About Us
Teens and Theatre Company (TnT) educates young people in theatre arts, provides a creative community 
and a sense of family, and entertains the community by providing a superior theatre experience. Founded in 2007, we are a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to engage young minds in problem solving skills, to enrich their lives through the literature and history of theatre, to educate them in the arts of theatre, and to enlighten them about the opportunities and people skills that theatre training provides. Our goal is to reach youth in the Northern Virginia/DC metro area and to create a sense of family in our performing arts community.
The company performs a variety of classical and modern theatre productions, including comedies, dramas, and musicals from a variety of genres and periods (click here for our production history). The emphasis is on skill development and training opportunities. School-year programs include middle school and high school theatre arts for homeschooled students, including Improvisational Theatre, Technical Theatre, Dramaturgy, and Writing for the Theatre. TNT is the only homeschool program in the Washington area to participate in the acclaimed Cappies awards program for high school aged critics and performers.
Artistic Director
Our founding artistic director, Rip Claassen, has been a local fixture in the Washington theatre scene for many years. He has taught theatre and acting at the Institute for the Arts for Fairfax County Public Schools, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and several other local theatre programs. Rip has directed, produced and costumed for The American Century Theater, Natural Theatricals, Howard University, America
n University, and other venues. Rip founded the Northern Virginia Theatre Festival for high schools, and provides coaching to theatre students seeking admission to competitive college theatre programs, Governor’s School, roles in community and professional theatres and other competitive programs. He is the owner and manager of The American Backstage Company.
For more information about Rip's background and teaching philosophy, click here.
