Emma (she/they) is the Head of our Elementary School Programs, teaching and directing our youngest students all year long, including our summer Mythology Ensemble. She is our Director of Programs and registrar, assisting families as they navigate the website and join the community. They started teaching with Traveling Players during the summer of 2019.
Growing up she was consumed by her love of Greek Mythology – reading whatever she could get her hands on. She studied Latin in school and even went to a Greek Mythology camp. She was also (and still is) a lover of the outdoors. From sleepaway camp to Girl Scouts, to white-water rafting, horseback riding, hiking, and high ropes courses, she loves adventuring in the great outdoors.
Her passion for theatre began with Musical Theatre – training in voice, dance, and even cello. Her interest in music and movement continues to inspire her directing. She loves creating rhythmic ensemble moments that allow students to work as a storytelling unit.
Through her time at Traveling Players, Emma has been lucky to direct four World Premieres written by our playwright-in-residence, Judith Walsh White: Orpheus & Eurydice, Eros & Psyche, Heracles, and Atalanta. Other Judy plays Emma has directed include Persephone, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire, as well as Alice in Wonderland by William Glennon and Dracula: A Comic Thriller by Kent R. Brown.
She teaches Acting and Improv classes and is the lead teacher for our Girl Scout theatre badge program.
Previously, Emma was assistant director for Learned Ladies, Green Bird, Commedia Christmas Carol, King Stag, The Odyssey, Blue Monster, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire.
She is a graduate of James Madison University, where she earned her BA in Theatre.
Rae (he/they) is a graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in Theatre. Rae is Traveling Players' resident lighting designer and elementary school assistant. Traveling Players lighting designs include: Hecuba, Odyssey, Ariadne’s Thread, Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors, King Stag, Alice in Wonderland, Green Bird, Commedia Christmas Carol, Dracula: A Comic Thriller, Jane Eyre, and Learned Ladies. They spent their college years creating, writing, designing, teching, and performing in both mainstage and student-produced works. While having experience in many kinds of theatre, they have always most enjoyed youth theatre. He currently works as a substitute in Stafford County and does overhire work for DC theaters. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his bearded dragon (John Henry "Doc" Holliday), perusing the LEGO website for the latest sets, and cheering on the Capitals.
Morgan (she/her) joined the Traveling Players community in 2007 as a student in the Thespian Ensemble and remembers well the days of being “a middle school theatre kid.” Today she is the Head of our middle school programs, fondly called our Thespian programs, teaching acting classes and directing plays throughout the year, including directing our Thespian Ensemble over the summer. This is her seventh year on staff. She spent six summers as a camper (Thespian and Shakespeare Ensembles, as well as Commedia and Shakespeare Troupes).
As the Director of Communications & Marketing, Morgan lets the community know about our programs and opportunities - as well as the ways the Traveling Players community can be a transformational experience and a touchstone for the rest of their lives.
Morgan has taught and developed new curricula for our community and middle school classes including Preparing a Role [Thespians] and Scene Study & Acting Technique [Thespians]. She co-developed and now leads our workshop “Embedded Bias in Classical Literature” (with Ryan Fields).
In 2022 she launched and now leads the Greater Washington Middle School Theatre Festival. This festival, hosted by Traveling Players, is exclusively for Middle School students and designed to help them connect and learn with peers from other schools while celebrating the joy of theater.
Recent Traveling Players directing credits include Carlo Gozzi's Green Bird, King Stag, and Blue Monster, Molière’s Learned Ladies, Tartuffe, The Odyssey by Gregory A. Falls & Kurt Beattie, PUFFS by Matt Cox, and The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, adapted to the stage by James DeVita. Previously, she served as our Assistant Director on Jane Eyre, The Learned Ladies, The Doctor In Spite of Himself, Tartuffe, Rumpelstiltskin, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Morgan also designs and constructs props for Traveling Players productions and mentors the Technical Theatre Apprentices during the academic year.
