part 1 (Shakespeare’s first history that Traveling Players produced). Ryan has also been an assistant director on Commedia Christmas Carol, and Hecuba as well as working on earlier productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, and Jack and Beans. Ryan most recently directed Jane Eyre for Traveling Players Thrills & Chills festival.
Ryan has developed new curricula for our community and high school classes, including Scene Study & Acting Technique, Preparing a Role, and Ryan's Playlist (an introduction to queer & female playwrights). They co-led two workshops: Embedded Bias in Classical Literature (with Morgan Shotwell) and Directing 101 (with Jeanne Harrison).
Ryan is a Muhlenberg College graduate in Theatre and English. While an undergraduate, Ryan starred in Allentown Public Theatre’s production of The Island by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona.
Noah Livingston (he/him) is thrilled for his first summer with Traveling Players as an assistant director for Midsummer. He is a rising Junior at New York University, majoring in Theatre at Tisch with a minor in Psychology and the Business of Entertainment, Media and Technology (BENT). Noah's recent credits include Gypsy (Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute), Sketch of New York (The Producers Club), and Hedda Gabler (Uproar Theatre). Since performing as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Noah has had a deep love for Shakespeare and is eager to channel his passion into an awesome production with the wonderful students at Traveling Players. In his free time, he enjoys bike riding, hanging out with friends, spending time outside, and of course, acting and directing. He looks forward to seeing you all soon!
Maddy (she/her) is ecstatic to be spending her first summer with Traveling Players Ensemble! Originally from West Orange, NJ, Maddy currently attends American University in Washington, D.C. She is pursuing a BA in Musical Theatre. At AU, Maddy is involved in department productions, both on and offstage, as well as student theatre and other artistic collaborations. Over the past winter, Maddy spent three weeks studying Shakespeare and heightened text in the Czech Republic with the Prague Shakespeare Company, so she is thrilled to be joining a community that is passionate about classical theatre. Outside of theatre, Maddy loves listening to music, reading books, writing poetry, and going on hikes. She loves spending time with kids and is so excited to watch them grow as artists, performers, and people this summer.
Returning for his fifth summer, Joe (he/him) will lead our newest ensembles: The Comedy Ensemble & Intensive! Joe has been following his passion for improvisational storytelling for most of his life. He spent 15 years sharing his love for theater with Missoula Children’s Theater, including their coveted international tours. During Missoula’s tight rehearsal schedules, he taught students how to use improvisational skills to enrich their performances and acting choices. He's delighted to return to Traveling Players this summer. Founding an improv troupe has been a dream of his for years!
As our resident Improv Guru, Joe shared his educational expertise in 2018 with The Center for Inspired Teaching (DC) through a master class for schoolteachers on the power of improvisation in the classroom to capture students’ curiosity and heighten their engagement.
In prior summers at Traveling Players, Joe has taught our improvisation classes and directed plays with middle and high schoolers: A Commedia Cinderella (with our Commedia Troupe, developed through improv), Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid and The Bourgeois Gentleman, Gozzi’s Blue Monster, and, most recently, Beowulf and the Bard by Vidas Barzdukas and Christopher R. Barlett.
Joe’s Theater degree is from Lees McRae College, where he joined the Highland Improv Company and then ran the Company for two years after graduating. Joe first learned about performing in his mother’s dance studio and at performing arts camps he attended as a child himself.
Isaiah (he/him) is super excited to be joining Traveling Players as an Assistant Director this summer! He is a graduate of Christopher Newport University, where he earned a B.A. in Theatre with concentrations in Acting and Arts Administration. While there, he worked as a Student Technical Assistant at the Ferguson Center of the Arts and was Vice President of the improv comedy troupe “Laugh Out.” He currently teaches Theatre and Photography/Videography at The Marshall School in Fredericksburg, VA. Some of his favorite roles from the past include Caliban in William and Mary College’s production of A Tempest, Conrad in Christopher Newport University’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, and Dr. John Prentice in the Glen Allen's Cultural Art Center's production of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Outside of work, you can find him playing video games or fumbling with his camera.
Morgan (she/her) joined the Traveling Players community in 2007 as a student in the Thespian Ensemble and remembers well the days of being “a middle school theatre kid.” Today she is the Head of our middle school programs, fondly called our Thespian programs, teaching acting classes and directing plays throughout the year, including directing our Thespian Ensemble over the summer. This is her seventh year on staff. She spent six summers as a camper (Thespian and Shakespeare Ensembles, as well as Commedia and Shakespeare Troupes).
As the Director of Communications & Marketing, Morgan lets the community know about our programs and opportunities - as well as the ways the Traveling Players community can be a transformational experience and a touchstone for the rest of their lives.
Morgan has taught and developed new curricula for our community and middle school classes including Preparing a Role [Thespians] and Scene Study & Acting Technique [Thespians]. She co-developed and now leads our workshop “Embedded Bias in Classical Literature” (with Ryan Fields).
In 2022 she launched and now leads the Greater Washington Middle School Theatre Festival. This festival, hosted by Traveling Players, is exclusively for Middle School students and designed to help them connect and learn with peers from other schools while celebrating the joy of theater.
Recent Traveling Players directing credits include Carlo Gozzi's Green Bird, King Stag, and Blue Monster, Molière’s Tartuffe, The Odyssey by Gregory A. Falls & Kurt Beattie, PUFFS by Matt Cox, and The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, adapted to the stage by James DeVita. Previously, she served as our Assistant Director on Jane Eyre, The Learned Ladies, The Doctor In Spite of Himself, Tartuffe, Rumpelstiltskin, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Morgan also designs and constructs props for Traveling Players productions and mentors the Technical Theatre Apprentices during the academic year.
Other artistic work includes directing Mojo at Studio 115, and Assistant to the Director for Smile Lines at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, where she also worked in the box office for many years.
