Student Actors Bring Ancient Greece To Life With Play Festival
TYSONS, VA — Student actors will whisk their audience away to ancient Greece with their upcoming play festival at Tysons Corner Center in March.
The Traveling Players, a theatre program based in Tysons Corner Center, will host its Dionysian Play Festival on the weekends of March 12-13 and 19-20. Student actors will perform modern twists on three Greek plays. Two of the plays — "Ariadne’s Thread: The Adventures of Theseus and the Minotaur" and "The Odyssey" are family friendly, while "Hecuba" is appropriate for older students.
The Dionysian Play Festival refers to a tradition in ancient Greece. Play festivals would happen in March to honor Dionysus, the god of theatre and wine, according to a news release from the Traveling Players.
Student actors in the three plays receive professional training and direction for their age groups and experience. Jeanne Harrison, the artistic director for Traveling Players, directed and choreographed "Hecuba" and guided the direction of the other two plays. Formerly a dancer-choreaographer, Harrison was the 2016 winner of the Strauss Award from ArtsFairfax for blending classical theatre and physical theatre and has led workshops on directing a Greek chorus for the American Alliance for Theater & Education and universities.
Performers of "Ariadne’s Thread" are in grades 4 to 7, "Odyssey" performers are in grades 7 to 9, and "Hecuba" performers are in grades 7 to 12.
Here are descriptions of the plays from Traveling Players:
"Ariadne’s Thread: The Adventures of Theseus and the Minotaur" by Judith Walsh White Recommended for ages 6 and up; Runtime: 35 minutes
In this modern twist on the myth, Ariadne feels like she hasn’t lived up to her title of "Princess" until she successfully manages to protect the life of her half-brother, the Minotaur. Follow Theseus on his quest to find his family — an adventure that is filled with danger, humor, and a heartwarming reaffirmation of the value of family.
"Ariadne’s Thread: The Adventures of Theseus and the Minotaur" was published in 2014 and listed the Traveling Players performers as its original cast.
"The Odyssey" by Gregory A. Falls and Kurt Beattie
Recommended for ages 8 and up; Runtime: 45 minutes
Set sail with Odysseus as he fights cyclops, sirens, and gods on his journey home to Ithaca. In an adaptation that focuses on both Penelope’s long wait and Odysseus’ ten-year voyage at sea, you’ll experience Homer’s epic tale of adventure, fate, and dignity in the face of unyielding obstacles.
"Hecuba" by Euripides, translated by Kenneth McLeish
Recommended for ages 12 and up; Runtime: 90 minutes
Betrayals, sacrifices, ghosts — a heap of bodies litter this unforgettable tale of the day after the Trojan War ends. In Euripides’ rarely-produced revenge tragedy, Queen Hecuba and the women of Troy have survived, but the impact of war lingers.
After the March 13 performance of "Hecuba," there will be a discussion about cycles of trauma with American University Professor Barbara Wien, a practitioner-scholar working to end human rights abuses, violence and war.
Tickets are $15 per show or $35 for the entire festival. Masks and proof of COVID-19 vaccination are required to attend. For more information, please visit travelingplayers.org/performances.
Traveling Players trains students in grades 3 to 12 in theatre. Camps, classes and performances are held at the Traveling Players studio inside Tysons Corner Center (lower level) year round. Its summer camp in Leesburg lets students rehearse outdoors and enjoy other activities. Students interested in joining can audition for the summer camps and conservatories from Feb. 15 to 25.
This article originally appeared on the McLean Patch
