How Encore’s Adapting: It’s Elementary (ages 3-9)
Greetings, Encore fans and welcome back to The Front Row blog! Over the next few posts, we’re excited to share a fun (and informative) series with our readers. As many of us are experiencing personally, Encore too has been faced with many questions and difficulties since we’ve begun working and learning from home. Luckily, theatre brings out the best in us and creates creative problem solvers! Our staff has been working hard since March to adapt and craft a series of virtual summer programs that will combine the versatility of this new virtual platform with the collaboration, imagination, and fun that you’ve come to expect and love from Encore’s summer camps. We’re happy to share about each of our camp programs and how they will be adapting to the virtual format. Up first, we have It’s Elementary:
Ages 3-5
Encore is excited to provide a summer experience for our youngest theatre lovers. In this morning program, students are engaged through activities tailored especially for them: song and movement, music and rhythm, storytelling, and crafts. Our experienced teaching artists will welcome your little ones into the warm and wonderful world of theatre with a fun new theme each camp week. We aim to minimize the amount of screen time necessary to get the most out of camp. While we will come together at points in the virtual Zoom classroom, the majority of activities (dance/movement, craft time, etc.) will be provided in pre-recorded video content that families can access at their leisure.
Pre-K Schedule – Schedule Breakdown
Start: 9 AM EST
End: 11:40 AM EST
9:00-9:10: Morning Gathering
9:10-9:20: Welcome
9:20-9:25: Schedule Review
9:25-9:40: Warm-Up
9:40-9:45: Question Break
9:45-10:00: Storytime
10:00-10:20: Snack/Bathroom Break
10:20-10:30: Welcome Back/Game
10:30-10:40: Song/Movement
10:40-10:45: Question Break
10:45-11:05: Arts and Crafts
11:05-11:15: Craft Share
11:15-11:25: Parent Instruction
11:25-11:30: Parent Q&A
11:30-11:40: Goodbye Song/Dismissal
Ages 5-9
Short on time? Fear not! Encore’s one-week camps are anything but short on fun. We’re excited to offer a summer of brand new themes to captivate your students’ minds and activate their energetic creativity through a jam-packed week of movement, character creation, problem-solving, and more!
It’s Elementary Schedule – Schedule Breakdown
Start: 10 AM EST
End: 4 PM EST
10:00am-10:10am: Welcome/Roll Call
10:10am-10:20am: Ice Breaker/Game
10:20am-11:15am: Break into Groups/Warm-Up Activity
11:15am-11:30am: Snack and Bathroom Break
11:30am-12:00pm: Roll Call/Break into Groups/Activity
12:00pm-12:30pm: Pre-recorded Arts and Crafts
12:30pm-01:15pm: Lunch/Recess
01:15pm-02:00pm: Roll Call/Break into Groups
02:00pm-02:30pm: Movement Dance (Pre-recorded link)
02:30pm-02:35pm: Review Dance/Movement as Group
02:35pm-02:45pm: Break into Groups/Guided Imagery (live)
02:45pm-02:55pm: Snack/Bathroom Break
02:55pm-04:00pm: Activity/Good-bye
Now that you’ve had a peek at the virtual schedule, check out the teaching team that will be joining us this summer! We’re excited to welcome new and familiar faces to join us for another amazing Encore Summer!
Still have questions about how a virtual theatre camp could work? Please visit our FAQs and enjoy the Q&A session from Encore’s virtual Open House event that took place on Saturday, May 30, 2020.
If you have additional questions regarding summer programming or if you’d like to receive a full recording of the Open House event, please email camp@encorestage.org. Our staff will be happy to reach out and assist you!
Photos by Shannon McCarthy and Aileen Christian. Video editing by Rebecca Pfeil. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.
“Kindness and Enthusiasm” w/ Alum Wyatt Fenner
Welcome back to the Front Row blog, Encore fans! Today we’re excited to share a new interview with another one of our accomplished alumni. Join us as Wyatt Fenner shares his recent projects, advice to theatre newcomers, and a few of his favorite Encore memories, including…a love story? Read on to learn more!