Tessa (she/her) is thrilled to embark on her first summer on staff with the Traveling Players! A recent graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Tessa earned a BFA in Drama across her studies with the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, in-residency at Stonestreet Studios for Television & Film, and as a member of NYU London's Playwriting program. Her all-time career goal would be to be able to write, direct, and perform her own work. Tessa joins the Traveling Players after six summers on staff, three volunteering, and four as a camper at her own childhood camp, and is so excited for the opportunity to meet the Traveling Players community. And for all the Swifties out there, her top three are Folklore, Speak Now, and Reputation.
Delaney (she/her) is a senior at Long Island University pursuing a BFA in musical theatre, with a specialization in Shakespeare. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Delaney is thrilled to spend her first summer with Traveling Players Ensemble. A performer, dancer, and writer, Delaney recently devised and starred in the world premiere production of Poseidon!, a musical for young audiences which performed for more than 1500 sixth-graders. A lifelong dancer, Delaney has previously taught middle and high school dance classes. Delaney is an active member of the student-run theatre company, Emerging Student Theatre Artists. When not on stage, Delaney can be found leading workshops for her sorority or playing guitar. She is elated to get to camp!
Traveling Players commissions original plays for the Mythology Ensembles from renowned DC-based educator and playwright Judith Walsh White (she/her). A student of ancient myth, she has written ten plays based in world mythology, including nine commissioned by Traveling Players: Pandora’s Fire, Perseus and the Rock Star, Monkey King, Atum’s Eye, Ariadne’s Thread: the Adventures of Theseus and the Minotaur, Persephone, Atalanta, Heracles, and Eros & Psyche. Two of these were subsequently published by Theaterfolk, listing our first Mythology Ensemble as Original Cast, and have since received performances in Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, Canada, the UK, and Gibraltar, as well as throughout the US, including The Actor’s Theatre of Louisville.
Judith is an award-winning teacher, playwright, poet, director, and actor specializing in ensemble-guided playwriting and work with young artists. Profiled in The Washingtonian in 1987 as one of DC’s ten best teachers, Judith taught drama and speech for over 20 years at the Holton-Arms School, where she trained Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She taught drama to Jeanne Harrison, Traveling Players’ Producing Artistic Director, starting at age 4, and served six years on Traveling Players’ board of directors. She mentored teachers through the Center for Inspired Teaching (run by Aleta Margolis, another of her former students). As an actor, her range has included Off-Broadway to dinner theatre. She did graduate work at Oberlin, American Conservatory Theatre (ACT), and as a Northwestern University Fellow. She was most recently directing at St. Patrick’s School.
Emma (she/they) is the Head of our Elementary School Programs, teaching and directing our youngest students all year long, including our summer Mythology Ensemble. She is our Director of Programs and registrar, assisting families as they navigate the website and join the community. They started teaching with Traveling Players during the summer of 2019.
Growing up she was consumed by her love of Greek Mythology – reading whatever she could get her hands on. She studied Latin in school and even went to a Greek Mythology camp. She was also (and still is) a lover of the outdoors. From sleepaway camp to Girl Scouts, to white-water rafting, horseback riding, hiking, and high ropes courses, she loves adventuring in the great outdoors.
Her passion for theatre began with Musical Theatre – training in voice, dance, and even cello. Her interest in music and movement continues to inspire her directing. She loves creating rhythmic ensemble moments that allow students to work as a storytelling unit.
Through her time at Traveling Players, Emma has been lucky to direct three World Premieres written by our playwright-in-residence, Judith Walsh White: Eros & Psyche, Heracles, and Atalanta. Other Judy plays Emma has directed include Persephone, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire, as well as Alice in Wonderland by William Glennon and Dracula: A Comic Thriller by Kent R. Brown.
She teaches Acting and Improv classes and is the lead teacher for our Girl Scout theatre badge program.
Previously, Emma was assistant director for Green Bird, Commedia Christmas Carol, King Stag, The Odyssey, Blue Monster, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire.
She is a graduate of James Madison University, where she earned her BA in Theatre.
Rae (he/they) is a graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in Theatre and is thrilled to be returning to assistant direct the Mythology Ensemble and tech Shakespeare Troupe tour! Rae is Traveling Players' resident lighting designer and elementary school assistant. Traveling Players lighting designs include: Hecuba, Odyssey, Ariadne’s Thread, Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors, Alice in Wonderland, Commedia Christmas Carol, Dracula: A Comic Thriller, and Jane Eyre. They spent their college years creating, writing, designing, teching, and performing in both mainstage and student-produced works. While having experience in many kinds of theatre, they have always most enjoyed youth theatre. He currently works as a substitute in Stafford County and does overhire work for DC theaters. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his bearded dragon (John Henry "Doc" Holliday), perusing the LEGO website for the latest sets, and cheering on the Capitals. He is ecstatic to meet this summer’s Mythology Ensembles!
Rae (he/they) is a graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in Theatre and is thrilled to be returning to assistant direct the Mythology Ensemble and tech Shakespeare Troupe tour! Rae is Traveling Players' resident lighting designer and elementary school assistant. Traveling Players lighting designs include: Hecuba, Odyssey, Ariadne’s Thread, Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors, Alice in Wonderland, Commedia Christmas Carol, Dracula: A Comic Thriller, and Jane Eyre. They spent their college years creating, writing, designing, teching, and performing in both mainstage and student-produced works. While having experience in many kinds of theatre, they have always most enjoyed youth theatre. He currently works as a substitute in Stafford County and does overhire work for DC theaters. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his bearded dragon (John Henry "Doc" Holliday), perusing the LEGO website for the latest sets, and cheering on the Capitals. He is ecstatic to meet this summer’s Mythology Ensembles!
Delaney (she/her) is a senior at Long Island University pursuing a BFA in musical theatre, with a specialization in Shakespeare. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Delaney is thrilled to spend her first summer with Traveling Players Ensemble. A performer, dancer, and writer, Delaney recently devised and starred in the world premiere production of Poseidon!, a musical for young audiences which performed for more than 1500 sixth-graders. A lifelong dancer, Delaney has previously taught middle and high school dance classes. Delaney is an active member of the student-run theatre company, Emerging Student Theatre Artists. When not on stage, Delaney can be found leading workshops for her sorority or playing guitar. She is elated to get to camp!
