This #TechTuesday we welcome a new member of Encore’s incredible team. Alana Gibson is serving as one of two Arts Apprentices for the 2018/19 season here at Encore. We’re excited to introduce her to our wonderful Encore family. Without further ado: Ms. Alana!
Encore: Briefly introduce yourself: what’s your past experience with theatre and/or education?
Alana: Hey! I’m Alana Gibson, hailing from Prince George’s County, MD. I’m a recent graduate of Goucher College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts Administration. I’ve been involved the arts (theater and dance) since I was child. My experience with education stems from working at the Youth Center on Joint Base Andrews in Clinton, Maryland. My experience with the arts led me to teaching dance and being a Teaching Assistant for the Being Acting class at Goucher.
Encore: What’s the most memorable theatre experience you’ve ever had?
Alana: My most memorable theater experience involved being an integral part of my senior project production at Goucher. The R&J Project was an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that utilized audience-centered experimental theater. The whole class, including myself, rewrote the entire script, which included sonnets, poems, and songs. I was cast as the Nurse character that would become the radical, yet motherly, bodyguard of Juliet. Not only a writer and cast member, I was also the choreographer for the production. I wore many hats while working on that production and it’s an experience I will forever cherish.
Encore: What led you to applying for Encore’s apprenticeship program?
Alana: What led me to applying for the program was that awkward time of my senior year in college when I knew that I needed to start applying for jobs and the fact that graduation was coming closer than I realized. The theater department chair at Goucher, Becky Free (shout out to her!), forwarded me an email from Sara [Duke] about the program so I took the leap faith.
Encore: What are you most excited about during your time with us?
Alana: I’m most excited about really getting the chance to dive head first into the world of arts administration. I could have taken all the classes in the world, but nothing will beat the reality of experiencing it firsthand.
Encore: Which show are you most looking forward to in our 2018/19 season?
Alana: I’m looking forward to Jingle ARRGH The Way the most! It’ll be the first production that I will see to fruition here at Encore, so that makes it a little extra special. Also pirates plus Christmas equals a match made in heaven to me!!
To meet the lovely Alana in person, be sure to purchase your 2018/19 Season Subscription to guarantee your best seats at all of Encore’s upcoming productions. Stay tuned for next week’s #TechTuesday to meet our other awesome apprentice!
Photos by Nikki Cee and Larry McClemons. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.
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