Community Engagement

Access

Access:  Create an open and welcoming environment for all, offering affordable access to Olney Theatre Center’s programs to ensure the widest possible engagement. We also extend our artistic work beyond the theater, bringing performances and programs directly into the surrounding communities, ensuring that the arts are accessible to everyone.

• The Wolf Community and Family Performance Series
  We offer designated matinee performances for selected shows designed to welcome families from all backgrounds and provide a fun, inclusive environment where people can come together to experience theatre and reduce barriers to entry. Email Community@olneytheatre.org for more information.
   
• First Time Free
  Olney Theatre Center strives to make theatre accessible to everyone. Through our First Time Free initiative, we offer free tickets to individuals attending a performance at Olney Theatre for the first time, lowering the barrier for entry and encouraging new audiences to experience live theatre.
   
• Affinity Nights
  To cultivate a more inclusive and welcoming space, we host Affinity Nights with discounted tickets, where specific groups—such as local cultural, social, or professional communities—can come together to enjoy a performance in an environment that honors their shared experiences and identities.
   
• Summerfest
  Olney Theatre’s Summerfest is a seasonal celebration that brings together the community to enjoy outdoor performances, food, music, and a wide array of family-friendly activities. It’s a creative, inclusive gathering that strengthens the bonds within our local community.
   
• Class Collabs (see CREATIVITY)
  Olney Theatre Center partners with a public school in a year-long residency in which teaching artists visit classes to work with students in creating a performance piece inspired by themes in one of our season’s productions. Students work with teaching artists multiple times throughout the school year to explore these themes and devise their piece, which is then performed on one of Olney Theatre’s stages for friends and family. The class also attends a student matinee performance of the show. Through Class Collab, students gain confidence in themselves and develop their analytical skills by engaging critically with source material to come up with a totally original artistic piece by the end of the school year.
   
• Library Partnerships
  Olney Theatre collaborates with Olney Library in Montgomery County to offer Story Time sessions alongside each play or musical in the season. Additionally, we host book club discussions focused on books that share themes with our staged productions.
   
• Special one-time Community events
  Depending on the occasion and event we work with the artistic team to send actors and cast members for special appearances in the community.

Participation

Participation:  Provide opportunities for community members to learn about, engage with, and actively contribute to the development, execution and content of Olney Theater Center’s programs, fostering a deeper connection to our work and a sense of ownership in its creation.

• Community Engagement Committee (CEC)
  At the heart of our Participation efforts is the Community Engagement Committee (CEC), a diverse group of community members who bring a variety of perspectives, life experiences, and expertise to our work. This committee provides valuable insights and guidance on programming, helping to ensure that our offerings reflect and serve the needs of the broader community. We invite you to join us in this ongoing collaborative journey. Complete this form if you want to join the Community Engagement Committee.
   
• Internal Showcase
  Since 2018, Olney Theatre Center has hosted an “Internal Showcase” as part of our season planning process. This event invites a diverse group of participants—including staff, artists, Board members, donors, volunteers, patrons, students, and community members—to engage with plays under consideration for the upcoming season.
  During the showcase, actors perform unrehearsed readings of 25-minute excerpts from non-musical plays, followed by a 25-minute discussion with the audience. The feedback informs the shaping of future seasons, helping us decide which plays will best resonate with our community and mission.
   
• Community Mixers
  To foster deeper connections within the community, Olney Theatre hosts Community Mixers—informal gatherings that encourage dialogue, idea sharing, and relationship-building. These mixers are an opportunity for individuals to meet new people, share experiences, and get involved in shaping the future of the theatre and its community programs.
   
• Behind the Scenes
  The tradition of behind-the-scenes discussion on Opening Nights was created to offer our patrons and the local community a deeper understanding of the shows we produce. We aim to help you see not only why we chose the play, beyond its remarkable artistry, but also to explore the themes that connect with us and the communities around us.

Creativity

Creativity:  Unleash the creative potential of our community members by providing opportunities to create, experiment, and practice the art of performance, empowering them to explore and express their own unique voices.

• Beyond the Stage
  Olney Theatre Center is committed to expanding the definition of "art" by offering creative opportunities that go beyond traditional performances. Beyond the Stage programs include workshops, lectures, and collaborative art-making activities that encourage community members to express themselves, explore new artistic forms, and engage with theatre in innovative ways.
   
• Trivia Night
  Our regular Trivia Nights blend fun with learning, offering participants the chance to compete in a friendly, competitive environment while also engaging with various aspects of theatre, culture, and history. This event fosters both creativity and community spirit.
   
• Summerfest
  Olney Theatre’s Summerfest is a seasonal celebration that brings together the community to enjoy outdoor performances, food, music, and a wide array of family-friendly activities. It’s a creative, inclusive gathering that strengthens the bonds within our local community.
   
• Education Programs: At Olney Theatre Center, we believe that all theatermakers are artists, and all artists should be theatermakers. Our educational programs aim to nurture creativity and provide training opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds. We offer in-school residencies, summer camps, student matinee performances, campus tours, and one-off workshops, and are planning to expand with more programs during the school year including after-school theater classes and adult education opportunities with the opening of our new Education Center.

  Central to our mission is our apprenticeship program, where early-career theater artists gain hands-on, real-world experience in nearly every department of our professional theater. Apprentices live on campus and work closely with our full-time staff—many of whom are alumni of the program—gaining invaluable connections and skills.

Gathering

Gathering:  Open our spaces to community members and groups, offering a welcoming environment where they can collaborate, connect, and pursue their own missions and interests, fostering shared experiences and collective growth.

Information coming soon.

Civic Duty

Civic Duty: We believe Olney Theatre Center should matter to everyone in our community. This means embracing our civic responsibility to highlight what’s important to those we serve as a platform for meaningful conversations on issues that matter most. We are committed to actively contributing to the vitality and well-being of our communities, using the arts as a powerful tool for positive change, growth, and social impact. 

• Community Partner Program
  The Community Partners program is an annual initiative where two qualified nonprofit organizations are being elevated to the position of our Community Partners. The mission and work of these organizations are being amplified in multiple ways, including in-kind donations, on-site conversations, tickets, and marketing opportunities. The organizations are being selected based on a set of criteria, including the value they are adding to the identified community and their work in areas relating to the themes being presented in each programming season. We are highlighting one organization during the Fall and the other during the Spring season.
   
• Juneteenth Celebration
  Olney Theatre's Juneteenth celebration returns this year after the overwhelming success of its inaugural event. In partnership with the Sandy Spring Slave Museum, the celebration will once again bring together the community to honor the significance of Juneteenth — the day that marks the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. This year’s event will feature powerful performances, historical reflections, and educational activities that highlight the rich cultural heritage and ongoing legacy of freedom and resilience. With its growing popularity, the celebration promises to be an enriching and uplifting experience, fostering a deeper understanding of history and unity within our community.

Past Events: CIVIC DUTY

• Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence
  Through initiatives like Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence, Olney Theatre Center provides a platform for dialogue and advocacy around critical social issues. This event brings together theatre professionals, community members, and activists to raise awareness and inspire change around gun violence and other societal challenges.
   

Promote the Vote
Olney Theatre Center plays an active role in encouraging civic engagement, particularly through initiatives like Promote the Vote, which works to inform and motivate individuals to exercise their right to vote by partnering with local community organizations. We believe in the power of informed citizens to create positive social change, and our efforts are aimed at empowering individuals to take part in shaping the future of their communities and the nation.