Eli Wassertzug (they/them) is a Traveling Players alum who was a part of the Thespian Ensemble, Shakespeare Ensemble, and Shakespeare Troupe, and has pitched in on staff in various capacities over the years. They couldn’t be more thrilled to be on the Shakespeare Troupe team for their first full summer back at Traveling Players! Originally from the DC area, Eli is now an NYC-based performer who most recently appeared in the world-premiere productions of La Pucelle with The Wallpaper Company and Boy My Greatness with The Firebird Project, and has also worked with New Relic Theatre, The Tank, and Notch Theatre Company, where in addition to performing they serve on the Artist Advisory Committee.
Eli graduated with honors from Vassar College with a BA in Drama and Minors in Vocal Performance and Queer Theory. In their free time, they make music, go hiking, and read as much sci-fi/fantasy as the library will let them get their hands on. Eli is so excited to bring their background and skills back to Traveling Players and make inclusive, collaborative, and spectacular theater this summer.
Maddy (she/her) is ecstatic to be spending her first summer with Traveling Players Ensemble! Originally from West Orange, NJ, Maddy currently attends American University in Washington, D.C. She is pursuing a BA in Musical Theatre. At AU, Maddy is involved in department productions, both on and offstage, as well as student theatre and other artistic collaborations. Over the past winter, Maddy spent three weeks studying Shakespeare and heightened text in the Czech Republic with the Prague Shakespeare Company, so she is thrilled to be joining a community that is passionate about classical theatre. Outside of theatre, Maddy loves listening to music, reading books, writing poetry, and going on hikes. She loves spending time with kids and is so excited to watch them grow as artists, performers, and people this summer.
Isaiah (he/him) is super excited to be joining Traveling Players as an Assistant Director this summer! He is a graduate of Christopher Newport University, where he earned a B.A. in Theatre with concentrations in Acting and Arts Administration. While there, he worked as a Student Technical Assistant at the Ferguson Center of the Arts and was Vice President of the improv comedy troupe “Laugh Out.” He currently teaches Theatre and Photography/Videography at The Marshall School in Fredericksburg, VA. Some of his favorite roles from the past include Caliban in William and Mary College’s production of A Tempest, Conrad in Christopher Newport University’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, and Dr. John Prentice in the Glen Allen's Cultural Art Center's production of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Outside of work, you can find him playing video games or fumbling with his camera.
Tessa (she/her) is thrilled to embark on her first summer on staff with the Traveling Players! A recent graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Tessa earned a BFA in Drama across her studies with the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, in-residency at Stonestreet Studios for Television & Film, and as a member of NYU London's Playwriting program. Her all-time career goal would be to be able to write, direct, and perform her own work. Tessa joins the Traveling Players after six summers on staff, three volunteering, and four as a camper at her own childhood camp, and is so excited for the opportunity to meet the Traveling Players community. And for all the Swifties out there, her top three are Folklore, Speak Now, and Reputation.
Emma “Monty” Montgomery (she/her) is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University and is beyond excited to spend her second summer with Traveling Players Ensemble as the stage combat teacher and assistant director for Troupe. She is an Advanced Actor Combatant in eight weapons with the Society of American Fight Directors, studying Stage Combat under Fight Master Mark Guinn and Fight Director Andrew Ray. Monty was a part of Louisiana Tech University School of Theatre’s productions since she was 14 years old, working not only as an actor, but as Fight Capitan, Wardrobe Supervisor, House Manager, and other positions.
She has served in multiple Leadership Positions including President of the Theatre Honor Society, Alpha Psi Omega, Secretary of ACTS at Louisiana Tech University, and spent her Senior year as a Freshman RA. Outside of Theatre, Monty enjoys spending time with children and working as a Special Education teacher in Elementary Schools. She is looking forward to spending this summer with Shakespeare Troupe and spending time with everyone at Traveling Players!
Noah Livingston (he/him) is thrilled for his first summer with Traveling Players as an assistant director for Midsummer. He is a rising Junior at New York University, majoring in Theatre at Tisch with a minor in Psychology and the Business of Entertainment, Media and Technology (BENT). Noah's recent credits include Gypsy (Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute), Sketch of New York (The Producers Club), and Hedda Gabler (Uproar Theatre). Since performing as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Noah has had a deep love for Shakespeare and is eager to channel his passion into an awesome production with the wonderful students at Traveling Players. In his free time, he enjoys bike riding, hanging out with friends, spending time outside, and of course, acting and directing. He looks forward to seeing you all soon!
This is Mat Middleton’s (they/them) first summer with the Traveling Players Ensemble, and they are beyond excited to be joining the team as an assistant director for the Shakespeare Troupe. Mat earned a BA in Theatre Arts at Furman University and recently earned an MFA in Drama with a Concentration in Design at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Their specialties are design for the stage and devised theatre. In addition to working as a lighting designer for multiple shows over the past eight years, they have extensive experience in performance and directing. Most notably, they studied Commedia Dell’Arte and clowning at Accademia Dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. They value the collaborative and supportive nature of theatre above everything. Especially with their work in devised theatre, they believe the best art is revealed when everyone’s unique, artistic voices are heard. They can’t wait to start working with the campers and possibly teach everyone how to juggle!
Nathan Sherwood Liang (he/him) is a composer, producer, and instrumentalist from San Francisco, CA. As a child, Nathan was influenced by the classical and jazz standards enjoyed by his family, and he began his musical education at age eight with the jazz pianist Ken French.