Other artistic work includes directing Mojo at Studio 115, and Assistant to the Director for Smile Lines at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, where she also worked in the box office for many years.
Judith Harmon (she/her) graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a B.A. in Costume Design and Business Entrepreneurship. She is an award-winning cosplayer and founder of the business Sew What?!. She has designed or worked on more than fifty productions (including Beauty and the Beast, Steel Magnolias, and The Christmas Revels) with thirteen different organizations and schools. When she isn’t costuming a production, she teaches costume design, sewing, and theater to children of all ages. Recent Traveling Players credits include - Alice in Wonderland, Commedia Christmas Carol, Jane Eyre, and Dracula. To keep up to date with productions, check out the portfolio site www.sewwhatcostumes.com
Isaiah (he/him) is a graduate of Christopher Newport University, where he earned a B.A. in Theatre with concentrations in Acting and Arts Administration. While there, he worked as a Student Technical Assistant at the Ferguson Center of the Arts and was Vice President of the improv comedy troupe “Laugh Out.” He previously taught Theatre and Photography/Videography at The Marshall School in Fredericksburg, VA. Some of his favorite roles from the past include Caliban in William and Mary College’s production of A Tempest, Conrad in Christopher Newport University’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, and Dr. John Prentice in the Glen Allen's Cultural Art Center's production of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Outside of work, you can find him playing video games or fumbling with his camera.
Ryan (they/he) is the Co-Head of the High School Programs (with Jeanne Harrison), teaching year round and directing our Shakespeare Ensemble over the summer. This is Ryan’s seventh year on staff. In addition to being a teaching artist, he is our Outreach Manager, connecting us with the local schools. He represented Traveling Players in ArtsFairfax's DEIA Cohort program in 2021-2.
Ryan’s a Traveling Players alum, and his closest friends remain those that he made as a high schooler performing Shakespeare with Traveling Players. He is a veteran of our Thespian and Shakespeare Ensembles, as well as Commedia and Shakespeare Troupes, and performed with Traveling Players at the Reston Multicultural Festival and the International Children’s Festival at Wolf Trap.
Ryan directs our Shakespeare Ensemble over the summer, breathing new life into Shakespeare’s plays: As You Like It (their favorite play), Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Henry IV, Part 1 (Shakespeare’s first history that Traveling Players produced), and Midsummer Night's Dream. Ryan has also been an assistant director on Commedia Christmas Carol, and Hecuba as well as working on earlier productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, and Jack and Beans. Ryan most recently directed Jane Eyre for Traveling Players Thrills & Chills festival.
Ryan has developed new curricula for our community and high school classes, including Scene Study & Acting Technique, Preparing a Role, and Ryan's Playlist (an introduction to queer & female playwrights). They co-led two workshops: Embedded Bias in Classical Literature (with Morgan Shotwell) and Directing 101 (with Jeanne Harrison).
Ryan is a Muhlenberg College graduate in Theatre and English. While an undergraduate, Ryan starred in Allentown Public Theatre’s production of The Island by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona.
Morgan (she/her) joined the Traveling Players community in 2007 as a student in the Thespian Ensemble and remembers well the days of being “a middle school theatre kid.” Today she is the Head of our middle school programs, fondly called our Thespian programs, teaching acting classes and directing plays throughout the year, including directing our Thespian Ensemble over the summer. This is her seventh year on staff. She spent six summers as a camper (Thespian and Shakespeare Ensembles, as well as Commedia and Shakespeare Troupes).
As the Director of Communications & Marketing, Morgan lets the community know about our programs and opportunities - as well as the ways the Traveling Players community can be a transformational experience and a touchstone for the rest of their lives.
Morgan has taught and developed new curricula for our community and middle school classes including Preparing a Role [Thespians] and Scene Study & Acting Technique [Thespians]. She co-developed and now leads our workshop “Embedded Bias in Classical Literature” (with Ryan Fields).