Encore: Please introduce yourself, what are you up to now (jobs, projects, shows, etc.)?
Wyatt: My name is Wyatt Fenner and I am an actor living in New York City by way of Los Angeles. Most recently I’ve joined the cast of the Amazon Prime Digital series After Forever which was just nominated for six 2020 Daytime Emmy Awards, including outstanding Digital Drama Series, and is available to stream now. I’ve also recently workshopped several new plays which are in development and aimed for production when we are safely able to enjoy theatre again. After I finished up at Yorktown High School in Arlington I moved to Los Angeles where I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Southern California. In my career on stage, I’ve worked on world premieres of new plays with amazing directors and writers including the late Terrence McNally, Moisés Kaufman, Darko Tresnjak, Michael Kahn, Samuel D. Hunter, Steve Yockey, Brian Christopher Williams, Bert V. Royal, and many other amazing artists.
Wyatt as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles
Encore: Which years and productions were you involved in Encore?
Wyatt: My first production with Encore, at the time called Children’s Theatre of Arlington (CTA) was Sing Ho For A Prince in the winter of 1994-1995, in which I played one of the fairies. Next, I did just about every play I could for the next few years: Jack and the Magic Beans, Rhumba Tia, Robin Hood, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Jungle Book, Cinderella, and I worked on the technical crew for Snow White, and The Reluctant Dragon. Each of those summers I also attended the Stage Door summer camps in July, which included amazing classes and a huge end of session entire camp performance at the Lubber Run Amphitheater.
Wyatt Fenner (“Mowgli”) and Franny Thomas (“Shere Khan”)
Encore: What was your most memorable moment at Encore and why?
Wyatt: My most memorable experience with CTA would be hard to pinpoint because the organization opened up an entire world to me that fundamentally change my life. My first memory is being in the hallway at the Gunston Arts Center in line to audition for Sing Ho for a Prince next to Katelyn Prominski. I’d never auditioned for a play before. Katelyn and I were the first two kids in line and nobody else was there yet. She’s a ballerina and was already an incredibly talented dancer, and so while we waited Katelyn was doing barre stretches and ballet warm-up exercises. I am not a ballet dancer and I had no idea what she was doing but it seemed as though whatever she was doing was what a person did while they waited for an audition so I just started copying her stretches. Like- as best as I could, I kind of just pretended I also knew exactly what I was doing and that this was very every day for me. I was in an environment I wanted to be a part of and I wasn’t sure exactly how to do that- but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I’m sure I looked ridiculous but Katelyn didn’t make fun of me or tell me to stop copying her- she included me in the process.
Everyone I shared my time with at Children’s Theatre of Arlington operated with that generosity of spirit. That’s why it’s difficult to pinpoint a moment that was most memorable- helping each other do our stage makeup, pizza parties after the show, late-night trampoline parties on the weekends, the organization provided all of us a place to connect with other kids who were interested in being imaginative and open-hearted- and we all embraced and celebrated that about one another.
Encore: What skills or lessons did you take away from your time at Encore?
Wyatt: The biggest lessons I took away from Encore were the value of being myself with confidence and the importance extending the kindness and enthusiasm I appreciate in the world to the people I am working with and encountering day-to-day. Encouragement makes everyone better and kindness is always what matters most.
Wyatt Fenner (“King”) and Jamie Hyder (“Stepsister”).
Jamie now plays Detective Katriona Tamin on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Encore: Were there any friendships or people who resonated with you at Encore?
Wyatt: There were so many friendships that resonate deeply with me from my time creating with the Children’s Theatre, including many who I am still close with now. The one relationship that I am certainly especially grateful for is my partner Andrew. Andrew and I both attended the Stage Door summer camp when we were children and when we serendipitously reconnected at a weekend with a group of friends gathered in the country several years ago we immediately remembered one another from our friendship during our time together at Stage Door. We picked up right where we’d left off back then during those summers together at camp- and not long after that weekend, we fell in love. At Stage Door, we were in an environment where we were taught and given the space to laugh and share and inspire one another to do and be our best, which is how we spend our life together now- all in part thanks to those summers we were creating and using our imaginations together at Camp. We live together in Manhattan where I do my work as an actor and he works as a member of the legal team at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Wyatt Fenner (“Linus”)
Encore: What have you been doing to stay creative at home?
