Press Release – Pooh Tour 18

Students Actors Donate Performances of Winnie the Pooh & Friends to Communities

McLean, VA – Traveling Players Ensemble will perform Winnie the Pooh & Friends on March 10, 11, 17, and 18 at public and private venues throughout Northern Virginia.  Public performances are on the 10th and 18th.

On Saturday, March 10, the play will open at the Cherrydale Library in Arlington, VA.  This performance is free and open to the public, and features a post-show meet-and-greet with the playwright.  The performance is at 11:00 am.

The final public performance takes place on Sunday, March 18, in the Chapel Auditorium at The Madeira School, at 8328 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22102.  Tickets are $10 at the door, and $5 for children 6 and under. The play begins at 3pm, followed by the high school classics in performance class’ Trojan Women at 4pm.

The play is a world premiere of Judith Walsh White’s new adaptation of A. A. Milnes’ classic The House at Pooh Corner, and was commissioned by Traveling Players Ensemble.

It includes original songs with lyrics by White and music by Michael Oosterhout.

Pooh’s pleasant routine gets bounced into chaos when the rambunctious Tigger shows up in the Hundred Acre Wood. Join Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, and more of the best-loved characters in childrens’ literature as they meet strangers, have adventures, and embark on the challenge of coming to know and accept each other despite their quirks and foibles.

The play focusus the importance of having a community that comes together and supports individuals in need, and the play’s tour puts that message into preactice by donating many of its performances to underserved populations.

Other stops on the two-weekend tour feature community outreach, with donated performances at Rising Hope UMC in Alexandria, VA, which serves the local homeless population, and the Lewinsville Retirement Community in McLean, VA, performing for residents and their grandchildren.

Presented by Traveling Players Ensemble’s middle school performance class, the play features the talents of Kassadi Elliott (Sterling, VA), Zoe Eyre (Arlington, VA), Jeebu Foraida (Falls Church, VA), Isabella Jackson (Fairfax, VA), Oscar Linehan-Siu (Arlington, VA), Isaac Martin (Arlington, VA), Adam O’Brien (Oakton, VA), Ben O’Brien (Oakton, VA), Hans Overdahl (Bethesda, MD), Zia Wallach (Reston, VA), and Audrey Zecca (McLean, VA).  Directed by Jessica Rodriguez-Snellings, with set and costume designs by Jessica Kemp.

Traveling Players Ensemble is best known for its remarkable summer theatre camps, in residence since 2007 at The Madeira School, which train teens and pre-teens in classical theatre and then take them on tour to perform their shows. Registration is still open for summer camp, for current 3rd through 12th graders.

Since 2003, the company has performed “Shakespeare in the Park” in Shenandoah National Park, as well as Colonial Williamsburg, Douthat State Park and many other locations.

In 2007, Traveling Players was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) as one of 25 model summer arts programs in the nation.

For more information, visit www.travelingplayers.org or call 703-987-1712.

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