In 2022 she launched and now leads the Greater Washington Middle School Theatre Festival. This festival, hosted by Traveling Players, is exclusively for Middle School students and designed to help them connect and learn with peers from other schools while celebrating the joy of theater.
Recent Traveling Players directing credits include Carlo Gozzi's Green Bird, King Stag, and Blue Monster, Molière’s Learned Ladies, Tartuffe, The Odyssey by Gregory A. Falls & Kurt Beattie, PUFFS by Matt Cox, and The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, adapted to the stage by James DeVita. Previously, she served as our Assistant Director on Jane Eyre, The Learned Ladies, The Doctor In Spite of Himself, Tartuffe, Rumpelstiltskin, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Morgan also designs and constructs props for Traveling Players productions and mentors the Technical Theatre Apprentices during the academic year.
Other artistic work includes directing Mojo at Studio 115, and Assistant to the Director for Smile Lines at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, where she also worked in the box office for many years.
Rae (he/they) is a graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in Theatre. Rae is Traveling Players' resident lighting designer and elementary school assistant. Traveling Players lighting designs include: Hecuba, Odyssey, Ariadne’s Thread, Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors, King Stag, Alice in Wonderland, Green Bird, Commedia Christmas Carol, Dracula: A Comic Thriller, Jane Eyre, and Learned Ladies. They spent their college years creating, writing, designing, teching, and performing in both mainstage and student-produced works. While having experience in many kinds of theatre, they have always most enjoyed youth theatre. He currently works as a substitute in Stafford County and does overhire work for DC theaters. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his bearded dragon (John Henry "Doc" Holliday), perusing the LEGO website for the latest sets, and cheering on the Capitals.
Judith Harmon (she/her) graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a B.A. in Costume Design and Business Entrepreneurship. She is an award-winning cosplayer and founder of the business Sew What?!. She has designed or worked on more than fifty productions (including Beauty and the Beast, Steel Magnolias, and The Christmas Revels) with thirteen different organizations and schools. When she isn’t costuming a production, she teaches costume design, sewing, and theater to children of all ages. Recent Traveling Players credits include - Alice in Wonderland, Commedia Christmas Carol, Jane Eyre, and Dracula. To keep up to date with productions, check out the portfolio site www.sewwhatcostumes.com
Isaiah (he/him) is a graduate of Christopher Newport University, where he earned a B.A. in Theatre with concentrations in Acting and Arts Administration. While there, he worked as a Student Technical Assistant at the Ferguson Center of the Arts and was Vice President of the improv comedy troupe “Laugh Out.” He previously taught Theatre and Photography/Videography at The Marshall School in Fredericksburg, VA. Some of his favorite roles from the past include Caliban in William and Mary College’s production of A Tempest, Conrad in Christopher Newport University’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, and Dr. John Prentice in the Glen Allen's Cultural Art Center's production of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Outside of work, you can find him playing video games or fumbling with his camera.
Morgan (she/her) joined the Traveling Players community in 2007 as a student in the Thespian Ensemble and remembers well the days of being “a middle school theatre kid.” Today she is the Head of our middle school programs, fondly called our Thespian programs, teaching acting classes and directing plays throughout the year, including directing our Thespian Ensemble over the summer. This is her seventh year on staff. She spent six summers as a camper (Thespian and Shakespeare Ensembles, as well as Commedia and Shakespeare Troupes).
As the Director of Communications & Marketing, Morgan lets the community know about our programs and opportunities - as well as the ways the Traveling Players community can be a transformational experience and a touchstone for the rest of their lives.
Morgan has taught and developed new curricula for our community and middle school classes including Preparing a Role [Thespians] and Scene Study & Acting Technique [Thespians]. She co-developed and now leads our workshop “Embedded Bias in Classical Literature” (with Ryan Fields).
In 2022 she launched and now leads the Greater Washington Middle School Theatre Festival. This festival, hosted by Traveling Players, is exclusively for Middle School students and designed to help them connect and learn with peers from other schools while celebrating the joy of theater.
