Let’s Put on a Show: From Japanese Drumming to Puppet Fairytales, Learn How Wolf Trap’s Children’s Performance Season Comes Together

Jun 09, 2025

It’s just about show time, and hundreds of young children and their families are gathered together in the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods (CTITW) amphitheater, under a canopy of leafy oak, poplar, and maple trees. What magical performance will await them today? It all starts with the woman standing to the left of the stage, with the walkie-talkie on her hip.

Amy Russell is Wolf Trap’s manager of Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods and Grants. For eight years, she has overseen Wolf Trap’s family performances at Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a position that requires her to interact with artistic talent, Park Rangers, volunteer ushers–not to mention, tens of thousands of children, families, and camp counselors–over the course of three months, in the summer heat.

With a background in theater and stage management, Russell’s job is a multitasking feat, but one that she trained for–and has become quite skilled at over the years. That’s a good thing, because as soon as one season ends, planning begins for the next one. Learn how Russell pulls it all together and view the full line-up for Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods this summer at wolftrap.org/woods.

Wolf Trap:        There are 35 shows in this year’s season featuring 22 different artists. That’s a lot of performers! How do you find them all?

Amy Russell:  Lots of different places! I attend programming conferences across the country–some of which are designed specifically for family audiences. Locally, I seek out community groups and attend local festivals or community events.

I research new albums from the past year and upcoming album releases (I always try and predict this year’s Grammy nominees and have my own competition to see how many I can speak to before they’re nominated–my record so far is four!). The family music sector is so collaborative and friendly, they really help promote each other and celebrate artists they enjoy. I find lots of new artists just by chatting with our current performers.

WT:       CTITW features a variety of arts disciplines during its season–how do you strike the right balance?

AR:        This is the hardest part of the job! I work to make sure every arts discipline is covered (music, dance, theater, and puppetry) and different genres within these art forms. From ballet to hip-hop dance to a plethora of music genres, I always ask what each performer would uniquely bring to the season.

It’s also very important to me that the diversity of the DC Metro community is reflected on the stage, while also having the opportunity to learn about cultures or experiences that differ from their own.

WT:       What qualities are you looking for in your performers and in their performances?

AR:        Quality is important. We seek out artists from across the country, and I expect a high level of professionalism. Shows must also be developmentally appropriate for our age range, feature interactive moments to engage even our youngest audience members, and, of course, be fun to watch. Although we are specifically designed for children, I also want to make sure that the adults in the audience are having a good time as well–I won’t program anything that I wouldn’t sit through myself–especially because I do sit through them all, many of them multiple times!

A Day at Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods

WT: Talk about a typical day at CTITW. What does it take to pull off a show?

AR:        I just had to write out all of the tasks I complete during a typical show morning–and it was over four pages long! And that’s just me. We have a staff of seasonal employees with Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, as well as Park Service employees and amazing volunteers, who come together to ensure a great experience for our patrons. From parking, to ticketing, to the technical elements in the show, we want to make sure every aspect of the day exceeds expectations.

We also manage the artists’ needs as well. Many of them are touring throughout the summer. We work hard to provide a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere so they can concentrate on putting on the best show possible.

Season Performance Highlights

WT:       What performer are you most excited about this season–give us some highlights.

AR:        I am so excited that Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods is included as part of Todo Sonido, Wolf Trap’s summer festival. Our contribution is Sonia De Los Santos with Música, a dynamic Latin music program celebrating female singers and songwriters. This show was recently developed in New York and includes very talented musicians playing a variety of instruments.

Also, we are welcoming back Dan and Claudia Zanes. Their music is about community and connection, and I can’t wait to have a full crowd onsite to experience the connection between Dan, who is such a foundational member of the family music community, and Claudia, who brings emotional layers, musical nuance, and pure joy into the concert.

There are so many great shows this summer–read the show descriptions and age recommendations to find the perfect fit for your family or get out of your comfort zone and try something new. The biggest compliment to me is when a family tries a genre that they’ve never experienced before. Many families have come to trust the programming choices we make and know that whatever they choose to attend will be high quality, educational, and fun!

For a full list of performances and to purchase tickets, visit wolftrap.org/woods. Tell us which performer you are most excited to see!