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Meet the Team

Leadership Ensemble

Jeanne E. Harrison, MA, MFA

  • Founder & Producing Artistic Director
  • Head of High School Programming
  • Director for Shakespeare Troupe
  • Email Jeanne

Jeanne's Bio

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. 

Jeanne continues to teach and direct all year long for Traveling Players, including directing Shakespeare Troupe in the summer.  In her 36-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 37 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 Cymbeline, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Commedia Christmas Carol (her own adaptation), Comedy of Errors, Women of Troy and Hecuba (Kenneth McLeish’s translations of Euripides), Taming of the Shrew, Antigone by Jean Anouilh (based on Sophocles), and Dust by Sarah Daniels.  

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, and she also received ArtsFairfax’s 2016 Strauss Artist Award for her distinctive fusing of physical and classical theatre.

Jeanne Harrison
Robin Carroll

Robin Carroll, MBA

Robin's Bio

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 19 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.

 

Morgan Shotwell, BA

  • Director of Communications & Outreach
  • Head of Middle School Programming
  • Director of the Thespian Ensemble
  • Email Morgan

Morgan's Bio

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, our Thespians, teaching acting classes and directing plays throughout the year, including our Thespian Ensemble over the summer.  This is her eighth 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 Technical Theatre program as well as middle school classes including Preparing a Role and Scene Study & Acting Technique.  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 Goldoni’s Servant of Two Masters,  Molière’s Learned Ladies and Tartuffe, Carlo Gozzi’s Green Bird, King Stag, and Blue Monster, 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.  She served as Assistant Director on Orlando, 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.

Morgan Shotwell

Emma Mearns, BA

  • Head of Elementary School Programming
  • Teaching Artist
  • Director of Programs
  • Email Emma

Emma's Bio

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.  She is a graduate of James Madison University, where she earned her BA in Theatre. Her passion for theatre began with musical theatre, where she trained 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 four World Premieres written by our playwright-in-residence, Judith Walsh White: 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 Starring Shirley Holmes & Jennie Watson by Kent Brown, and Treasure Island by Todd Espeland. She also teaches Acting and Improv classes and is the lead teacher for our Girl Scout theatre badge program.  Emma has served as assistant director for Learned Ladies, Green Bird, Commedia Christmas Carol, King Stag, The Odyssey, Blue Monster, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire.
Emma Mearns
Ryan Fields

Ryan Fields, BA

  • Co-Head of High School Programming
  • Teaching Artist
  • Outreach Manager
  • Email Ryan

Ryan's Bio

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 eighth 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 2021-2022.

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: Midsummer Night’s Dream, 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 previously directed Orlando by Sarah Ruhl and Jane Eyre by Dr. Christine Davey for Traveling Players’ winter festivals.  Ryan has also been an assistant director on Commedia Christmas Carol, Hecuba, Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, and Jack and Beans. 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.

Board of Directors

Charlie is currently a Partner at Strategy for Humanity, a consulting firm that works with mission-driven organizations and those who fund them. He brings expertise on strategic planning, program and institutional evaluation, program development, and communications and advocacy campaigns.  He has two children who are currently Traveling Players students.
A middle school math teacher at St. Patrick’s Episcopal School, Beth’s expertise is in project management, operational efficiencies and marketing.  Beth is also the parent of a Traveling Players alum, currently earning a BFA in Theatre.
Kimberly is an Associate Director at Protiviti, a global consulting firm specializing in risk and compliance. She focuses on enterprise risk management and regulatory remediation within the finance and banking sector. She brings expertise in finance, governance, and risk management, helping organizations manage risks effectively and strengthen resilience to meet strategic objectives. Kimberly is committed to supporting youth development and fostering opportunities that empower the next generation.
Information About Joining the Board
Alex Mountfield was a student at Traveling Players between 2014 and 2016. Since then, she has served Traveling Players as a volunteer, a teaching artist, a camp director, an office administrator, and a staff leader. She is an award-winning writer, editor, and researcher, currently working as a senior associate at an environmental policy firm. More info: https://alexmountfield.com/

Robin serves in the capacity of Director of Development and Operations.  

Jeanne serves in the capacity of Executive Director. 

Directors & Teachers

EJ Fultz

EJ Fultz, BFA

EJ (she/her) is a DC-based theatre artist.  A graduate of Belmont University with a BFA in Theatre Directing, EJ is overjoyed to return for her third summer as the lead teacher of our Acting Studio and Players Studio Day Camps!  In addition to our Day Camps, EJ is a school-year director and teacher for our elementary school classes and productions – most recently directing Atalanta by playwright-in-residence Judith Walsh White.  

EJ’s love of teaching began while she was still in undergrad when she spent three years teaching with Nashville Children’s Theater. She works in the DMV area as a Stage Manager and Assistant Director, most recently with Shakespeare Opera Theatre and Lorton Workhouse.  EJ also teaches with Next Stop Theatre’s Stars on Stage program. 

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!

Judith Walsh White

Judith Walsh White

DC-based educator and playwright, Judith Walsh White (she/her), is a student of ancient myth.  She has written twelve plays based on world mythology, including eleven commissioned by Traveling Players as their Playwright-in-Residence: 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, Eros & Psyche, Orpheus & Eurydice, and Arachne.  Two of these were subsequently published by Theatrefolk, and have since received performances in Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, Canada, the UK, and Gibraltar, as well as throughout the US. 