Recent Traveling Players directing credits include Carlo Gozzi's Green Bird, King Stag, and Blue Monster, Molière’s Learned Ladies, Tartuffe, The Odyssey by Gregory A. Falls & Kurt Beattie, PUFFS by Matt Cox, and The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, adapted to the stage by James DeVita. Previously, she served as our Assistant Director on Jane Eyre, The Learned Ladies, The Doctor In Spite of Himself, Tartuffe, Rumpelstiltskin, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Morgan also designs and constructs props for Traveling Players productions and mentors the Technical Theatre Apprentices during the academic year.
Other artistic work includes directing Mojo at Studio 115, and Assistant to the Director for Smile Lines at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, where she also worked in the box office for many years.
Emma (she/they) is the Head of our Elementary School Programs, teaching and directing our youngest students all year long, including our summer Mythology Ensemble. She is our Director of Programs and registrar, assisting families as they navigate the website and join the community. They started teaching with Traveling Players during the summer of 2019.
Growing up she was consumed by her love of Greek Mythology – reading whatever she could get her hands on. She studied Latin in school and even went to a Greek Mythology camp. She was also (and still is) a lover of the outdoors. From sleepaway camp to Girl Scouts, to white-water rafting, horseback riding, hiking, and high ropes courses, she loves adventuring in the great outdoors.
Her passion for theatre began with Musical Theatre – training in voice, dance, and even cello. Her interest in music and movement continues to inspire her directing. She loves creating rhythmic ensemble moments that allow students to work as a storytelling unit.
Through her time at Traveling Players, Emma has been lucky to direct four World Premieres written by our playwright-in-residence, Judith Walsh White: Orpheus & Eurydice, Eros & Psyche, Heracles, and Atalanta. Other Judy plays Emma has directed include Persephone, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire, as well as Alice in Wonderland by William Glennon and Dracula: A Comic Thriller by Kent R. Brown.
She teaches Acting and Improv classes and is the lead teacher for our Girl Scout theatre badge program.
Previously, Emma was assistant director for Learned Ladies, Green Bird, Commedia Christmas Carol, King Stag, The Odyssey, Blue Monster, Ariadne’s Thread, and Pandora’s Fire.
She is a graduate of James Madison University, where she earned her BA in Theatre.
Jeffrey Robb (he/him) is a Brooklyn based actor/writer. He received his BA in Theatre from Muhlenberg College, where he concentrated in Acting and Performance Studies. While at school he spent a semester studying Commedia dell’Arte at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. Upon his return to Muhlenberg, he won leading roles in both mainstage productions of The Marriage of Figaro and The Winter’s Tale, and eventually earned his program’s Artist Thinker award. Recent credits include playing Macduff/Demetrius in The Adirondack Shakespeare Company’s productions of Macbeth and Midsummer Night’s Dream, respectively, and performing in The Woolgatherers Theater Group’s Writing For Rights reading series. While living in New York he has been running ongoing cooperative role-playing games for young students and worked as a tutor for Chess at Three, an educational program that specializes in teaching chess and game theory through storytelling.
Originally from Washington DC, Jeffrey has spent eleven summers with Traveling Players, six as a camper and another five as an assistant director for ensembles in middle and high school. For summer 2021, he was the Assistant Director for Shakespeare Troupe’s The Taming of the Shrew and taught Acting Technique and Text to campers in grades 4-12. Additionally, he worked as Assistant Director for the fall and winter shows, Dust and Antigone. For the past four school years he has helmed Traveling Players’ D&D Improv program, running games of Dungeons & Dragons for middle and high schoolers every week. Jeffrey won the Staff Ensemble Award back in 2011 for captivating all the middle school campers on Thursday night campouts by narrating epic tales in which each camper appeared in a starring role.
Traveling Players Studio
Tysons Corner Center – DL01
1961 Chain Bridge Road, Tysons, VA 22102
P.O. Box 1315
Great Falls, VA 22066