Studying jazz piano, and teaching himself trumpet, guitar, and mandolin with the help of friends and family, Nathan made his way through high school where he played in his school jazz band and studied music theory. Outside of school, Nathan’s jazz trio had regular gigs at a supper club (plus a few performances at other events in San Francisco), he also scored several independent films and plays and entered an original piece in an art competition for climate awareness (winning the Bowseat Judges Pick Award in 2020).
After high school, Nathan took a gap year and continued to develop his interest in scoring: composing original music for more films and plays, studying music theory, orchestration, and film scoring with Berklee and NYU, and embarking on a “100 days of composition” project on Instagram—where he wrote a short original orchestral piece every day for 100 days.
Now Nathan is majoring in music at Williams College in Massachusetts. He recently worked with a professor on a project funded by the National Science Foundation. He traveled to Ireland, where he recorded sounds of the coast and made The Storm Orchestra – virtual instruments created out of those recordings. Read more about it here. He continues to write and produce whenever he can, and is excited to keep learning about music!
Jeanne (she/her) founded Traveling Players Ensemble to give theatre students a joyful, rigorous, and nurturing artistic community to grow up in. She serves as both Producing Artistic and Executive Director, including vision and creative leadership for all educational and artistic activities, organizational direction, and staff management. She collaborates with staff on programming and marketing. She coordinates with the board on partnership development, finances, budgeting, fundraising, and strategic planning.
Jeanne continues to teach and direct all year long for Traveling Players, including directing Shakespeare Troupe in the summer. In her 35-year teaching career, Jeanne has taught for The Folger Shakespeare Library, Catholic University, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Loyola University (MD), Chapin School (NYC), and Interlochen Center for the Arts (MI), where she directed the Shakespeare program. Jeanne has worked in camping for 36 years, directed two other camps, and is a certified Camp Director (American Camp Association) and Instructor with the American Red Cross.
Often doubling as choreographer and sound designer, Jeanne has directed over a hundred theatrical productions. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet, Commedia Christmas Carol (her own adaptation), Comedy of Errors, Hecuba (Kenneth McLeish’s translation of Euripides), Taming of the Shrew, Antigone by Jean Anouilh (based on Sophocles), Dust by Sarah Daniels, and Cymbeline.
An expert in mask, Commedia dell'Arte, and physical training for actors, Jeanne has presented workshops at the National Conference of the American Alliance for Theater & Education (AATE). She holds an MA in Theater from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MFA in Directing from Catholic University.
She served as a judge for Theatre Washington’s Helen Hayes Awards as well as the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare competition. She served as a panelist for Virginia’s Commission for the Arts and Maryland’s Council for the Arts & Humanities. Her lesson plans are published in The American Girls Collection, a Teacher’s Guide. She was selected as one of ArtsFairfax’s three 2015 Middle School Artists-in-Residence, she also received ArtsFairfax’s 2016 Strauss Artist Award for her distinctive fusing of physical and classical theatre.
Casey (he/him) has choreographed fights for Traveling Players since 2006. He has served as fight director for more than 200 academic and professional productions, including the Folger Theatre, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Rorschach Theatre, Studio 2ndStage, and National Players. His work at universities includes American, Catholic, Gallaudet, and North Carolina School for the Arts. Casey has served on the faculty of Rapier Wit Studios in Toronto and the Paddy Crean Workshop as well as numerous regional workshops in the U.S. He is a company member with Rorschach Theatre, affiliated teaching artist with the Shakespeare Theatre Company, and regular presenter at the Folger Library. A Certified Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors, Casey has been a guest instructor for Fight Directors Canada and Nordic Stagefight Society. Holding a doctorate in theatre history, he has taught at the University of Maryland, College Park, Old Dominion University, and George Mason University. He now teaches at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Country.
Sariah Roberts (she/her) is so excited to return for her second summer with Traveling Players as Head of the Scene Shop. She’s a Scenic Design MFA candidate at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She has designed many shows, both theoretical and actualized. Some of her favorites include The Importance of Being Earnest (UNL, Fall 2024), The Black Rider (theoretical), and Godspell (BYU, 2023). Throughout her undergraduate and graduate education, Sariah has worked in both the scene and prop shops and served as lead painter on many of the main stage productions.
Sariah has also worked on 13 student-directed projects including her own that she directed: A Chorus Line. When Sariah is not involved in theatre, she loves reading, playing and watching D&D, making earrings, kayaking, and learning about art and other new things.
Languages other than English: Dutch
Jharrel Liam Bernardo (he/him) is from Long Island, NY, and a rising junior BFA in Theatrical Production and Design, focusing on props and scenery at SUNY Fredonia. Fredonia granted Jharrel the opportunity to work alongside professors in their mainstage season, but he also gets to work with his peers producing 5 student-run shows a year, as he is the Production Manager for Fredonia’s Performing Arts Company. While at SUNY Fredonia, Jharrel has been a props assistant, scenic designer, and scenic artist for shows such as Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Hamlet, The Crucible, to name a few, which showcased his skills in upholstery, paper props, various paint techniques, and carpentry.
Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, Jharrel is excited to be back in his home state after almost a decade of living in NY. Outside of theater, Jharrel loves to play volleyball, go thrifting, venture off and explore, and listen to music. This is his first summer working with the Traveling Players Ensemble. He is filled with enthusiasm about this summer and what it has in store and can’t wait to meet all of your beautiful faces!
Languages other than English: Intermediate Spanish and Tagalog (Filipino Dialect)
Jenna (she/her) is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, where her studies focused on Costume Design and Construction, Dramaturgy, Fashion History, and Dramatic Literature. While at Sarah Lawrence, Jenna costumed multiple productions (including Disaster! The Musical, Everybody, and The Princess Bride Shadow Cast) and was employed for three years as the Costume Shop Manager. After graduating, she worked as the Costume Director for Kilmer Middle School’s productions of Into the Woods Jr and Legally Blonde Jr. Always eager to integrate her love of theatre with her love of history, Jenna has also worked on several projects researching and reproducing historical fashions.
