As someone who has worked with countless high school and college-age performers, I was astounded by the work ethic, intense ensemble cooperation, high-level analytic skills, and focused talent I met in Traveling Players’ student performers. They were fearless individually and supportive collectively, a testament to the fact that many participants return year after year to continue to hone their craft and deepen their commitment to one another.
Shakespeare Scene Study
Current Grades 9-12
Tysons Studio
PLAY ON Or: Are you the Lady?
Join Shakespeare nerd & Shakespeare Troupe Assistant Director, Gil Mitchell for a fast-paced Shakespeare scene study course!
Under the guidance of Professor Gil, you’ll explore the historical context in which Shakespeare’s plays were originally written and performed.
Using the bard’s beloved gender-bending comedies As You Like It and Twelfth Night, you’ll explore the historical context in which the plays were written (the OG), grapple with the ways contemporary audiences can interpret these plays, and inhabit these beloved (and cross-dressed?) characters as they perform gender by staging scenes from these plays.
This class is ideal for actors who have performed Shakespeare before and want to learn acting technique alongside critical analysis of these plays – in which you can change your status and gender as easily as you can change your shirt or skirt!
There will be no class on Saturday, November 28 for the Thanksgiving Holiday Break.
What Families Are Saying
Mathew Willson, Professional Actor, Professor & Workshop Instructor
We have been going to see Shakespeare shows at festivals where, in addition to a regular cast, they also have Equity actors perform. Your kids did as good of a job as we have ever seen – we were totally blown away. My husband could not believe that your kids were high school kids and not college kids.
Audience member
$3000 for my acting specifically — $120,000 from the president of the university for my essay and extracurriculars! I got all that because of Traveling Players. All my experiences here were definitely aids in my college application and audition processes.
Eli, Student
300 people auditioned. 22 people were cast. My son, who was a Traveling Players student for many years, will make his Muhlenberg Mainstage debut this November in the Greek tragedy Agamemnon. He is one of only a very few freshmen to be cast in any of the school’s Mainstage productions.
Tonya, Parent
Traveling Players is probably more singularly responsible for my artistic and social development than any other space I was able to grow in as a child. It incubated and deepened my love of text and poetry, taught me the meaning of ensemble, instilled in me the values of rigor and teamwork. It introduced me to friends who, more than a decade on are still several of the closest people to my heart. Most importantly, it was the place I felt most safe, most able to be myself and to grow into who I was becoming.
Kai Tshikosi, Alum, featured in the National tour of Hamilton
My ability to take on big projects, deal with time constraints, work in groups, take positions of leadership, and improvise new solutions under difficult circumstances are all part of what I learned at Traveling Players. They have allowed me to follow my passions in all directions–political, activist, artistic, charitable and personal–and they have made me a more flexible and resilient person.
Dr. Sarah Stein Lubrano, Alum, Author, Fulbright Scholar, and Researcher at Oxford University
Staff
Gil Mitchell
Teacher, Assistant Director Shakespeare Troupe
Gil Mitchell is an actor, director, and choreographer based in Washington, DC. He has a Master of Letters in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Acting from the Academy at Shakespeare Theatre Company and George Washington University. Gil specializes in sharing classical and renaissance stories with modern audiences, and has worked for organizations such as the American Shakespeare Center, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, and the Hyperion Shakespeare Company of Harvard. Recently, he founded the Glass Canon Theatre Company, which just opened its first show. In his free time, Gil enjoys playing mediocre chess and excellent gin rummy. He takes his coffee black and frequently.
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.
What scripts do you use for your classes and school-year plays?
Our school-year curriculum introduces young actors to a wide range of age-appropriate playwrights and styles, with an emphasis on contemporary theatre and plays based on great literature.
We pride ourselves on selecting scripts that honor our students’ imaginations, intelligence, and artistic capabilities.
Where are classes and rehearsals held?
Traveling Players Rehearsal Studio
The Traveling Players Rehearsal Studio is tucked into a quiet corner of Tysons Corner Center (on the 2nd level near Nordstrom), giving us a private, secure space that’s entirely our own, complete with dedicated bathrooms and water fountains for students and faculty. It’s a convenient spot for families: you’re welcome to shop or grab a bite while your child is in class or camp.
Address:
Traveling Players Rehearsal Studio
Tysons Corner Center
1961 Chain Bridge Road
Tysons, VA 22102
Read more about our Studio here.
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