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 mentored teachers through the Center for Inspired Teaching.  She was a finalist for poetry in the 2012 Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing competition in New Orleans.  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.

Judith Harmon

Judith Harmon, BA

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.  She has designed several of Traveling Players’ school-year productions – Alice in Wonderland, Commedia Christmas Carol, Jane Eyre, Dracula: A Comic Thriller, Treasure Island, and Orlando.   To keep up to date with productions, check out the portfolio site www.sewwhatcostumes.com.

Jackie House

Jackie House, BA

Jackie House (She/Her) is a passionate actor, director, teaching artist, and Traveling Players alumn. She is currently pursuing a B.A. in Theater and an MA in Arts Management at George Mason University. Beyond school, Jackie teaches afterschool classes across the county with AFYP. Some notable direction work includes the JCCCT’s summer production of 13: the Musical, along with various smaller projects, and has recently assisted with George Mason’s production of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, and The Alden’s recent productions of Stuart Little and The Many Disguises of Robin Hood.

Coming from an improvisation background, Jackie continues to find new ways to bring play into any rehearsal process. Theater can be so pivotal to a young artist’s growth in so many ways, but those valuable lessons can’t be passed along if it isn’t fun!

Rae Mearns

Rae Mearns, BA

Rae (he/they) is a teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools.  A graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in Theatre, Rae is thrilled to be returning as the Director for the Mythology Ensemble and Act: FIVE.  Rae has been our Resident lighting designer and a core member of our Elementary school directing team since 2022, first as an Assistant Director, and now as Director.  Past directing and assistant directing credits include: Arachne, Heracles, Treasure Island, Commedia Christmas Carol, Orpheus & Eurydice, Dracula: A Comic Thriller, Eros & Psyche, Alice in Wonderland, and Persephone. 

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 teaches at Franconia Elementary, where he assistant-directed their productions of Newsies Jr and Descendants: The Musical.  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.

Fern Middleton

Fern Middleton, MFA

After serving as Assistant Director and Co-Lighting Designer for Shakespeare Troupe’s 2024 summer tour of Hamlet, Fern Middleton​ is beyond excited to be joining the team as ​the scenic designer for the​ Dionysian Festival. ​Currently, Fern is a lighting designer for Elon University, where they will return this next semester to work on Romeo and Juliet.  Before that, they were a lighting technician for Shenandoah University, and Fern earned a BA in Theatre Arts at Furman University and 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 ​10 years, they ​also have extensive experience in performance and directing​, including studying 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 ​are excited to be back with Traveling Players!
Isaiah Brown

Isaiah Brown, BA

Isaiah (he/him) 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 previously taught 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.

Casey Kaleba

Casey Kaleba, MA, PhD

Casey (he/him) has choreographed fights for Traveling Players since 2006.  He has choreographed fights for more than 500 professional and academic productions, including the Guthrie Theatre, Folger Theatre, Round House Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Spoleto Festival USA, Studio Theatre, Wolf Trap Opera, National Players, Washington National Opera, Castleton Festival, Constellation Theatre, Rorschach Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Signature Theatre, and Ford’s Theatre.  He is a three-time Helen Hayes Awards nominee in fight direction.

Academic productions include Georgetown, American, Gallaudet, and Catholic Universities, along with the University of Maryland in both College Park and Baltimore County.  He has taught for the University of Maryland, George Mason University, University of Mary Washington, Peabody Institute, Shepherd University, Catholic University, Regent, and Old Dominion University, as well as serving as a regular guest artist for the Shakespeare Theatre and 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.  He is certified by the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) and serves as an instructor for SAFD to certify the stage fighters of tomorrow.

Jenna Heleen

Jenna Heleen, BA

Jenna Heleen (she/her) is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, where her studies focused on Costume Design and Construction, Dramaturgy, Fashion History, and Dramatic Literature. She has worked as a stitcher and wardrobe crew member at Wolf Trap Opera, Folger Theatre, and Arena Stage, and is also about to begin her fourth year as Costume Director for Kilmer Middle School’s annual musical. Jenna was the Head of the Costume shop for Traveling Player’s 2023 residential camp and has designed five shows for them: Eros and Psyche, Green Bird, Tartuffe, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. 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. In 2022, 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.

Jeffrey Robb

Jeffrey Robb, BA

Jeffrey Robb is a Brooklyn-based actor/writer and the originator of our D&D Improv class.  During the pandemic, he crafted the curricula for our D&D Improv, an ongoing cooperative role-playing game, and offered it virtually.  He has been a DM (Dungeon Master) or mentor DM ever since, for Traveling Players and many other groups of kids and adults, in person and online.  Originally from Washington DC, Jeffrey has spent ten summers with Traveling Players, six as a student and another four as an acting teacher & assistant director – and still another four years as a DM.  He received his BA in Theatre from Muhlenberg College, where he concentrated in Acting and Performance Studies and received the department’s Artist Thinker Award.  Recent acting credits include Brilliant Traces at the Chain Theatre and Hook & Eye’s The Chamber at Vassar College’s Powerhouse Theater. He is a company member of New Orange Theatre and recently collaborated on their production of Wood Demon.