An established cultural institution in the greater Washington area for over 25 years, Washington Revels is dedicated to reviving and celebrating cultural traditions -- music, dance, storytelling, drama and ritual -- that have bound communities together over the ages and across the globe.

Staged or informal, large or small, Revels celebrations involve adults and children of all ages, mixing professionals and nonprofessionals. Audience participation is a hallmark: singing, dancing or becoming part of the drama, Revels audiences are always an integral part of the productions. Whether participating in a Revels celebration from the audience or stage, people invariably leave with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts.

Annual events include the professionally staged and directed Christmas Revels at Lisner Auditorium (drawing over 10,000 attendees each December), Spring Celebrations, May Revels, Festival Day, Harvest Barn Dance, Revels’ SunFest and various Community and Pub Sings. Venues for these and many other productions range from outdoor parks to a 1500-seat theater

REVELS in the COMMUNITY

Washington Revels is an active participant in the broader community. Partnering with the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution's Discovery Theater, Revels adapted materials from three of its Christmas productions into multi-media programs seen by over 7000 school children. Our annual Outreach Performance reaches more than 1,200 students, seniors, and others who would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the joy of the Christmas Revels. Under our Community Initiative, Revels partners with school, church and neighborhood groups to produce Revels-style community theater, with Revels producing and directing while engaging the people of the partner communities as the performers and part of the production team.

For more information on these and other programs, visit our Education and Outreach page.

HISTORY and FUTURE

Revels was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1971 and is now active in ten cities across the United States. Each city is an independent nonprofit institution with its own board, office and artistic staff, and separate finances. An umbrella organization, Revels, Inc., maintains artistic standards for all cities, researches traditional materials from many cultures, and assists with scripts and music.

After a quarter-century in the District of Columbia, Washington Revels will relocate to its new premises in Silver Spring, MD in the summer of 2009. This new, multi-purpose facility will enable Washington Revels to expand educational programming, staged celebrations, and community involvement for Montgomery County and the entire Washington metropolitan area.

• Find out about the origins of the Revels, by reading about Revels founder Jack Langstaff.
• Revels productions take place all through the year around the country.
• Experience Revels music through Revels Recordings, Songbooks and Videos

Photo credits: Top photo by Ken Cobb; Second photo by Monica Mohindra