Wyatt: Staying creative for me has involved reading, reading, reading, and more reading. I was already a big reader but now that the projects I had been looking forward to digging into are postponed, I’ve been spending several hours a day with whatever book I’m digging through. I find that reading is like going to the gym and getting a really good workout for my imagination. I’ve kept a journal since I was in middle school so I do that and I’ve also been cooking a lot of good meals for myself and Andrew and I’ve been doing the original 1982 Jane Fonda Workout (Advanced Version) every day- it’s a great workout and it’s fun. It’s important to stay fit in every way you can. Another wonderful creative part of the quarantine for me has been writing to and catching up with friends from a distance.
Wyatt Fenner (“Servant”) and Stefanie Cardillo (“Singing Harp”)
Encore: How has theatre and Encore impacted your life?
Wyatt: Theatre has always enriched my life by teaching me about what I don’t already know and allowing me to share what I’ve learned as well as my heart with the people who come to experience what I’ve created with me. Encore taught me that I have the ability to do so and gave me my first opportunities to discover this about myself.
Wyatt Fenner (“John Arable”)
Encore: Any words and wishes to share with students interested in trying out theatre?
Wyatt: Go for it! Have fun! Be brave and if that means standing up in front of a group of other kids to sing a song or if that means approaching a lunch table of kids you don’t feel like you know very well yet- go for it! You’ll learn so much about yourself by taking chances that might seem scary.
Many thanks to Wyatt for taking the time to share such lovely Encore memories with us! We appreciate you and wish you nothing but the best in all of your future projects.
If you or your family members find yourselves searching for connection and creativity during this uncertain time, please join us for a virtual summer camp program! Our staff has been hard at work developing engaging and unique virtual content since March and we can’t wait to share it with all of YOU!
Join us tomorrow morning (Saturday, May 30) for a fun and informative Open House event via Zoom as we share all about our summer camps both virtual and in-person! Virtually meet the teachers that will be joining us this year and see some of their special talents. Hear from the camp directors and learn their plans for taking summer online if necessary. Experience a sample class to get a taste of what a virtual camp program could look like for your students. Our staff will also be available to answer questions from the audience.
Simply “The Best” with Techie Gabby S.
Happy #TechTuesday, Encore fans! Today we’re excited to chat with one of our Encore “crewtons,” Gabby. We’re excited to learn more about her theatre experiences and what keeps her coming back to participate on our tech crews. Let’s go!
Encore: Please briefly introduce yourself. How did you get involved with Encore?
Gabby: I’m Gabby Simek and I’m in 10th grade at Arlington Tech. I was getting bored with my other activities, so my mom encouraged me to try Encore because she knew that I used to love theatre so much in middle school and still do. I wasn’t sure because I’m not much of an actor, but I tried tech crew and loved it. I did a summer camp last year, then my first official show was Disney’s Frozen Jr. last fall.
Mary Poppins Jr.
Stage Door/Tech Camp 2019
Encore: How long have you been participating in Encore productions and in which capacities?
Gabby: I have been participating in Encore’s productions for only one year. I started with Mary Poppins Jr. Tech Camp last summer. I’ve done three shows so far: Disney’s Frozen Jr, Narnia, and The Three Musketeers. I was planning to do The Frog Prince of Spamalot and West Side Story before the pandemic happened.
Encore: What are the biggest/most significant things you’ve taken away from working on Encore shows?
Gabby: I would say that the biggest thing I have taken away from working on tech crew is being able to trust your team. You have to be able to count on others to do their best and work hard, especially when something doesn’t go according to plan and we have to fix it quickly.
Encore: Do you have a favorite crew-related memory you’d like to share?
Gabby: My favorite memories are the downtime between shows or at rehearsal when we were done setting up and we could hang out and talk. We call it “nap time” because it gets really cold backstage so sometimes so we bring blankets to snuggle in and have “nap time” where no one actually sleeps but we all relax backstage and hang out.
