Traveling Players Hosts Open House – Free Acting Class For Kids Grades 2-12

On Saturday, September 17, Traveling Players will host an Open House at their studio in Tysons Corner Center. Kids can participate in a free class, led by Traveling Players professional teaching artists. Parents will have the opportunity to meet with Traveling Players' Founder & Producing Artistic Director Jeanne Harrison to get the inside scoop on just what makes Traveling Players a joyous and artistic place for friendships and creativity to flourish.

About the Classes

For Elementary School Students:

Acting & Improvisation

Groundlings (grades 2-3)

Players (grades 4-6)

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 improvisation 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/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.

For Middle School Students:

Scene Study & Acting Technique

Thespians (grades 6-8)

For performers eager to start or deepen their acting training, this scene study class gives students practice preparing a role in a play while developing acting technique, the foundation of all advanced performance work. We will delve into the core of the scenes through rehearsals and improvisational games that teach basic acting skills: clarity of thought and action, commitment to choices, and active listening/responding while in character. While rehearsing scenes, students will learn to research and explore their character, balance logic with imagination, identify their character's journey, collaborate with scene partners, and rehearse productively.

Dungeons & Dragons Improv (virtual)

Grades 6-12

Harness the popular role-playing game D&D to form a new kind of ensemble: the Adventuring Improv Party! Instead of retelling an already-existing story, we customize each adventure for maximum creativity and theatrical challenge. Actors will create bold characters, overcome obstacles, and make strategic and innovative choices on the spot as they use long-form improvisation as a storytelling tool. Each class will feed into the next, in an ongoing original story that encourages actors to work together both as characters and as collaborators designing an expansive story - their own epic adventure!

For High School Students:

Audition: Commedia Christmas Carol

Dramatists (grades 9-12)

High Schoolers take their improv skills to the next level and learn collaborative playwriting skills by creating a wholly original play based on Charles Dickon's classic A Christmas Carol. The production will be performed in the style of Commedia dell'Arte - an Italian style of improvisational theatre that was popularized during the Renaissance and whose influences can be seen in everything from Shakespeare to Gilligan's Island to Spongebob.

Students do not need to be familiar with the Commedia style to audition, but they should have some movement or performance experience as well as feeling comfortable improvising.

Scene Study & Acting Technique

Dramatists (grades 9-12)

For performers eager to deepen their acting training, this scene study class gives students the skills they need to take their performance work to the next level. We will delve into the core of acting technique by rehearsing scenes that our students select from a mound of carefully culled dramatic literature. While rehearsing scenes, students learn to research and explore their character, balance logic with imagination, identify their character's journey, collaborate with scene partners, and rehearse productively. Scene work will be augmented with improvisational games that also teach acting skills: clarity of thought and action, commitment to choices, active listening, and responding while in character. The result is bold, confident, and clear acting!

Auditions for Commedia Christmas Carol will be held on September 9 & 18. Fall classes and rehearsals begin October 1.

For more information about classes, auditions & performances visit https://www.travelingplayers.org/school-year/fall-acting-classes/