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About National Players
A Program of Olney Theatre Center
Click here to visit the National Players' Website
Now celebrating its 61st season, National Players has earned a distinctive place in American theater by bringing innovative and accessible productions to audiences across the nation. Performed with high-voltage energy, clarity, and wit, National Players introduces audiences to great works of dramatic literature that are rich in exciting stories and characters, and profound in language and themes. Our productions touch hearts and minds, inspire imagination and wonder, spark curiosity about the self, the world, and the creative process, and celebrate what it means to be human.
National Players tours from mid-September to mid-May, bringing audiences of all ages to their feet at high schools, universities, and professional venues across North America. During the academic year, the company tours with two shows in repertory, which may perform together or separately.
The 2009-2010 tour features William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing and an adaptation of The Lord of the Flies .
The 2010-2011 tour will include Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream and a stage adaptation of The Scarlet Letter.
To find out when National Players is performing at Olney Theatre Center, visit our For Families page.
History of National Players
National Players was founded in 1949 by Father Gilbert V. Hartke, O.P., a prominent arts educator and then head of the Drama Department of The Catholic University of America. His mission-to stimulate young people’s higher thinking skills and imaginations by presenting classical plays in surprisingly accessible ways—is as urgent and vital today as it was 60 years ago.
Olney Theatre Center is proud to be the artistic home of National Players and continue Father Hartke’s vision and commitment to provide young theatre artists with their first professional opportunities. Players’ alumni include actors, directors, and designers working on dozens of stages across America, and in film and television.
National Players has performed in the East Wing of the White House, in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East for American Military, and throughout 40 states. Known for its talent and commitment to excellence, National Players have brought literature to life for more than 2.5 million audience members.
All programs at Olney Theatre Center are made possible by support from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County; the Maryland State Department of Education Division for Leadership Development, State Aided Educational Institutions; and Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts.
You can learn more about National Players by visiting their website, or emailing nationalplayers@olneytheatre.org
For more information about bringing National Players to your venue, please contact:
Olney Theatre Center's National Players
Madeleine Russell, National Players General Manager
301.924.4485 x116
mrussell@olneytheatre.org
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