Encore: Do you have any advice you’d give kids who might be interested in trying out for crew in the future?
Gabby: For future Tech kids, I suggest you try to make a healthy balance between the hard work and fun stuff we do. You have to find a way to be organized and stay on task but still can have lots of fun. Also, try out different jobs – I learned sound as well as backstage tasks this year. Next, I want to try out the lighting jobs. Then hopefully one day I can be a stage manager!
Encore: Describe Encore Stage & Studio in five words or short phrases.
Gabby: Wonderful. Loving. Fun. Hard work. Also The Best!!!!!!
Encore: Anything else you’d like to share?
Gabby: Tech crew was like a sanctuary for me because people understand how hard it can be to deal with school and personal problems. In tech, it was easy to make friends and find people who were willing to help and be there for you!
Many thanks to Gabby for taking the time out of her distance learning schedule to talk tech with us. Hopefully, we’ll be back in the shop and the theatre again soon!
If you’re interested in learning more about Tech Camp (as well as what virtual Tech Camp might look like, if need be), be sure to tune into our Instagram Live tomorrow at 1 PM. Production Manager Rebecca Pfeil will be interviewing Tech Camp director Kyla McLaughlin, as well as one of Encore’s tech-iest alums, Luci Harris. You won’t want to miss this shop talk, so follow us on IG today!
To learn more about both our in-person and potentially-virtual summer camp offerings, please join us for a virtual Open House event on Saturday, May 30th. Virtually meet the teachers that will be joining us this year and see some of their special talents. Hear from the camp directors and learn their plans for taking summer online if necessary. Experience a sample class to get a taste of what a virtual camp program could look like for your students. Our staff will also be available to answer questions from the audience. Registration is free and open now!
Additional photos provided by Encore participant Gabby Simek.
Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.
How to Prepare for a Virtual Experience
1) Assemble the Team
The awesome upside of virtual classes and camps is that students can participate from anywhere. If you’ve ever wanted to invite your cousins, neighbors, or faraway BFF’s to experience the Encore magic with you, now is the time! You all will collaborate to create a unique online performance experience.
2) Send [You] to Zoom!
Encore has so far successfully utilized the Zoom platform to offer our online classes, camps, and private lessons. We recommend downloading the platform in advance, to ensure smooth sailing when class time arrives. As a security measure, your account’s display name should be set as the student’s first name and last initial (ex. “Shannon M.”) when you sign up for Zoom. This will allow Encore’s teaching staff to match your Zoom account to the class roster and guarantee a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants.
3) Get Some Space
Find a place in your home that feels like your personal stage. You’ll want room to move around as we warm up, learn more about camera angles, and, in some cases, work on dance or combat choreography. We’ve found that most of our virtual students are most successful in a living or family room type of environment.
4) Find Your Light
Lighting is such as important in online settings as it is when a performer goes on stage. We recommend finding a place to film that faces a source of natural light, such as a window, if possible. If not, try to set up near a light source that will allow the camera to capture all sides and angles of your face as you perform. Don’t worry if it feels a bit confusing; our awesome teaching staff will help you adjust as needed.
5) Check, Check
If you can, try a practice call with a friend or a member of your family before class begins, to make sure that your audio is working well. This way, the teacher and other members of your virtual program will hear your great work perfectly. You’ll also be getting the best experience possible when you’re able to capture all of the instructions that are being said.
6) Prep Your Materials
Some teachers may share script selections (called “sides” or a “cut”), worksheets, or other helpful materials throughout your class or camp. Be sure to print these out ahead of time or have them available to view on another device. This will allow you to fully participate without any scrambling to get ready for class. It’s also helpful to have a pencil and some scrap paper on standby, just in case.
7) A V.I.T. (Very Important Task)
*Drum roll* please… Have fun! Above all, the purpose of Encore’s virtual programming is to engage students in a creative and exciting way, especially during these potentially confusing or grey days. We know that a new format sometimes takes a bit to get used to, but we encourage everyone to shake off the nerves and enjoy the human connection and magic that comes along with creating theatre.
