Happy #FrontRowFriday, Encore friends! It may be hard to believe in the weirdness that is quarantine, but mid-July has arrived. In “normal” times, tonight would have been the opening night of Encore’s summer production of West Side Story. While this isn’t the summer we all expected, we can all do our part to make it a fun and enriching season nonetheless. Dance it out with YouTube choreography, create a cereal box set design, or even look into starting some virtual voice lessons with West Side music director Sarah Markovits or one of our other talented instructors. Looking for other ways to engage with Encore and show your support in place of your production ticket purchases? I’m so glad you asked, Front Row fan. Read on for more ideas!
Newsies “seize the day” in Encore Stage & Studio’s production from Summer 2019. Photo by Cindy Kane Photography.
Follow Our Lead
Are we friends everywhere that we could be? Did you know that, in addition to Facebook and Instagram, Encore posts regularly on Tumblr and Pinterest? Once you’ve given us a follow, encourage your friends to get connected as well. You never know what we might announce next…
While you’re at it, send your favorite #EncoreSummer memories our way – we can’t wait to reminisce with you. Wishing to see something in particular (student features, trivia, IG Lives) in your feed? Send us a message with your ideas!
Take Us Out to the Ball Game
Relive the Washington Nationals’ championship season by entering our raffle for an authentic autographed jersey from your favorite third baseman, Anthony Rendon! Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20.
The winner will be drawn on Facebook Live on Thursday, July 23 at 7:00 PM EST before the first home game of the 2020 season. All proceeds will benefit Encore Stage & Studio.
Bring #EncoreSummer to Your Home
We’re well into month two of virtual summer camps with our Encore students and amazing team of teaching artists. We’ve created, imagined, and adapted, finding new ways to bring our ideas to life in this unique format. If you’re missing out on the drama of West Side Story, join us at Scenes for Tweens for Romeo and Juliet or one of our other programs for ages 3-18.
Work Out the Wiggles
For those readers with young ones at home, we hope that you’ve been enjoying Ms. A’s virtual classes for ages 6 months – 5 years. While we’re taking a break from our weekly updates due to summer camps, be sure to check in for mini-classes from Ms. A every other week throughout the summer. In the meantime, have you revisited the fun with our YouTube playlist? Share the screen with friends on Zoom for your very own at-home theatre class!
Erin Driscoll (“Maria”) and Alex Pyke (“Tony”)
Photo by Larry McClemons
Give Back to Your Community
Theatre people are adaptable by trade, but your support means more than ever during these uncertain times. Your donations allow us to continue offering scholarships to any students that are interested in summer camps this year, offering creative engagement and structure to young learners no matter their circumstances. Our staff continues to collaborate with our partners at AFAC and APAH to brainstorm ways to continue to bring theatre and its benefits to their communities. If you are able, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support Encore’s work today.
Photos by Larry McClemons and Cindy Kane Photography. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.