Each year that our daughter has attended a Traveling Players program (3 summers and 2 winters), I have been so impressed not only by the wonderful and professional nature of the programs, but by the genuine camaraderie developed between the cast and the directors. No other program or experience has been more challenging or meaningful for my daughter.
Women of Troy
Current Grades 9-12
Tysons Studio
by Euripides, translated by Kenneth McLeish.
Ten years of battle at the walls of Troy end with the disappearance of the Greek armies and the appearance of a gift, a wooden horse, pregnant with soldiers. The Trojans invite their destruction behind their impenetrable wall. In the aftermath of the ensuing bloodbath, Queen Hecuba struggles to save the last remnants of Troy – her surviving family members, her dignity, and the remaining Trojan women – from the conquering Greeks.
What Families Are Saying
Lisa, Parent
Traveling Players is perfect for children who want to nurture their creativity, build confidence and make life long friends.
Rachel, Parent
I’m not sure what kind of magic you worked, but [my son] left more excited and jazzed about something than we’ve seen him be in years! He said tonight was incredibly fun, and it awoke a new passion in him for acting! Thank you for being such an inspiration to him. It was great to see that sparkle in his eye!
Jody, Parent
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.
How do you decide who is accepted?
We accept students who we think will be a good fit for our community – socially and artistically.
We ask students to audition because we’re interested in how you play with others – on stage and off – and with whom you play particularly well. Collaboration, chemistry, dedication, kindness, joy, and imagination are the qualities that allow our ensembles and all our students to thrive.
For Shakespeare Troupe: We accept actors into Troupe by considering the needs of the individuals and the play. Since Troupe is going on a professional performance tour, we have to cast the play with actors who are right (or can stretch into) the roles. We must also have roles that challenge the accepted actors.
The learning opportunities in Troupe, however, are only partly reflected in an actor’s role. The demands of mounting a full-length Shakespeare play on a professional rehearsal schedule are awesome and daunting. It’s the experience of a lifetime!
For Technical Theatre Apprentices: We accept technicians while considering the technical aspects of the season’s plays. We need to ensure each technician has a challenging project to work on so they can grow their skills.
Who founded Traveling Players? Why?
Jeanne E. Harrison founded Traveling Players in 2003 as a nurturing, challenging, educational theatrical community to bring great theatre into the great outdoors. In our first year, we had 18 students and toured our plays to Shenandoah National Park, where we performed As You Like It while backpacking off the Appalachian Trail. That is probably the quintessential Traveling Players play – you escape into the woods and return transformed.
Transformation is at the heart of what we do. We limit the ensembles to only 13 students so that we can give every student the attention they deserve. We only work with students (in grades 1-12) who are literally transforming before our eyes as they grow up, become the next best version of themselves, and, on stage, take on bold roles in our plays. All of this is to help them on their way to adulthood, when they will impact our world.
The basic formula remains the same, but many details have changed since our founding in 2003. We serve over 1000 students a year, offering programs year-round in our Studio in Tysons Corner Center, a major shopping center. We have won national awards for our comprehensive and intensive curricula, and we have seen our alums perform on Broadway and in the West End, serve as Artistic Directors, have their plays published, and become theatre professors. We still tour our plays to the community in our signature purple school buses.
I always knew I could form student ensembles that could create wonderful art while challenging themselves and each other. What I didn’t know was that I was creating friendships that would last a lifetime – the people who will be your “maid of honor/best man” at your wedding. Traveling Players’ friendships endured well beyond summer, through college and adulthood. As an alum said, “Most adults don’t name their summer camp as a central part of their identity.” Traveling Players do.
What is your conflict policy? Can I miss a rehearsal or performance?
We ask families to limit absences to no more than two rehearsals. You cannot have any conflicts with tech rehearsals or performances. All conflicts (barring family emergencies and illness) must be submitted when you audition.
As an ensemble theatre company, we try to keep all of our actors active and onstage as much as possible. Our rehearsals are designed to allow us to work on multiple scenes simultaneously, which is uncommon. The benefit is that all of our students, regardless of which role they are playing, stay engaged throughout every rehearsal. The drawback is that it is harder for us to accommodate absences. Acting is collaborative, and it is very hard for young actors to imagine where their scene partner is on the stage and what they are doing.
Absences can impact casting. Our directors generally know which scenes they will work on at each rehearsal before rehearsals begin. An actor might not be able to play a particular role if we know they will be out for the rehearsals when we block that character’s most important scenes. We have cut students we love and who are wonderful actors from the ensemble because they have too many absences.
If you have a conflict, we ask that you do some extra practice at home so that you can catch up as quickly as possible when you return.
Theatre is awesome for teaching kids responsibility, collaboration, and commitment – and missing a rehearsal asks kids to really practice those skills. We’ll talk about how to practice at home during the parent meeting on the first day of rehearsal, and ways you can support your actor throughout the rehearsal process.
What happens at the auditions and interviews during the school year?
AUDITIONS: We know actors can shine in different ways, so we organize our auditions to let actors with different strengths shine. You will read a few scenes (called “sides,” since they are sides of the script), play improvisation games, and participate in ensemble-building activities. The audition is an opportunity for the director to get to know you and see how you work and play with other potential ensemble members. It is also an opportunity for you to get to know your potential castmates.
We have been told that our auditions are significantly more fun than the average audition. We plan to keep it that way!
INTERVIEWS: We’ll discuss your portfolio, interests, current skills, what you want to learn, and how the production can help you achieve your goals. You’ll have a chance to ask us questions, too!
Why do you tour?
We tour because we think it is an invaluable tool for training young actors.
Touring is a huge artistic challenge that teaches adaptability. When touring, you can’t just perform the play you’ve rehearsed in the same space for months on end – you have to make adjustments to suit the venue and the audience in front of you. Touring teaches our actors to respond to the gifts each audience gives. Through touring, actors become bolder, more generous storytellers, and technicians become more adaptable and resourceful.
In addition to their responsibilities onstage (actors) or backstage (technicians), all of our students take on an additional tour job. They might be the person who packs the costumes, or on a team that sets up the sound system. These tour jobs are vital in making the tour run smoothly. They teach our students to work collaboratively and take ownership of a piece of a project.
Plus, touring is a TON of fun! Every Traveling Players alum has a favorite memory from tour. We are the only educational theatre program in the nation that gives students the challenge of touring, and it is a core part of our artistic identity. (And it doesn’t hurt that touring gives you great material for college essays).
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