To learn more about how Encore is preparing for the possibility of virtual and combination summer camps, please join us for a virtual Open House event on Saturday, May 30th. Virtually meet the teachers that will be joining us this year and see some of their special talents. Hear from the camp directors and learn their plans for taking summer online if necessary.
Experience a sample class to get a taste of what a virtual camp program could look like for your students. Our staff will also be available to answer questions from the audience. Participants will receive a secure Zoom link via email the day before our event.
10:00 am – 10:45 am – It’s Elementary (Ages 3-9)
11:00 am – 11:45 am – Scenes for Tweens (Ages 8-12)
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm – Stage Door and Center Stage (Ages 11-18)
Registration is free.
Photos by Aileen Pangan Christian, Larry McClemons, Aimee Pangan, Clarence Chan, and Cindy Kane Photography. Graphic design by Aileen Pangan Christian and Aimee Pangan. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.
Creativity & Joy with Encore’s Staff
Another #FrontRowFriday is upon us, friends. I don’t know about you, but the weekend certainly brings a spring to my step (even if the only place I’m walking is around my house or neighborhood). Before you log off for a weekend of relaxation and pampering for the moms in your life, please enjoy some wise words from Encore’s amazing team.
How does theatre bring you joy?
Kyla McLaughlin: Getting to share in creating something that could only be made in that moment by the people there makes me feel connected and creative!
Aileen Christian: There’s always a story that unfolds– in the script, music, and choreography. It brings me joy to witness and experience how these different elements and talents come together to create something magical!
Madaline Langston: Theatre allows me to dream. To explore the possibilities beyond self.
Shannon McCarthy: Working on a production automatically puts you on a team. You are all working toward the goal of a successful show. Whether you’re playing a family onstage, coordinating with a tech partner to execute a scene change, or working on the production team, you are instantly bonded together. In a world where many connections are made from behind a distant screen, there’s something incredibly special about connecting with others through any art form, particularly theatre.
Share a significant moment when you experienced teamwork shine in a production.
Kyla: I love watching sets come down during strike! It’s exciting to see how quickly it all comes apart thanks to all the hands helping out.
Shannon: I think that the most significant example of theatrical teamwork that I’ve experienced would have to be my senior thesis directing project at Sweet Briar College. As a first-time director, it’s kind of outrageous that I selected She Kills Monsters as my script, but I was intensely drawn to the characters, the plotline, and (I will admit) the spectacle. The show is partially set in a fantasy Dungeons & Dragons universe, complete with monsters and mythical creatures. It was a huge undertaking that I could never have executed alone. I had to depend on my fellow students who had skills in lighting, prop construction, costume and makeup design, choreography, and more. It was a huge undertaking, but it came together beautifully.
Aileen: One of my favorite moments of teamwork is seeing Stage Door and Tech Camp all come together on their final performance every summer. It still amazes me how much is accomplished in just three weeks. The students want to learn and want to be there!
Their teamwork shows greatly when they make the musical come to life.
Madaline: During the Flip the Script tour, actors had to step into the role of understudies. During rehearsals, I loved watching the original cast sharing with the understudies so they could perform the characters as they were created. Because of the actors’ care of the characters and each other, everyone was invited to perform on the national stage (Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center).
What does theatre teach us about empathy?
Madaline: When we have the courage to step out of our lives and invite someone in to share in their journey, it can be life-altering. Everyone has a story.
Jordan Wells: Theatre allows us to experience other people’s stories, stories that we may not have otherwise encountered. These new perspectives allow us to gain insight into the world around us and how events and situations can impact us all differently. In addition to teaching us the value of having empathy, theatre can also teach us the dangers that come with a lack of empathy.
Aileen: Theatre invites us to see what it’s like in another person’s shoes. I think that’s important to learn different perspectives outside our own and gain a higher understanding.
A.K. Nell: Theatre allows us to experience the life of someone else for a short while; and to do that, you end up stepping into their shoes, doing what they do, and feeling what they feel.