In addition to her loves of theatre and history, Jenna is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts of the United States of America. She grew up attending Camp Coles Trip, a much-beloved Girl Scout outdoor adventure sleep-away camp, and eventually spent three summers working there as a Unit Counselor and then Lifeguard and Windsurfing Instructor. Jenna spent three months living in London as a volunteer at Pax Lodge, one of the five world centers run by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. While there, she led activities for Guides and Scouts as young as 6 and as old as 60, many of whom came from places as distant as Ghana and Taiwan. When not researching, sewing, or Scouting, Jenna can be found engaging in general geekery with her sister, reading, baking, watching documentaries, and consuming copious amounts of tea.
Phoebe Zaranski (she/her) is a rising senior, pursuing a BS in Fashion Design and Business Communication at Stevenson University. While at SU, Phoebe has costumed six senior thesis films, dressing actors of all age ranges. She has costumed two additional short films for City Mist Productions, costumed Midsummer Night's Dream for Ballet Embody, where she studied dance for years and served as a quick-changer for her university's production of Little Shop of Horrors. She is most proud of her role as Wardrobe Head for a feature film, The American Miracle with Heroic Pictures, flying out to Texas to dress our founding fathers!
Phoebe's favorite part of costuming is meeting new people. To her, getting to meet people during fittings and learn more about them is the most exciting part of the process. Especially coming from rural Maryland (Westminster), she is always interested in hearing life stories from folks and how they got into theatre. When Phoebe isn't working, her favorite hobbies are watching movies, drawing, playing with animals, playing card games, and getting ready for Halloween! She is super excited to meet all of the wonderful and talented students coming to Traveling Players this summer!
Sariah Roberts (she/her) is so excited to return for her second summer with Traveling Players as Head of the Scene Shop. She’s a Scenic Design MFA candidate at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She has designed many shows, both theoretical and actualized. Some of her favorites include The Importance of Being Earnest (UNL, Fall 2024), The Black Rider (theoretical), and Godspell (BYU, 2023). Throughout her undergraduate and graduate education, Sariah has worked in both the scene and prop shops and served as lead painter on many of the main stage productions.
Sariah has also worked on 13 student-directed projects including her own that she directed: A Chorus Line. When Sariah is not involved in theatre, she loves reading, playing and watching D&D, making earrings, kayaking, and learning about art and other new things.
Languages other than English: Dutch
Jharrel Liam Bernardo (he/him) is from Long Island, NY, and a rising junior BFA in Theatrical Production and Design, focusing on props and scenery at SUNY Fredonia. Fredonia granted Jharrel the opportunity to work alongside professors in their mainstage season, but he also gets to work with his peers producing 5 student-run shows a year, as he is the Production Manager for Fredonia’s Performing Arts Company. While at SUNY Fredonia, Jharrel has been a props assistant, scenic designer, and scenic artist for shows such as Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Hamlet, The Crucible, to name a few, which showcased his skills in upholstery, paper props, various paint techniques, and carpentry.
Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, Jharrel is excited to be back in his home state after almost a decade of living in NY. Outside of theater, Jharrel loves to play volleyball, go thrifting, venture off and explore, and listen to music. This is his first summer working with the Traveling Players Ensemble. He is filled with enthusiasm about this summer and what it has in store and can’t wait to meet all of your beautiful faces!
Languages other than English: Intermediate Spanish and Tagalog (Filipino Dialect)
Judith Harmon (she/her) graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a B.A. in Costume Design and Business Entrepreneurship. She is an award-winning cosplayer and founder of the business Sew What?!. She has designed or worked on more than fifty productions (including Beauty and the Beast, Steel Magnolias, and The Christmas Revels) with thirteen different organizations and schools. When she isn’t costuming a production, she teaches costume design, sewing, and theater to children of all ages. This is her first summer with Traveling Players, after designing several of our school-year productions - Alice in Wonderland, Commedia Christmas Carol, Jane Eyre, and Dracula. To keep up to date with productions, check out the portfolio site www.sewwhatcostumes.com
Phoebe Zaranski (she/her) is a rising senior, pursuing a BS in Fashion Design and Business Communication at Stevenson University. While at SU, Phoebe has costumed six senior thesis films, dressing actors of all age ranges. She has costumed two additional short films for City Mist Productions, costumed Midsummer Night's Dream for Ballet Embody, where she studied dance for years and served as a quick-changer for her university's production of Little Shop of Horrors. She is most proud of her role as Wardrobe Head for a feature film, The American Miracle with Heroic Pictures, flying out to Texas to dress our founding fathers!
Phoebe's favorite part of costuming is meeting new people. To her, getting to meet people during fittings and learn more about them is the most exciting part of the process. Especially coming from rural Maryland (Westminster), she is always interested in hearing life stories from folks and how they got into theatre. When Phoebe isn't working, her favorite hobbies are watching movies, drawing, playing with animals, playing card games, and getting ready for Halloween! She is super excited to meet all of the wonderful and talented students coming to Traveling Players this summer!
Victor (he/him) is from Mexico and currently studying neurology at college. He’s certified in CPR and first aid interventions by the American Heart Association. He’s participated before in volunteer groups leading activities for children and teens. He enjoys sports like swimming, soccer, and running. He likes to use his time reading books, playing strategic games like chess, and doing outdoor activities. He’s very excited to be joining the Traveling Players team this summer!
Languages other than English: Spanish, Japanese
Alexis Mecalco Rosas (he/him) is from Puebla, Mexico. He’s a certified lifeguard and has worked as a lifeguard at American camps previously. He has experience guarding at pools, rivers, and lakes. He’s very experienced in hiking, camping, building a fire, fishing, etc. He is currently working as a gym coach in his city, but he enjoys other kind of activities, such as going to the gym, hiking, and cycling. He studies mechanical and electrical automotive engineering. He knows this summer will be amazing and unforgettable!
