BYLINE: Karen Goldberg
Goff; THE WASHINGTON TIMES
BODY:
It's 10 a.m. on a Friday as theater patrons file in to Wolf Trap, the national
park for the performing arts in Vienna. The crowd isn't there to get a good seat
for the evening performance. In fact, it moves right past the Filene Center, the
huge amphitheater where acts such as the National Symphony Orchestra and the
Wolf Trap Opera Company perform.
After trooping through a meadow and over a creek, the visitors reach their
destination - Wolf Trap's Theatre-in-the-Woods, a rustic, 1,000-seat outdoor
theater tucked into a shady spot on the grounds of the park.
Theatre-in-the-Woods has been a popular way to introduce children from ages 3 to
13 to the performing arts for 27 years, says Miriam Flaherty, Wolf Trap's
director of education. The Wolf Trap Foundation sponsors the theater's
performance series, which presents a variety of acts such as dance troupes,
puppeteers and music groups. Perennial favorites include Dinorock, an
entertaining trio of storytellers and actors, and Bob Brown Puppets, a local
ensemble of oversized puppets and marionettes.
"It is a wonderful way for children to see performances that are appropriate for
them," Ms. Flaherty says. "We work hard to present quality shows that expose
kids to performances they might not ordinarily go to for easy entertainment."
The Theatre-in-the-Woods schedule tries to reflect what is playing at Wolf Trap,
Ms. Flaherty says. While Riverdance was performing during the last week of June,
for instance, the Culkin Irish dancers - school-age dancers from the
Culkin School in Silver Spring - performed jigs and reels at
Theatre-in-the-Woods.
Two acts are booked each week, with performances at 10 and 11:15 a.m. Tuesday
through Saturday. The series expanded from six weeks to seven weeks this season,
Ms. Flaherty says.
Part of the reason crowds pack the amphitheater daily is the price, which is $3
a ticket for one show, $5 for both shows. Free workshops with performers from
the 10 a.m. show also are offered following the performance on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays.
"We're always looking for things to do in the summer that are cost-effective and
fun," says Kelly Gray of Ashburn, Va., who brought her daughter Abby, 4, to see
the Culkin dancers. "This is our first time, but I think we have reservations to
come to four or five shows this summer."
The price of admission used to be even more affordable. From 1974 until 1999,
when the program was run by the Department of the Interior, tickets to
Theatre-in-the-Woods were free. Budget cuts put the theater in jeopardy three
seasons ago, and the Wolf Trap Foundation was asked to take over the project.
The only way to keep worthwhile acts booked was to start charging admission, Ms.
Flaherty says.
"At first, people were disappointed," she says, "but it is still such a
reasonable price. Other national parks charge. Other performing arts programs
charge. It still is one of the best deals in the area."
It's an even better deal when you make a day of it. Many patrons bring a picnic
and eat along the banks of the creek after the first show. Experienced
Theatre-in-the-Woods visitors even bring swimsuits and water shoes to go wading
in the creek's clear waters.
"Go ahead and play in the creek," Ms. Flaherty says. "It is a national park."