Traveling Players is more than just a theatre program. It is a training ground for the next generation of creative thinkers, problem solvers, and collaborators. In every rehearsal and performance, these students learn to work as an ensemble…seamlessly in sync and supporting each other with trust, innovation, and teamwork.
Improv Workshop
Current Grades 7-10
Tysons Studio
Say "Yes AND" to Improv!
Through fun-filled improvisational theatre games, we will tap into each student’s creative juices while honing fundamental acting skills: clarity of thought and action, mental agility, spontaneity, active listening and responding, and creative problem-solving. You’ll get a taste of both short- and long-form improv. And the best part is, you’re only doing it right if you’re having fun!
What Families Are Saying
Virginia Delegate Holly Siebold, Audience member and cameo performer
My growth was not only seen on stage when I was acting, but I found myself being more active in my classes, and being more outgoing. I learned to take the initiative to make a change and be comfortable with it. I learned that new possibilities and new ways of thinking spark when people take risks and trust the outcome.
Maereg, Student
Such an impressive result after only three weeks! You could see how they trusted each other and you could see how they really liked each other. That makes such good acting. Everyone was very impressed.
Elizabeth, Parent
Not only have my acting skills grown, but my social skills have as well. I’ve learned what it means to be a good friend, a leader, and most importantly, a member of an ensemble. The people I’ve met at Traveling Players are some of the best friends I’ve ever had. The bonds I formed with them are incomparable to the ones I made at school. They’ve helped me discover myself, and I’ve done the same for them.
Nikki, Student
Staff
Emma Mearns
Teacher
Emma is a teacher, director, and our former Head of our Elementary School Programs. She has taught all of our elementary school classes and directed both school-year plays and our Mythology Ensemble.
Through her time at Traveling Players, Emma has directed five World Premieres written by our playwright-in-residence, Judith Walsh White: Arachne, Orpheus & Eurydice, 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, Dracula: A Comic Thriller by Kent R. Brown, and Treasure Island adapted by Todd Espeland.
She is a graduate of James Madison University, where she earned her BA in Theatre.
Frequently Asked Questions
For over 20 years we’ve been creating great theatre in the great outdoors with teens and pre-teens. Our team will happily walk you through any one of our carefully crafted programs.
Who are your students?
Traveling Players students are highly collaborative young artists. They strive to challenge themselves artistically on stage and are kind, inclusive friends off stage. They know that a cohesive and effective ensemble needs a mix of experiences and backgrounds – performers with different skill sets and growth opportunities — all of whom are eager to support and challenge each other to do their best work.
We accept actors into our auditioned programs who are a good fit for our ensembles and our community – and they tend to stick around! Our retention rate is about 70%, and on average, they stick with us for 4 years.
Most of our students don’t stay in the arts – they have eclectic interests and are multi-talented. (Although those who have stayed in the arts have received impressive success.) Probably the most surprising discovery is that 20+ years on, this community remains in the heart of our students.
Who are your faculty?
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.
Is there a Final Performance for classes & plays? Can parents attend?
Generally, yes and yes!
Classes: Most of our classes culminate in a Showcase on the final day of the session, right in the Studio. Family, friends, and fans are welcome!
Improv D&D and some of our advanced high school classes are more process-based. They are great for building skills, but they aren’t as much fun for audience members to watch. We will always note in the program details whether there will be a final performance, and you are always welcome to email us with any questions at outreach@travelingplayers.org.
School-Year Plays: Our school-year plays perform multiple times via a performance tour!
Over the course of two weekends, we pack all of our costumes, props, sets, actors, and technicians into one of our purple buses to travel around the DC Metro area. Each play is performed four times at various venues, including, but not limited to, professional stages, community centers, schools, children’s hospitals, and retirement homes. The final performance is always open to the public.
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