Languages other than English: Spanish
Karys Jones (she/they) is a rising junior at Radford University where she is a Theatre major (Technical Theatre focus with a concentration on Props) and a double minor in Creative Writing and Anthropology. During the school year, she is involved in almost every production as well as other projects within the Theatre Department. In their spare time, she likes to read, listen to music, and obsess over her ever-growing collection of plants. Karys has worked as a Lifeguard for 4+ years and is excited to get back into it during her first year at Traveling Players – and her first real camp!
Sara (she/her) is very happy and grateful for the opportunity to be part of the camp team. She has a degree in tourism and is currently living in Playa del Carmen. She works as a children's entertainer for hotel kids clubs and has extensive knowledge and experience in working with children and creating fun activities. She loves working with children, playing, and staying active! She’s very excited for summer to start!
Languages other than English: Spanish
Kitchen Team Trainer
Travis John Ross (he/him) is a culinary connoisseur and a proud alumnus of the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute of Le Cordon Bleu, holding an Associate's degree in Culinary Arts. His passion for cooking was ignited at the tender age of 12, mentored by his Uncle Ken, who taught him the foundational skills of the craft. Opting for a specialized education, Travis forwent traditional college to pursue his culinary dreams.
Carlain Blanc (he/him) has a passion for culinary artistry and looks forward to serving as the Kitchen Manager. Bringing over 5 years of experience in the culinary industry, he currently works in one of George Washington University’s many dining halls. He is a graduate of Emma’s Torch, a nonprofit that provides comprehensive training to refugees to support them in finding meaningful careers in the food industry. Previously, he worked in several hotel restaurants in Haiti.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Carlain is dedicated to continuous learning, cooking for his family, and watching movies.
Languages other than English: Haitian Creole, Advanced French
Jocelyn (she/her) is new to Traveling Players and is eager to join our staff this year. She is a rising junior at Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, where she is studying English Language Teaching. Jocelyn enjoys working with children and teenagers and has experience teaching English classes to them.
Aside from school, Jocelyn enjoys cooking. She worked for some time as an assistant cook in a university cafeteria where she developed her cooking skills. Also, she loves listening to music and dancing. She is looking forward to an amazing summer for everyone at camp!
Languages other than English: Spanish
Ryan Rosales (he/him) is from Mexico. He is very excited to be joining Traveling Players this summer. He is currently studying to become a dermatologist, but one of his passions is cooking. His father owns a restaurant, so early on he learned that he loves to cook for others. He is eager to meet you and spend the best summer with you. See you soon.
Languages other than English: Spanish
Belem (she/her) is currently studying architecture, a discipline that allows her to merge creativity and technical skills. She has also developed strong experience in the kitchen sector, having worked in the kitchens of other camps, and loves the dynamic work environment. She likes making new friends. Her hobbies include drawing and reading and she has an approach of constant learning and continuous improvement. Belem is excited for this summer!
Languages other than English: Spanish
Dave (he/him) is the owner/operator of MTR – Mobile Truck Repair based in Sterling, VA. He has been a mechanic for over 40 years and has been with Traveling Players since 2014. Dave specializes in large diesel vehicles – he has a CDL, clears snow in the winter, and is a licensed vehicle inspector in VA. He cares a lot about his big purple friends out on the road – he checks to make sure they’re safe and even decks them out with “Curb Appeal.” He customized several of our buses, including putting chrome hubcaps on our beloved Ophelia.
Rachel (she/her) has been a Traveling Players staff member since 2007. She has directed the Shakespeare Ensemble since 2013, earning her the title of most experienced staffer on Skyline Drive (15 tours!). Over the years, Rachel has directed the Traveling Players’ Love’s Labour’s Lost, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Julius Caesar and The Merry Wives of Windsor, as well as assistant directed Twelfth Night, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Scala’s The Fake Madwoman.
As a performer, Rachel specializes in classical acting, improv, Commedia dell’Arte and clowning. She regularly appears locally with Faction of Fools Theatre Company and Dr. Dour & Peach. She holds a BA in Theater from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has also trained with Dodi Disanto, Antonio Fava, Washington Improv Theatre, Second City, iO, National Theater Institute, St. Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy and Staniewski Centre for Theatre Practices Gardzienice.
A lifelong lover of nature, Rachel enjoys hiking, back woods camping, and being in the rain. She holds NOLS Wilderness First Aid certification. She has a Commercial Drivers License and trains Traveling Players bus drivers. Rachel is an American Sign Language interpreter and a graduate of the Interpreter Training Program at the Community College of Baltimore County.
Jeanne (she/her) founded Traveling Players Ensemble to give theatre students a joyful, rigorous, and nurturing artistic community to grow up in. She serves as both Producing Artistic and Executive Director, including vision and creative leadership for all educational and artistic activities, organizational direction, and staff management. She collaborates with staff on programming and marketing. She coordinates with the board on partnership development, finances, budgeting, fundraising, and strategic planning.
Jeanne continues to teach and direct all year long for Traveling Players, including directing Shakespeare Troupe in the summer. In her 35-year teaching career, Jeanne has taught for The Folger Shakespeare Library, Catholic University, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Loyola University (MD), Chapin School (NYC), and Interlochen Center for the Arts (MI), where she directed the Shakespeare program. Jeanne has worked in camping for 36 years, directed two other camps, and is a certified Camp Director (American Camp Association) and Instructor with the American Red Cross.
Often doubling as choreographer and sound designer, Jeanne has directed over a hundred theatrical productions. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet, Commedia Christmas Carol (her own adaptation), Comedy of Errors, Hecuba (Kenneth McLeish’s translation of Euripides), Taming of the Shrew, Antigone by Jean Anouilh (based on Sophocles), Dust by Sarah Daniels, and Cymbeline.
An expert in mask, Commedia dell'Arte, and physical training for actors, Jeanne has presented workshops at the National Conference of the American Alliance for Theater & Education (AATE). She holds an MA in Theater from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MFA in Directing from Catholic University.
