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School-Year FAQs

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Traveling Players at a Glance

Traveling Players has two distinct reputations.

Called a top “25 summer school for the arts” by the National Endowment for the Arts, Traveling Players is known and nationally awarded for our artistic excellence.  Our curriculum is rigorous, and the Shakespeare Troupe in particular has been noted for offering artistic challenges “unlike any other pre-college theatre program in the country.”  You can read more about our awards and the excellent work of our students and alumni here.

However, if you asked a Traveling Players student, parent, or alum to describe us, they wouldn’t start by talking about the awards we’ve won, or the best show they were in or had seen from us.  They would talk about our community.

With a 70% retention rate, our community is vibrant, connected, and kind.  Our curriculum is intentionally designed to promote artistic collaboration.  We limit our ensembles to just 13 students to ensure that everyone receives individualized training and attention.  We select scripts that offer a wide range of roles and cast to maximize each student’s artistic growth.  We help foster friendships both in and across ensembles through theatre games, low ropes challenge courses, and structured fun.  The result is a community that remains thriving – and always welcoming.  You can read more about why parents choose Traveling Players here.

 

 

Traveling Players is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.  100% of your tuition supports your students’ experience.  As a nonprofit, we are mission-driven – designing our programs for access. We want every dedicated performer to be able to join us.  We charge parents only 70% of the true cost of a Traveling Players summer.  (Donations and grants cover the remainder.)

We also have the most generous artistic financial aid program in the area, with no annual or lifetime caps (read more about financial aid below).  Our approach ensures a vital ensemble that is diverse in every way.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

School-Year Classes & Plays

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.

 

It depends on the program!

Classes for actors or technicians:  no audition – just join!

Perform in a play: by audition.  We generally schedule two rounds of auditions for each production.

Work backstage as a technician: by interview.  Technical theatre interviews are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

School-Year Auditions & Interviews

You can audition virtually or in person (at our Studio in Tysons, VA). Either way, you must register for an audition. Some sessions are already full, so don’t delay!

Technical theatre interviews are held on a rolling basis and can be virtual or in person.

 

No, sorry.  We accept a very limited number of students, meaning every spot must be filled by someone who is committed, so as not to take away an opportunity from someone else.

If, after the audition/interview, you realize this is not the community for you, simply email us within 48 hours, and we will not follow up with your results.

 

Nope.  You’ll be in the audition room the whole time.  That’s your “audition slot”!

 

Yes. We select new actors and technicians each year. Usually, this means returning members will be re-accepted, but not always. The audition/interview isn’t just to determine whether we’ll accept you, but also how we could cast you. It’s important for us to see how you’ve grown or changed over the year.

 

Decisions are emailed about a week after your audition/interview.  Students are accepted, declined, or called back.  Notifications are emailed simultaneously.  If offered a spot, you have a week to pay the deposit to secure your spot in your ensemble.

Actors are called back so the director can see more of them.  If you are called back, you will not be charged another audition fee.

While rare, technicians may be asked to do a second interview if we feel the need to discuss your skills and/or interests further.  We want to make sure we are best serving you and that you get the training you want from the program.

 

Our acceptance rate varies from 60% to 95%.  Our youngest ensembles have the highest acceptance rates, and Shakespeare Troupe is the most selective.

We look for reasons to accept young performers and to provide a nurturing artistic community in which they can grow for years to come.

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.

 

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!

Please bring a portfolio to your interview to discuss. You can find the guidelines below:

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.

 

Unlike our summer programs, you don’t need to memorize anything for a school-year play audition, but you should take a little bit of time to read the sides and research the play.  You certainly don’t need to be an expert!  Read the sides listed below and know the characters and plot. Then relax and have fun – you’ll do great!

 

 

School-Year Performance Tours

All of our school year productions go on a 4-performance tour.  School-year tours are limited to weekend day trips.  Schedules vary show to show, and venues will change for each production.  The final performance is always open to the public.

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).

 

Since our very first summer in 2003, when we performed As You Like It in Shenandoah National Park.  That’s why we’re called Traveling Players!

Since that first summer, we have brought more than 150 productions to more than 100 venues – connecting our students with a highly diverse audience spanning the state of Virginia and the wider DC metro area.  We are lucky to receive offers to return to our performance venues year after year, giving us longstanding relationships with our extended community.

 

A tour is when we take a play to a new venue for each performance.  Those venues will vary each day of the tour, ranging from private performances at retirement homes to public performances on professional stages.

 

School-Year Discounts

In most cases, yes!  You can have one, two, or all the discounts, if applicable.  This also means if you have 3 children enrolled, you will receive the sibling discount twice.  If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call!

 

Classes:
● Sibling Discount – $25
● Referral Rebate – $25
● Early Bird (enrollment deadline varies season to season) – $25
Plays:
● Sibling Discount – $100
● Referral Rebate – $100
● Early Bird (audition & enroll by Dec 31) – $100

School-Year Financial Aid

  1. For School Year Plays: Register to audition/interview for the program that your child would like to attend. Please submit the following materials before your audition/interview.
    • The student writes a letter to Artistic Director Jeanne Harrison explaining why they want to be a member of Traveling Players’ summer programs or classes and what special qualities they would bring to the ensemble.
    • The student asks a teacher or coach who knows them well to fill out a recommendation form:
      Recommendation for Financial Aid – Classes.
    • Parents complete the Financial Aid Application Form and provide a copy of their most recent federal tax return to verify eligibility for financial aid.
      • Please block out your Social Security numbers; we don’t need those.
      • Snail mail is the safest. Send application and tax forms to: Traveling Players, P.O. Box 1315, Great Falls, VA 22066
      • ONLY Email through an encrypted email service, such as Encyro, https://www.encyro.com/. Send application and tax forms to development@travelingplayers.org.
  2. If you are accepted into our programs, then your application for financial aid will be considered.
    • Please contact outreach@travelingplayers.org or 703-987-1712 if you need audition fees waived.
  3. For Classes: Begin the process above. If your desired class is about to fill, please call or email, and we can discuss holding a spot for you until the financial aid application is complete.

Financial Aid is considered on a rolling basis. This means we will be awarding summer aid as early as December. Please apply as early as possible to give yourself the best chance of receiving the funding you need.

Our Financial Aid committee meets once a month to review applications and make decisions.  You should find out about a month after your application is complete.  This includes program acceptance for Sleepaway Camps & Conservatories.  Once you have received your offer, you have a week to accept and pay a 30% deposit on your portion of the tuition.  You may then schedule payments as necessary, with the remaining amount being due April 15.

 

This varies from family to family and year to year.  We can offer anywhere between 10% – 95% of tuition as aid.  The amount offered will depend on funding from donations and grants, the number of applicants, and the needs of applicants from year to year.

 

 

Yes.  Financial Aid lasts for a full calendar year, then you must reapply.  For example, if you first applied for aid for Summer 2025, you would need to reapply for Summer 2026.

However, you will not need to provide a teacher recommendation or interview, as we already know you.

Anyone who believes they are in need is encouraged to apply, but those who typically receive significant amounts of aid are families with a combined annual income of $140,000 or less or those with extenuating circumstances (e.g., medical bills, parents/guardians on deployment, changing family circumstances).  Financial Aid is extended on a sliding scale – the more need demonstrated, the more aid granted.

 

 

Yes! Traveling Players is committed to making arts education accessible to everyone.  We are proud to offer need-based financial aid for all of our programs with no annual or lifetime caps.  Once approved for financial aid, you can be extended additional aid for a full calendar year before needing to reapply.