Children's Theatre in the Woods (also known more simply as Theatre in the Woods) is one of the main performance venues at

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (originally known as the Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts and simply known as Wolf Trap) is a performing arts center located on of national park land in unincorporated Fairfax Count ...

Vienna, Virginia Vienna () is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Vienna has a population of 16,473. Significantly more people live in ZIP codes with the Vienna postal addresses (22180, 22181, and 22182), bordered approx ...

. Each summer, Theatre in the Woods features family-friendly performances at 10:30 AM on Tuesdays through Saturdays. The stage is set amidst 117 rolling acres of wooded area in a shady grove, and features lively acts in music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, and theater, as well as creative workshops for children and their parents. All performances are recommended for children between Kindergarten and 6th grade.

History

On November 18, 1976, a fire of unknown origin destroyed the Theatre in the Woods. At the time, attempted

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

was believed to be the cause of the fire, although this was never proven. The fire was first spotted by an employee of the

American Symphony Orchestra League The League of American Orchestras, formerly the American Symphony Orchestra League, is a North American service organization with 700 member orchestras of all budget sizes and types, plus individual and institutional members. Based in New York Ci ...

around 4 PM that afternoon. In 1989, Theatre in the Woods inspired a similar production at Black Hill Regional Park in nearby

Boyds, Maryland Boyds is an unincorporated community in rural Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, located approximately north of Washington, D.C. Its ZIP Code is 20841. According to the United States 2010 Census, the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) for ...

. Montgomery County delegate Jean W. Roesser, who previously saw a Theatre in the Woods performance, helped fund and develop a performing arts series for children called "Summer Stage in the Park for Kids," which similarly featured performances in music, storytelling and dance during weekdays in the summer.

Theatre in the Woods today

In 2011, Theatre-in-the-Woods was featured in "Best Summer Ever if You've Got Little Ones" by

Washingtonian Magazine ''Washingtonian'' is a monthly magazine distributed in the Washington, D.C. area. It was founded in 1965 by Laughlin Phillips and Robert J. Myers. The magazine describes itself as "The Magazine Washington Lives By". The magazine's core focuses ar ...

. The 2012 season of Theatre-in-the-Woods will feature 34 performances from "local, national, international, and

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

-nominated artists who represent folk, kindie-rock, storytelling, theatre, world-class puppetry, and dance."Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Wolf Trap Interpretive Program Archives. Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Vienna, VA: n.p., n.d. Print.

References

{{Reflist Performing arts centers in Virginia