Greetings, Encore fans! Last week was quite the whirlwind as the 6th annual Encore Benefit Breakfast was prepared and launched. If you weren’t able to join us on April 10th, fear not; we’ve got your Front Row recap covered. Read on to get the highlights of a wonderful morning in support of “Theatre by kids, for kids!”
Characters Gone Rogue
One of our favorite parts of the Breakfast is getting to see talented Encore performers from across the current season share their talents with an excited audience, up close and personal. This year, our characters were on the lose: pirates from Jingle ARRGH the Way, famous literary faces from The Enchanted Bookshop, Robin Hood‘s merry band, even The Talented Clementine herself! Board President Carole Russo called in the Ghostchasers to crash the breakfast and hunt down the missing characters. Fortunately, Sharktooth the Pirate was able to open the Breakfast with the hilarious song “I’m a Star” before Honcho and his gang were able to track down the dancing pirates.
A Presidential Welcome
Board president Carole Russo officially opened the Breakfast with a warm welcome to all those present, with special thanks to the Breakfast planning committee, Board of Directors, and Encore staff. She also highlighted 2019 Celeste Award winner, Melissa Huston, thanking her for all of her hard work and dedication as an Encore volunteer.
An Enchanted Auction
Next, the cast of The Enchanted Bookshop drew attention to some of the excellent prizes up for grabs in the 2019 Encore Silent Auction. These packages included such perks as Washington Nationals tickets, a night at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, tickets to Signature Theatre, and more! What a great way to both treat yourself and support “Theatre by kids, for kids!”
Leading at Encore and Beyond
Breakfast attendees had the pleasure of hearing from student speaker, Caitlyn Knittig, a participant of over 14 Encore productions. Her heartfelt speech shared her personal experience of growth, trust, and the family she found within Encore. She eloquently spoke on how the confidence and leadership skills she gained through participating in theatre prepared her to launch her own non-profit organization, We Support the Girls.
“Daydreaming”
Clementine herself, portrayed by Nyla Elder, shared a song from the upcoming world premiere of The Talented Clementine. The show has been in development for over two years in partnership with Kid Pan Alley and even features songs that were written with the help of local students from Carlin Springs Elementary School. This fun and light-hearted production opens May 31st, so get your tickets today!
The Merriest of Bands
Some key figures of Encore’s recent production of Robin Hood took the makeshift stage to share their point of view.
The Top Ten Reasons You Should Donate to Encore:
10: Encore is growing to serve more kids! Over 275 students will participate in our productions this year – at no cost to them. Ticket sales only cover approximately 40% of our production costs. We rely on donations to help us present high-quality entertainment at affordable prices to our community.
9: We’ve added new education programs and expanded existing ones to engage more kids! We’re in 25 elementary schools across Northern Virginia for after-school classes. We’ve also added a session to our Stage Door summer conservatory program – and it’s sold out. This would not be possible without donors like you!
8: It’s never too early to start thinking about college! The CollegeBoard reports that students who have been part of a play or musical score, on average, 91 points higher than the overall mean SAT score. We like to think of theatre as an important part of college prep!
7: We’re constantly updating our productions with new equipment and technology – remember the crystal-clear audio? We invested in new microphones. Or the impressive stage combat? We have an awesome production team that works with kids onstage and backstage!
6: Encore’s partnership with the Arlington Food Assistance Center is entering its third year. The Healthy Play Initiative provides a creative play class for preschoolers while their parents pick up groceries once a week. Donations support this important outreach initiative.
5: My parents keep asking me “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Regardless of what I choose, the skills I’m learning at Encore will serve me well. Did you know that 72% of business leaders say creativity is the number one skill they seek when hiring?
4: Encore is again partnering with Project Extra Step, Arlington Public School’s Homeless student office, to bring 13 students from Doorways and Bridges to Independence to attend our Spring Break Camp this year. Your donations provide scholarships for students from across Northern Virginia.
3: Participating in live theatre has critically important benefits for young people. I’ve learned teamwork, leadership, creativity, literacy, and problem-solving skills, as well as self-confidence. Encore provides a stage where students like me can use our creativity to discover our potential.
2: Encore has been an important member of the community since 1967. We recently launched an advocacy campaign to save arts funding in Arlington. #ARLSaveOurStage was a success. We made our voices heard. Encore is a leader in the arts community and beyond!
1: The number one reason to give to Encore? Because when I win a Tony award, an Oscar, or the Nobel Prize… You’ll want me to remember you in my acceptance speech, right? In all seriousness, your donation today will make a world of difference to our organization. Your support for Encore students helps us to achieve our dreams, both on and off stage.
“Engaged and ready!”
Following a heartfelt thanks from Executive Director Sara Duke, the Ghostchasers managed to round up all of our runaway characters and send them back to their respective stories. Lucky for us, Miss Clementine managed to hide away, welcoming attendees to join her at the world premiere of The Talented Clementine. With so much warmth and positivity in the room, this year’s Breakfast certainly made our Front Row News(ies)!
We had a wonderful time at this year’s Breakfast. We’re grateful to all of those who were able to attend, perform, and support “Theatre by kids, for kids.” Missed the Breakfast? There is still time to make a meaningful contribution this fiscal year.
Photos by Aileen Pangan Christian. Benefit Breakfast script by Sara Strehle Duke. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.
Pingback: Coming to Encore: Flip the Script – Encore Stage & Studio
Pingback: From Advocacy to Additions: Awesome April Highlights – Encore Stage & Studio