Olney, MD 20832
301.924.4485
HISTORY
OLNEY THEATRE INSTITUTE
A HISTORY OF NATIONAL
PLAYERS
Currently a program of
Olney Theatre Center,
National Players has earned a unique name and place in American theater.
After 58 consecutive seasons of touring, this remarkable acting company has
given approximately 6,600 performances and workshops on plays by
Shakespeare, O'Neill, Moliere, Shaw, Kafka, Sophocles, Aeschylus,
Aristophanes, Tom Stoppard and Peter Shaffer. National Players has
performed for the public in 35 states and 10 foreign countries, reaching
young audiences in areas that are isolated geographically or economically --
audiences that would otherwise never see
quality live performances of classic plays.
National Players was founded through the efforts of one man, Father Gilbert V. Hartke, the founder and long-time chair of the Speech and Drama department of Catholic University of America. Father Hartke's vision led to the founding of Players, Incorporated in 1949. Since 1949, a single twin-bill truck-and-station-wagon company, traveling under the banner of "Players, Incorporated," "University Players, " "Players," and finally "National Players," has continued to bring classic productions across the country from September to May.
After
an extensive nationwide search, the directors choose from among the most
talented graduates of the country's top college and university theater
programs to become members of the touring company. Continuing in the
tradition of traveling players, the youthful troupe is totally involved in
every aspect of the plays they perform. They arrive a few hours before
their scheduled performance to prepare each stage: raise the set, hang and
focus the lights, check sound equipment and props, arrange dressing rooms,
and perhaps run a brush-up rehearsal before donning costumes and make-up.
When the final curtain falls, they do everything in reverse. Like the Abbey
Theatre in Dublin and the Old Vic in London, National Players companies
function smoothly as a team.
The National Players have a history of excellence and have received accolades not only from their audiences, but from such luminaries as Walter Kerr, drama critic emeritus of the New York Times; Patrick Hayes, founder and managing director of the Washington Performing Arts Society; and the late Helen Hayes, first lady of the American theater. Players' alumni prominent on Broadway, television and in films include such names as John Heard, Lawrence Luckinbill, Gino Conforti, Daniel Hugh-Kelly, Stan Wojewodski (former Dean of the Yale School of Drama) and David Richards (head drama critic for the New York Times). Most recently, National Players received special recognition from The Shakespeare Guild, presenter of The Golden Quill,the Sir John Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts.
While
National Players has a proven track record for developing young theatrical
talent (an astonishing 70% of National Players veterans are working in the
theater or related fields), it is also committed to the development of young
theater audiences. Through its production of plays and
workshops with
dramatic integrity and value, the company seeks to instill in its audiences
an appreciation for the experience of theatergoing. This interaction
between the company of actors and its audiences bears witness to the potency
of the idea of young actors engaging young audiences. These audiences
discover the power and delight of some of the world's most enduring
literature brought to life specifically for their appreciation. This is
education at its best: direct, powerful and enlightening.
PHOTO GALLERIES
Now
On Tour!
2008-2009