She served as a judge for Theatre Washington’s Helen Hayes Awards as well as the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare competition. She served as a panelist for Virginia’s Commission for the Arts and Maryland’s Council for the Arts & Humanities. Her lesson plans are published in The American Girls Collection, a Teacher’s Guide. She was selected as one of ArtsFairfax’s three 2015 Middle School Artists-in-Residence, she also received ArtsFairfax’s 2016 Strauss Artist Award for her distinctive fusing of physical and classical theatre.
Emma (she/they) is the Head of our Elementary School Programs, teaching and directing our youngest students all year long, including our summer Mythology Ensemble. She is our Director of Programs and registrar, assisting families as they navigate the website and join the community. They started teaching with Traveling Players during the summer of 2019.
Growing up she was consumed by her love of Greek Mythology – reading whatever she could get her hands on. She studied Latin in school and even went to a Greek Mythology camp. She was also (and still is) a lover of the outdoors. From sleepaway camp to Girl Scouts, to white-water rafting, horseback riding, hiking, and high ropes courses, she loves adventuring in the great outdoors.
Her passion for theatre began with Musical Theatre – training in voice, dance, and even cello. Her interest in music and movement continues to inspire her directing. She loves creating rhythmic ensemble moments that allow students to work as a storytelling unit.
Through her time at Traveling Players, Emma has been lucky to direct three World Premieres written by our playwright-in-residence, Judith Walsh White: Eros & Psyche, Heracles, and Atalanta. Other Judy plays Emma has directed include Persephone, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire, as well as Alice in Wonderland by William Glennon and Dracula: A Comic Thriller by Kent R. Brown.
She teaches Acting and Improv classes and is the lead teacher for our Girl Scout theatre badge program.
Previously, Emma was assistant director for Green Bird, Commedia Christmas Carol, King Stag, The Odyssey, Blue Monster, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire.
She is a graduate of James Madison University, where she earned her BA in Theatre.
Anne (she/her) is serving her first summer as Camp Director in 2024. She has a deep history with Traveling Player as an enthusiastic parent of two long-time campers. In her role as Camp Director, she supports the kind and brave culture of Traveling Players, where camp is a space for discovery and growth. She will helm communications in the Camp Office, answer emails and the phone, as well as coordinate and manage our vibrant and dedicated summer staff of 30 teaching artists and camp counselors. Anne also works on grant writing and other projects to support the hidden administrative backbone of Traveling Players.
Anne comes to Traveling Players with extensive experience in Shakespeare, theater, and education. She served for four years as the Assistant Head of Education at the Folger Shakespeare Library, where she developed and implemented innovative arts programming in local public schools. As a Fulbright Scholar, she earned her M.A. with Distinction at the Shakespeare Institute of the University of Birmingham (England), focusing on race, casting, and performance history.
For the last two decades, Anne has been working in churches, focusing especially on programming for children and teenagers. She holds a Master of Divinity summa cum laude from Yale, as well as a Doctor of Ministry from Emory with a focus on preaching and trauma. She teaches and supports preaching in the Episcopal Church. Her understanding of trauma has proved invaluable in working with young people during and after the pandemic.
A lasting love of the outdoors also brings Anne to Traveling Players. She has supported many groups of girls on their first backpacking trip, and she herself completed a solo hike of the Long Trail through Vermont.
Ryan (they/he) is the Co-Head of the High School Programs (with Jeanne Harrison), teaching year round and directing our Shakespeare Ensemble over the summer. This is Ryan’s seventh year on staff. In addition to being a teaching artist, he is our Outreach Manager, connecting us with the local schools. He represented Traveling Players in ArtsFairfax's DEIA Cohort program in 2021-2.
Ryan’s a Traveling Players alum, and his closest friends remain those that he made as a high schooler performing Shakespeare with Traveling Players. He is a veteran of our Thespian and Shakespeare Ensembles, as well as Commedia and Shakespeare Troupes, and performed with Traveling Players at the Reston Multicultural Festival and the International Children’s Festival at Wolf Trap.
Ryan directs our Shakespeare Ensemble over the summer, breathing new life into Shakespeare’s plays: As You Like It (their favorite play), Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Henry IV, Part 1 (Shakespeare’s first history that Traveling Players produced). Ryan has also been an assistant director on Commedia Christmas Carol, and Hecuba as well as working on earlier productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, and Jack and Beans. Ryan most recently directed Jane Eyre for Traveling Players Thrills & Chills festival.
Ryan has developed new curricula for our community and high school classes, including Scene Study & Acting Technique, Preparing a Role, and Ryan's Playlist (an introduction to queer & female playwrights). They co-led two workshops: Embedded Bias in Classical Literature (with Morgan Shotwell) and Directing 101 (with Jeanne Harrison).
Ryan is a Muhlenberg College graduate in Theatre and English. While an undergraduate, Ryan starred in Allentown Public Theatre’s production of The Island by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona.
Returning for his fifth summer, Joe (he/him) will lead our newest ensembles: The Comedy Ensemble & Intensive! Joe has been following his passion for improvisational storytelling for most of his life. He spent 15 years sharing his love for theater with Missoula Children’s Theater, including their coveted international tours. During Missoula’s tight rehearsal schedules, he taught students how to use improvisational skills to enrich their performances and acting choices. He's delighted to return to Traveling Players this summer. Founding an improv troupe has been a dream of his for years!
As our resident Improv Guru, Joe shared his educational expertise in 2018 with The Center for Inspired Teaching (DC) through a master class for schoolteachers on the power of improvisation in the classroom to capture students’ curiosity and heighten their engagement.
In prior summers at Traveling Players, Joe has taught our improvisation classes and directed plays with middle and high schoolers: A Commedia Cinderella (with our Commedia Troupe, developed through improv), Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid and The Bourgeois Gentleman, Gozzi’s Blue Monster, and, most recently, Beowulf and the Bard by Vidas Barzdukas and Christopher R. Barlett.
