Riverside Players

The goal of The Riverside Players is to create and foster an environment where the college and community can strive toward a high quality of art to celebrate a mutual love of theater.

RSP sponsors several theatrical organizations and events at Washington College, including Fakespeare, the Defenestrators, and the annual Playwright's Festival.

Fakespeare is a group designed to make Shakespeare's plays accessible to a modern day audience via the fine theatrical tradition of parody.  In addition to performing pre-existing scripts, the group often generates their own material.  They have appeared on-campus and abroad, notably at the Baltimore Docks and at the 2004 Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

The Defenestrators is a new improv group at Washington College.  Intended to be accessible to a variety of participants, the group meets once a week on Sundays in order to play games together and make the experience of improvised theatre a personal one.

Arising out of the Defenestrators is Shine Yer Head For A Nickel, the very latest revolution in improv technology at WC.  Run as part of a senior thesis by Val Larson, Shine Yer Head is a dynamic improv group focused on generating improvised performances.  Look for them to appear around campus this semester.

Once yearly, RSP also sponsors the Playwright's Festival, meant to merge the writers on campus with the actors.  Three-page plays are submitted, assigned to directors, cast, and rehearsed.  Then they are all performed on one single night, and subjected to an audience vote.  Cash prizes are awarded to the winners.