[Theatre] shows us that while it may not be our personal experience, we can live it and feel it too.
Kyla: Theatre not only asks us to read stories from around the world but to live the experiences of people from all over and from every time period. There’s always something more we can learn about ourselves from people who came before us or who live in completely different worlds than we do.
Shannon: As an actor, you can draw upon your own experiences, but that will only get you so far. Hopefully, you’ve had a pretty fortunate and happy life, but you may be called upon to portray a character that faces heartbreak, tragedy, or misfortune. You have to imagine how circumstances affect others outside of your circle of awareness and influence. I’m particularly aware of my own privilege right now during this global health crisis. Yes, I may be nervous about things and might not be able to find excess toilet paper, for example, but I’m so lucky to have a home, to have the ability to stock up on important supplies, etc.
Either onstage or backstage, how has theatre helped you be a leader?
Kyla: Theatre gives me opportunities to build and design things I wouldn’t have thought of in normal life and, through those creative projects, I get bigger and better ideas of things I could build in the future.
Jordan: Theatre has helped me be a leader by providing me a safe space to learn from others, so that I could ultimately serve as a role model for my peers.
Madaline: Whether you are an actor or a crew member, you have a responsibility to each other and the production. Each experience allows for growth. When you can perform your duties when no one is watching because it is the right thing to do, you are developing into a leader.
How has creativity helped you beyond theatre?
A.K.: Being creative is effective in my life in so many ways. I find myself being able to more easily problem solve, help others with more insight, and take projects to the next level. Creativity is a mindset, a way to approach the world.
Madaline: Creativity has taught me that there is always an answer. Be patient and work through it.
Kyla: Creativity helps me problem solve in every aspect of life and to find new ways of working with others and moving forward together.
Aileen: Creativity allows me to problem solve and be innovative, using what I have to make things work and press forward.
Shannon: Theatre helps you to not only think outside the box, but to think through, around, and under the box. To dismantle the box altogether and build something entirely new! I use these creative thinking skills every day as a marketer; we’re always trying to come up with new and exciting ways to share Encore’s programs with new potential students and audience members.
Blog contributions by the staff of Encore Stage & Studio.
Edited by Shannon McCarthy.
2020 Benefit Breakfast Recap
Welcome back to The Front Row blog, Encore fans! I hope you’ll pardon the lack of posts last week; you may be aware that we were busy preparing for our first-ever virtual Benefit Breakfast! The Breakfast is Encore’s largest fundraising event of the year and our staff was not going to let social distancing stand in the way of spending a fun morning with our Encore family and sharing about the mission we hold so dear. If you’ve been feeling down because you missed out, today is your lucky day: we’ve got a recap of the Breakfast, complete with videos from many of our amazing speakers!
Our virtual event kicked off with a live feed of Sara Duke, who shared her appreciation for our community and Encore’s staff as we all made the rapid transition to socially distanced online learning. She also expressed the need to continue to look forward to and plan for the future, beyond this crisis. With donors’ support, Encore will continue to offer quality theatrical programming for all children, both virtually and in-person.
“Encore is a safe harbor for our students – a place where they can be themselves and, through theatre, learn empathy, responsibility, and resilience.” – Sara Strehle Duke
The Encore family at large was also introduced to Sara’s Encore family: husband Kevin, young son Thomas, and new baby Emily, born March 19th. Congratulations to the Duke family!
Consider the Script Flipped
This season, Encore was both proud and excited to bring attention to historical African American voices in our community. This student researched and devised program produced a performance entitled The Day That Nothing Happened, based on the true-life stories of the first students to integrate an all-white school in the state of Virginia. Benefit Breakfast attendees had the pleasure of hearing from one of the Flip the Script participants first hand on what the experience meant to her.
Here’s to the Seniors
Here at Encore, we live and breathe theatre and the chance to share those experiences with our talented students. It’s always a special joy to hear how each individual has learned and grown from his or her experience creating “Theatre by kids, for kids.” This year’s senior speaker, Lindsey Gradowski, was no exception. We appreciate all of the time and passion that she has dedicated to Encore’s productions over the years and look forward to welcoming her back whenever she is able to join us!
