New Encore Board of Directors President Takes Five (Questions)

Encore Stage & Studio is delighted to welcome our new Board members this year. In addition, we more than grateful to have had members who made a big impact to our organization over the years. Meet our new Board of Directors President, Jerry Gidner as he shares his passion and enthusiasm for Encore, what to expect for the future, and how our community can become involved.

Encore: Question #1 – How did you get involved with Encore?

Jerry: I got involved with Encore when my daughter was cast in a show – The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I was just finishing an MBA and as I volunteered for various parent duties and watched how Encore operated, I was thinking of different ways that Encore could increase revenue, form new strategic alliances, increase fundraising, and grow deeper roots into the community. I wrote a 5 page memo to the Producer of the show with some ideas, and the next thing I knew I was invited to join the Board of Directors! That was three years ago and I was just recently became the President of the Board.

Encore: Question #2 – What excites you about working with Encore?

Jerry: So many things. First, it is truly amazing to see the kids involved with Encore grow, both as actors and as leaders. I see it in my daughter, but also in the other actors I have watched grow up with Encore the last few years. Being in a theater production develops teamwork, responsibility, accountability – all things we want to see our children develop as they turn into adults. If an actor isn’t paying attention, misses his cue, and doesn’t appear on stage when he’s supposed to, he can affect the whole show. And let down all the actors and tech crew who have worked very hard to make the show a reality. Not to mention the several hundred people who paid to bring their kids to watch the show. So you have to be there when its your cue. And the kids doing that, some of them, are 9 years old and there is nobody backstage telling them, “It’s your cue, you have to go on.” We expect them to be responsible enough to be where they need to be. And they are. It’s beautiful to watch.

Second, the way the actors nurture each other. There is a whole range of ages in each show, from 9 to 18. Its boys and girls. And its kids from a number of different schools. I don’t think kids get a chance to interact with that kind of diverse spectrum in many places. School is split into age groups. Sports are usually split into age groups. But here, they are all together. You might think the older kids would treat the younger ones poorly, but the exact opposite is true. I’ll never forget my daughter’s first show, when she was maybe 10 years old, and in fourth or fifth grade, and all the actors were leaving the theater on opening night, and one of the actors who played a main character and who was much older than my daughter, called across the parking lot and my daughter she had done a great job that night. I was very impressed and that might be the moment I fell in love with Encore. It made me realize it is MUCH more than just a theater.

And last is our potential. We have been in existence for 46 years now, and have done some great things. But in the past two years, we have hired an Executive Director, a marketing coordinator, and an education program manager, and really have the staff now to start to really ramp up our programs even more. And it shows in what we offer the community. We now have the Encore Show Choir, Encore Presents, Mini-Camps on holidays and parent teacher conference days, and Improv Fest, where kids do a workshop on improvisational comedy and then perform. We switched to an online ticket system so you can buy tickets with a credit card, not only at the box office, but from your own home. Its much more convenient for our patrons. We developed a Strategic Plan to guide us into the future, broadened the experience of our Board, and are forming alliances with other local organizations, such as the Prelude Youth Orchestra. And these things are just the beginning. We are committed to expand our reach and our programming, forge ties with minority communities, and offer more ways for kids in Northern Virginia to experience all aspects of theater.

I think a lot of hard work by many Board members over many years has really laid the groundwork for us to really fulfill our vision of being a regional home for youth who are interested in the performing arts.

Encore: Question #3 – As President of the Board, what can we look forward to in Encore’s future?

Jerry: As mentioned above, we will be expanding our programming to make the Encore experience available to more kids, and trying to forge more partnerships to expand our reach. The biggest things we will be focusing on as a Board of Directors, though, is improving our Development or fundraising program and improving our facilities situation. As a theater company, we do have revenue from ticket sales and class tuition. But to expand and improve, and to offer our programs to low income families, we need to raise more money. So we will be expanding our outreach to corporate and individual donors to make that happen. And we are growing so fast our current office and classroom space can’t keep up with us. I would love for us to operate out of a Youth Performing Arts Center. That may be a long way away. In the meantime, though, we need to find space that will let us grow and serve more students.

Encore: Question #4 – Thus, far what is your favorite or most rewarding experience from working with Encore?

Jerry: Without a doubt, its the friendships that my daughter and I have made. It seems like everywhere we go, she sees someone she has met in an Encore show. And they are such a welcoming, nurturing group of kids. It is really great to see. And I have met so many new people through Encore, from all different fields, that I never would have met otherwise. Encore is just this amazing gem of an organization, offering truly unique opportunities for our kids. And to be able to work together with a group of passionate, committed people to really make that gem shine is one of the greatest joys in my life.

Encore: Question #5 How can others in the community get involved?