Joe’s Theater degree is from Lees McRae College, where he joined the Highland Improv Company and then ran the Company for two years after graduating. Joe first learned about performing in his mother’s dance studio and at performing arts camps he attended as a child himself.
A retired social worker with a focus on families and adolescents, Zena (she/her) brings expertise on childcare, risk management, and mandated reporting laws affecting childcare workers. She leads a Child Abuse Prevention workshop at Traveling Players’ summer staff orientation and remains on call to the staff as necessary. Zena is the proud parent of two former Traveling Players campers. Zena Carmel~Jessup has been with Traveling Players since the beginning — training our staff in child safety since 2003. Zena served on our Board of Directors for six years, including serving as our first Chair.
In her role as Outreach Specialist at REI, Rhonda facilitates community partnerships. On behalf of Traveling Players, she facilitates and deepens community partnerships (especially with parks and governmental organizations) and teaches Leave No Trace outdoor principles to Traveling Players staff and campers. She also advises on gear and can your backpack fitted perfectly. She is at the Tysons store, just a hop from the Traveling Players Studio, and loves to see Traveling Players families stop by to gear up for summer! Say, “Hi!” if you’re in there! Rhonda served on our Board of Directors for six years, including serving as Chair, and helmed our Nominations Committee for about a decade, welcoming new talent onto our board.
Jeanne (she/her) founded Traveling Players Ensemble to give theatre students a joyful, rigorous, and nurturing artistic community to grow up in. She serves as both Producing Artistic and Executive Director, including vision and creative leadership for all educational and artistic activities, organizational direction, and staff management. She collaborates with staff on programming and marketing. She coordinates with the board on partnership development, finances, budgeting, fundraising, and strategic planning.
Jeanne continues to teach and direct all year long for Traveling Players, including directing Shakespeare Troupe in the summer. In her 35-year teaching career, Jeanne has taught for The Folger Shakespeare Library, Catholic University, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Loyola University (MD), Chapin School (NYC), and Interlochen Center for the Arts (MI), where she directed the Shakespeare program. Jeanne has worked in camping for 36 years, directed two other camps, and is a certified Camp Director (American Camp Association) and Instructor with the American Red Cross.
Often doubling as choreographer and sound designer, Jeanne has directed over a hundred theatrical productions. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet, Commedia Christmas Carol (her own adaptation), Comedy of Errors, Hecuba (Kenneth McLeish’s translation of Euripides), Taming of the Shrew, Antigone by Jean Anouilh (based on Sophocles), Dust by Sarah Daniels, and Cymbeline.
An expert in mask, Commedia dell'Arte, and physical training for actors, Jeanne has presented workshops at the National Conference of the American Alliance for Theater & Education (AATE). She holds an MA in Theater from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MFA in Directing from Catholic University.
She served as a judge for Theatre Washington’s Helen Hayes Awards as well as the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare competition. She served as a panelist for Virginia’s Commission for the Arts and Maryland’s Council for the Arts & Humanities. Her lesson plans are published in The American Girls Collection, a Teacher’s Guide. She was selected as one of ArtsFairfax’s three 2015 Middle School Artists-in-Residence, she also received ArtsFairfax’s 2016 Strauss Artist Award for her distinctive fusing of physical and classical theatre.
Claire L. Tse (she/her) is a master diversity and leadership facilitator. She uses years of corporate experience to develop practical business workshops. Elements of cultural competence, context conflict resolution, and leadership mindset infuse her well-received presentations. Her current work involves identifying methods to overcome generational, racial, and gender biases so teams can develop both tactical and strategic successes.
Check Freedman is the COO of Captive Audience Prevention Training and Recovery Team. She has decades of operational experience including executive protection of clients in overseas locations, surveillance, counter surveillance, survival, evasion, resistance, escape, armed and unarmed combat. Freedman is currently the NHQ, Senior Program Manager for Critical Incident Stress Management and Resiliency for the United States Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol).
E.J. Smith (she/her) is a graduate of Belmont University where she earned a BFA in Theatre Directing. Over the last seven years, she has directed artists from early preschool to seniors in college. She has spent the last two years as a Teaching Artist at Nashville Children's Theatre, where she led classes and Assistant Directed The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza, Box, and Looking Glass Land.
Of all the artists, EJ loves working with young artists the most. Their imaginations are vast, and they are excited to learn and explore! Her highest goal in the classroom is to build confidence, foster creativity, and create a safe and inclusive space. She believes that theatre can inspire hope by exploring stories, bringing joy, and creating friendships. She is a lover of physical comedy, creative drama, and of course, Greek mythology!
Hannah Scarlatoiu (she/her) is a Traveling Players alumna, having performed in Shakespeare Troupe and taken fall classes. She is so excited for her third summer as a Traveling Players Studio staff member! She is a rising Junior at Muhlenberg College, where she studies Theatre with a concentration in acting and is a Creative Writing/Journalism minor. Hannah has performed in several dance and theatrical productions at Muhlenberg and recently began working part-time as a model. She is an active member of Muhlenberg’s Asian Student Association, the Muhlenberg Dance Association, and Muhlenberg’s hip hop dance team (MINT). Hannah is so excited to grow as an art maker by teaching a young generation of theatre lovers!
Michaela Pearce (they/them) is so excited to be joining the Traveling Players Studio staff this summer! Michaela is a Traveling Players alumna, having performed in Shakespeare Troupe as well as various other ensembles. They are a rising freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where they will study Film/TV with a concentration in Cinematography. They recently completed their senior project internship with Traveling Players, learning the ins and outs of managing the Studio at Tysons. Michaela has previously worked with (the) Unruly Theatre Project - a family-friendly, professional improv troupe for young adults - and has mentored many young actors in improv. Michaela is ready to keep the Studio happy while sharing the joy of theatre with the next generation!
Traveling Players Studio
Tysons Corner Center – D1L
1961 Chain Bridge Road, Tysons, VA 22102
P.O. Box 1315
Great Falls, VA 22066
