Traveling Players Ensemble to Perform at 2014 Reston Multicultural Festival

Traveling Players Ensemble has announced that its next production will be Carlo Gozzi’s The Love for Three Oranges, representing Italy, at the Reston Multicultural Festival at the Reston Community Center at the Lake Anne Village Center.

The festival takes place Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza. International music, entertainment, dress, food, and cultural treasures are celebrated at the annual event.

The Love for Three Oranges follows the tale of a prince, cursed to fall in love with three magical oranges, as he and his vaguely competent servant fend off dastardly demons, squabbling sorcerors, scheming ministers, and surly chefs, hoping to quench his thirst for true love. Later adapted by Sergei Prokofiev into a popular opera, this classic Italian comedy serves up wonder and hilarity.

The performance is free, family-friendly and open to the public.

The play features the talents of Anne Callaway (Herndon), Sofia Duque (McLean), Erin Gould (Great Falls), Emily Kim (McLean), Catherine Lawrence (McLean), Larissa Ramsey (Round Hill), David Sherwood (McLean), Harry Stevens (Arlington), Kia Vilchez (Washington, DC), Jeremy Wenick (Bethesda), Grace Williamson-Milan (Arlington), and Amelia Zug (McLean).

This is the ninth year in a row that Traveling Players Ensemble has been selected to participate in the Reston Multicultural Festival, a celebration of the diversity and welcoming community spirit that is found in Reston.

This free annual event brings together the rich medley of cultures through music, entertainment, dress, food, and cultural treasures from all over the world that is Reston.

Traveling Players Ensemble’s mission is to bring great theatre into the great outdoors, according to a news release from the group. To do this, they offer summer camps for middle and high school students, who practice their craft under the direction of experienced theatre professionals, and then take their shows on the road to perform at parks, camps, and schools throughout the region.

Founded in 2003, Traveling Players Ensemble has been invited to perform at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Colonial Williamsburg, Shenandoah National Park, Reston’s Multicultural Festival, and the International Children’s Festival at Wolf Trap.

In 2007, Traveling Players Ensemble was recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) by being selected as one of 25 of the nation’s “Summer School in the Arts.”

The Love for Three Oranges follows the tale of a prince, cursed to fall in love with three magical oranges, as he and his vaguely competent servant fend off dastardly demons, squabbling sorcerors, scheming ministers, and surly chefs, hoping to quench his thirst for true love. Later adapted by Sergei Prokofiev into a popular opera, this classic Italian comedy serves up wonder and hilarity.

Traveling Players also offers weekend acting classes for ages 9-18. Upcoming classes include Acting & Improvisation (grades 4-6), Scene Study & Acting Technique (grades 7-9), and Monologues & Audition Technique (grade 10-12). Classes run from Saturday, October 4 to Saturday, December 13, and are taught in McLean, Virginia. Need-based scholarships are available for all programs.

PHOTO of actors by Noah Pilchen