Venus Theatre

Deborah Randall, Founder

Venus Theatre was incorporated and declared a 501c3 nonprofit organization in 2001.  Deborah Randall began the work of Venus six years prior.  Known as "Venus Envy" she led female improvisational players through games that entertained the temporary residents at the House of Ruth as well as Take Back the Night Marchers.  Stemming out of her work with Michelle Washingtons' SHE Co, Deb cultivated her talents for directing, producing, performing, and writing.

Trained first as an actor Deb began to crave challenging roles and wanted more interesting theatrical themes to explore.  Prior to Venus her favorite acting job (she began performing professionally in 1986) was with Theatre Conspiracy as Mary in "Why We Have A Body". This desire to continue to create interesting characters led to her branching out into writing her own plays.  Several tours and four solo projects, two written by Randall, soon followed.  Deb began to embrace the works of other living playwrights and she began to stage their works with ensemble casts.  Ensemble is a love of Randall, she believes it is one of the greatest gifts theatre has to offer.

For approximately ten years Deb staged works in unconventional spaces such as: LayFayette Square Park (to entertain the Peace Marchers with Suffrage Plays), DCAC, 1401 Playbill Cafe, Joe's Movement Emporium, 14K Cabaret, The Collective:  Unconscious, Broome Corner Studios, The SWEBO Festival, the Little Patuxent River, The Sidewalk in front of the MLK Library, Gunston Arts Center (Innovator's Series), Bookstores, The Warehouse Theatre Black Box, the Warehouse Theatre, The Warehouse Theatre Attic, and the Warehouse Next Door. 

The Venus Theatre Play Shack marks the most permanent space the company has ever seen.  Deb, along with a fleet of volunteers, has transformed the long-known Chinese Restaurant at 21 C Street into a performance studio space.

Deb's "Molly Daughter" is published in "Anthracite!  An Anthology of Pennsylvania Coal Region Plays" Philip Mosley, Editor.  Published by University of Scranton Press and distributed by Chicago University Press.  Professor Mosley presented an essay about Randall's process at a meeting of professors in Austria.

It is Deb's goal to guide Venus into a self-sustaining business that pays (predominantly female) artists a living wage to do the work they were born to do.  It is her hope that a community of artists and art-lovers will develop through this exploration.  In this journey she hopes to incubate new work, resurrect brilliant out-of-print work, and courageously stage risk-taking edgy work.  All the while celebrating creativity through workshops of nurturance and outreach to attain growth. 

Our Business

Uses theatre as a the means to bring  humanities into Prince Georges County. It is our mission to set flight to the voices of women and children with theatre for a lifetime.  In doing this, we believe that audiences will leave Venus Theatre somehow transformed.  Hopefully, with laughter and a light-hearted feeling.  We want all people to have permission to express opposing views.  In theatre, tension creates dynamic work.  We want to share that feeling of tolerance, mutual respect, and create a friendly environment of expression where it's okay to have differing opinions and thought.

Who We Are

Deb Randall, Founder

In addition to running Venus and all of its programming Deb is also a Theatre Educator for the Helen Hayes Legacy Project.  Deb hopes to make Venus an artistic home for many.  She loves directing and producing the work at Venus.  She values the HUNDREDS of artists who have contributed their great talents to the mission and looks forward to seeing it all grow.

Alan Scott, Musical Director

 A private guitar instructor, composer, guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, Alan has given Venus a unique sound.  The Heartfriends process consists of Alan creating the music, playing every instrument, singing every song, and recording the entire thing.  Alan then goes into the Shack and Directs the actors musically.  Post-production work means Alan records the vocalists over top of all that he has done.  Alan looks forward to wide distribution of really fun compositions.