THE OFF BROADWAY PLAYERS OFFER EXCITING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR PATRONS DURING THEIR 2023 SEASON
In case you haven’t noticed, The Off Broadway Players’ 2023 season looks a little different than previous ones. Oh sure, we’re once again offering up another full slate of terrific shows (starting with the opening of “Steel Magnolias” on May 12th), but we’ve also added a few additional opportunities that you may not have heard about.
For the first time ever, The Off Broadway Players have organized a four-day, three-night trip to New York City. Whether you’ve never visited “the Big Apple” or have been longing for a return trip, you’ll want to take advantage of this unforgettable opportunity that is open to everyone! On the morning of June 26th, trip participants will board a charter bus departing from J. Frank Hillyard Middle School, bound for a four day adventure in NYC. Tours in the trip package include admission to both the 9/11 Memorial Museum and the observation deck of the Freedom Tower, Radio City Music Hall, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, two Broadway shows (“Kimberly Akimbo” and “Some Like It Hot”) and the newly opened Museum of Broadway. Just to be clear, the Museum of Broadway is an interactive museum that celebrates the rich history of professional theatre in NYC and not our quaint little town here in Virginia. Additional opportunities to experience all that NYC has to offer include a walking tour of Central Park, the High Line Elevated Park (a former elevated railway that has been converted into a beautifully decorated greenway), and NYC’s newest park, Little Island. Teeming with flora and featuring a large amphitheater, Little Island levitates above the Hudson River, built upon the pillars of the former Pier 54 on the west side of NYC. And, to top it all off, participants will also have free time to explore 5th Avenue, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Chinatown! The tour price, per person, is $1,169 (which, by the way, also includes all lodging, all breakfasts and dinners while in NYC, a fulltime tour guide, and charter bus transportation both to and from NYC and while in the city). If this sounds like the trip of a lifetime (and we humbly confess that it is), there’s still time for you to join us! But don’t delay – trip registration closes for good on April 23rd.
The Off Broadway Players will also be offering a class on comedy improvisation later this summer for anyone who might want to develop their skills at this highly popular performance style. For those unfamiliar with improvisation, it’s a genre of live theatre where the characters, plot, and dialogue of a game, scene or story are made up spontaneously and without preparation. Often, actors in an improv will even get inspiration for their scenes from audience suggestions. If you’ve ever seen the hilarious improv show, “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?”, you have a good idea of what comedy improvisation looks like and how much fun it can be, whether you’re participating or simply watching as an audience member. Our ten-session class will be held throughout the months of August and early September and is open to anyone, regardless of experience levels, from ages 13 and up. Participants will learn the core fundamentals and principles of improv, focusing on various games and exercises that encourage trust, communication, agreement, active listening, and characterization. As the class progresses, these concepts will be applied to fully improvised scenes and culminate in several comedy improv showcases that will be performed during Broadway’s Autumn Festival & Car Show on September 9th. The cost for participating in the class is $50. If you’re interested in taking the class, you can register online by visiting The Off Broadway Players’ website (offbroadwayplayersva. org). Registration for the class opens on June 1st.
So, if you haven’t made summer vacation plans yet or you’re ready to satiate that secret desire that you have always harbored about performing onstage, we invite you to consider these fun opportunities that The Off Broadway Players are offering up this season. As always, you’ll find all of the latest details about these activities and our full slate of shows at our website: offbroadwayplayersva.org.
