Acting & Improvisation [Players]
Step into acting with a fun class full of improv, theatre games, and short scenes. Perfect for beginners and performers with a bit of experience!
For current 4th – 6th* graders
* 6th graders can also chose to join our Scene Study & Acting Technique class for 6-8th graders
- Dates: Sundays, Oct 2 – Dec 10; 11 am – 12:30 pm
- October 2: FIRST CLASS (Welcome!)
- November 27: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Weekend!)
- December 10: FALL CLASSES SHOWCASE (show what you know)
Perfect for beginning performers or those with a bit of experience, this improvisation and acting class gives budding actors an overview of the art of performing. By playing fun-filled improvisational theatre games, we will tap into the creative juices of each student while teaching basic acting skills: clarity of thought and action, mental agility, spontaneity, actively listening and responding, and creative problem solving. While rehearsing short scenes, students will practice analyzing scripts, building a character, balancing logic with imagination, and collaborating with scene partners.
Traveling Players classes and summer camps/conservatories offer expert training in acting, character creation, physical comedy, stage combat, improvisation, and text analysis. We also value the spirit of the ensemble. Our ensemble- and team-building activities create a strong, supportive cast — and friendships that can last a lifetime!
Your final class is your Showcase Performance, held alongside all the other Fall classes!
- When: Saturday, December 10, 1:30-4:00 pm (note: this final performance is at a different time than class)
- Where: The Traveling Players Studio!
- Who: Invite your friends and family!
Showcase Schedule:
- 12:45-1:15 pm — Warm-ups/get into costume/Final dress rehearsal (All Thespians & Players students)
- 1:15-1:30 pm — Family, friends & fans join us at the Studio!
- 1:30-4:00 pm — Showcase Time! Perform your scenes & improvs; watch performances by the other classes
- 4:00 pm — Celebration & Volunteer Toast! We honor our performers & 2022 volunteers with sparkling apple cider for all!
- Classes are in-person.
- Temperature is checked upon arrival.
- All staff are fully vaccinated.
- All students are required to be vaccinated.
- High-touch surfaces are disinfected between classes.
- Our Studio is fully compliant with CDC recommended safety standards, guidelines, and practices, in addition to Tysons Corner Center, Fairfax County and Virginia Department of Health (VDH).
- We are continuing to monitor local community transmission levels. If appropriate, we are prepared to move the class and the showcase online to Zoom (as we successfully did last year).
In 2021, Traveling Players welcomed 90+ students and 25+ staff for 6 weeks of in-person residential camp without a single case of COVID-19. Our community’s vaccination rate greatly exceeds the local average (between 85% and 95%).
In 2020, Traveling Players’ programs were held online. We produced five highly successful play festivals over Zoom, ranging from ridiculous farces to stark tragedies.
Needless to say, we’re prepared for whatever the future holds!
Tuition: $350 ($375 after the Early Bird flies away on Sept. 5 at midnight)
Location: Traveling Players Studio
Tysons Corner Center (Tysons-1 Mall), 1961 Chain Bridge Road, Tysons, VA 22102
Teacher: Emma Mearns, BA
Class Size: 12 actors
While I and other Traveling Players auditioned for the school play, I could see the improvements that they made and skills that they learned. A bit of Traveling Players was in every audition they did. All of us scored fun and great roles in the school play and enjoyed acting on the stage (but it would have been even better if we were acting outdoors).
— Student