2021 Winter Performances
Traveling Players Presents
Antigone
Sunday, April 11, 7-9 pm
Antigone’s older brothers kill each other in the civil war over who will rule Thebes. Creon, now king, has granted Antigone’s brother Eteocles, the rightful heir, all burial rites while leaving Polynices’ body to rot in the sun, unburied and not honored. Anyone who attempts to bury him will be punished by death. Fully aware of the consequences, Antigone buries Polynices and is brought before Creon as a prisoner. Will Creon overlook the actions of his niece, who happens to be engaged to his son Haemon? Will Antigone’s sister Ismene join with her sister against Creon? Will anyone in Oedipus’ family line ever live a normal life? This modern adaptation makes this ancient tale fresh, Sophocles’ characters relatable, and the struggle to understand the meaning of life urgent. Recommended for ages 12 and older.
Older Events
March Madness Festival
Join us for Traveling Players’ March Madness Festival, featuring the creative output of our Winter Performance Classes.
Unfortunately, due to licensing restrictions, please note that recordings of the performances will not be available after the festival! While we’re disappointed that we won’t be able to tape the shows for you all, we’re looking forward to the opportunity to bring our community together again for a synchronous virtual event.
Sunday, March 21st
- 3:00 – 4:15: Ozma of Oz
- 4:30 – 5:45: Puffs
- 7:00 – 8:30: Antigone
OZMA OF OZ
By Suzan zeder
Ozma of Oz is a contemporary original play woven into a timely new story. This modern fantasy explores the relationship between a now teenage Dorothy and her elderly Uncle Henry. Dorothy reluctantly accompanies her eccentric uncle on his life-long dream voyage to Australia. They argue during a violent storm and are both blown off the boat to Oz, a land where there is no time. Unwittingly, they activate Tic Toc and time begins in Oz. Their adventures lead them to Bill, a giant wisecracking chicken, the wacky Wheelers, the vain and vicious Langwidere and, finally, to the super strong, wonderfully wise Ozma. Ozma rescues Uncle Henry from the lapideous lair of the volcanic gnome king and teaches Dorothy to look beyond Uncle Henry’s outward signs of aging to recognize his true competence, energy and worth. By award-winning playwright Suzan Zeder.
Puffs,
or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic
By Matt Cox
Puffs is a fast-paced romp through the ‘Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.’ For “Potter”philiacs who are eager to revisit that world, Puffs exudes a jovial, winking fondness for all things Harry! This clever and inventive play gives you a new look at a familiar adventure from the perspective of three potential heroes just trying to make it through a magic school that proves to be very dangerous for children. Alongside them are the Puffs, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders with a passion for badgers! Their hilariously heartfelt and epic journey takes the classic story to new places and reimagines what a boy wizard hero can be.
By Matt Cox, Puffs is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed or endorsed by J.K Rowling, Warner Bros. or any person or company associated with the Harry Potter books, films or play.
ANTIGONE
by Sophocles
Antigone’s older brothers kill each other in the civil war over who will rule Thebes. Creon, now king, has granted Antigone’s brother Eteocles, the rightful heir, all burial rites while leaving Polynices’ body to rot in the sun, unburied and not honored. Anyone who attempts to bury him will be punished by death. Fully aware of the consequences, Antigone buries Polynices and is brought before Creon as a prisoner. Will Creon overlook the actions of his niece, who happens to be engaged to his son Haemon? Will Antigone’s sister Ismene join with her sister against Creon? Will anyone in Oedipus’ family line ever live a normal life? This modern adaptation makes this ancient tale fresh, Sophocles’ characters relatable, and the struggle to understand the meaning of life urgent. Recommended for ages 12 and older.
Beowulf (and the Bard)
Beowulf (and the Bard) is a fun, frenetic and freewheeling farce that updates the Old English poem about the warrior Beowulf, who must rescue the mead hall from a hideous ogre (and his even more hideous mother). Told through the eyes of the epic’s writer—a character known simply as “the bard”—the comedy’s events unfold much differently than the familiar story passed down through the ages. In reality, Beowulf is an out-of-shape prince hoping to fulfill the heroic code, while the bard is a desperate poet struggling with a nasty case of writer’s block. This retelling also introduces a new female character: the bloodthirsty warrior princess Gunborg, whose quest to reach her heroic destiny is ignored by her overprotective father, the king. Beowulf (and the Bard) is a comedy about friendship, duty and what it means to be a hero.
The Thief Lord
Two orphaned brothers have run away to Venice, where crumbling canals and misty alleyways shelter a secret community of street urchins. The leader of this motley crew of lost children is a clever, charming boy who calls himself the Thief Lord. And he has a dark secret. Something from a forgotten past that poses a threat to the boys’ freedom: a treasure so enchanted, it can spin time. Adapted from Cornielia Funke’s New York Times bestselling novel, The Thief Lord is a dazzling adventure about growing up and the families we create for ourselves.
DusT
In Dust by Sarah Daniels, a high school drama field trip to London goes awry when they discover an unclaimed bag on the underground. Everyone evacuates the subway train, except for one girl – the girl being taunted by the bullies. She is let off the train at an ancient tunnel that has no electricity to walk her way to safety with just a flashlight.
Big explosion – flashback to… Roman Londinium! It’s now the 1st century, when London was being occupied by Rome. The play becomes an Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole adventure of our poor outcast student encountering major heroes (Queen Boudicca!) and everyday folks around the Londinium Amphitheatre – gladiators, gladiator wannabes, prisoners, guards, lion tamers, food vendors, make-up sellers, and fortune readers. Written by one of England’s most celebrated female playwrights, Dust brings present day teens into collision with the past, clarifying what courage looks like.