The Award Goes to…
Encore alumna Isabel Tate was kind enough to lend her voice to announce Debra Leonard as the winner of the 2020 Celeste Groves Award for exceptional volunteer service. For over 20 seasons, Debra has designed, constructed, and managed hundreds of costumes for every participant that crosses Encore’s stages. Thank you, Debra!
Please enjoy just a few of the numerous beautiful costumes Debra has created over the years.
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- Rap-punzel
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- Cinderella (2015)
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- The Enchanted Bookshop (2019)
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- Medda Larkin played by Shannon McCarthy. Photo by Cindy Kane Photography.
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- Narnia (2020)
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- Disney’s Frozen Jr. (2019)
What Encore Means to Me
Here at Encore, we work with our students to develop a host of important skills: public speaking, teamwork, self-reliance, and more! Some of the amazing kids in our program put those skills to use to tell us a bit about what Encore means to them and we honestly couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
From Our Family to Yours…
Thank you. With your support, we were able to raise over $20,000 in our first-ever virtual Benefit Breakfast!
The work, however, is not yet over. These funds are important to Encore, especially during the current pandemic. Your support will allow us to expand our current online classes and camps so we can continue bringing theatre to children as an outlet for their creativity throughout this difficult time. These donations also mean that our high-quality, age-appropriate theatre education and outreach programming throughout the community will flourish in the fall.
If you are able, please consider supporting Encore Stage & Studio during today’s special Giving Tuesday event. Your help in supporting “Theatre by kids, for kids” during this global day of giving allows our staff the opportunity to share the joy of theatre with every child, even these confusing times.
Photos by Larry McClemons, Aileen Pangan Christian, and Cindy Kane Photography.
Video editing by A.K. Nell, Rebecca Pfeil, and Aileen Pangan Christian.
Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.
Additional reporting by Scott McCaffrey.
What to Expect: Virtual Benefit Breakfast
Happy #FrontRowFriday, Encore fans! Before you head off to enjoy the weekend, be sure to mark your calendars for our annual Benefit Breakfast, coming to computer screens near you this Wednesday, April 29th at 9:30 AM. This will be a wonderful opportunity, not only for our Encore community to (virtually) come together during this time, but also to introduce friends, family, and associates to the magic of “Theatre by kids, for kids.” What can you expect from a virtual breakfast? I’m so glad you asked…
Performances
Tune in to take in excerpts from some of this season’s excellent work. Our talented students have agreed to lend their voices once again to entertain all who are able to join us. We won’t be able to record these featurettes to share later, so be there before they’re gone!
Vision Casting
Hear from members of Encore’s staff, including Executive Director Sara Strehle Duke, as they share the plans and goals that have been set for Encore’s 2020/2021 season and beyond.
Stories
Encore is lucky to have so many intelligent, talented, and multifaceted individuals who contribute to our mission of bringing “Theatre by kids, for kids” to every student in the DC Metro Area. You’ll have the chance to hear from performers, high school seniors, and members of the Board of Directors as they share their personal Encore stories, as well as honoring a special volunteer.
As valuable members of our community, we look forward to welcoming you to our virtual Benefit Breakfast next week and sharing our stories with you. Please take this as an invitation to share our event with anyone in your circle that values arts education and children’s organizations as much as you do.
Please RSVP for the event here:
Photos by Aileen Pangan Christian. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.
Six Spectacular Spring Highlights
Photo by Caitlyn Barron for Allstate Insurance Company
1) Helping Hands
To kick things off, Jim Clancy gave his time and helped us to receive a $500 Allstate Foundation Helping Hands Grant. The Allstate Foundation supports the causes that Allstate agency owners, financial specialists, and employees care about most by providing Allstate Foundation Helping Hands Grants to nonprofits where they volunteer their time to help communities thrive. When he’s not busy serving on Encore’s Board of Directors, Jim continues to volunteer his time as a director and stage combat instructor throughout the seasons. Learn more about Jim and his work with Encore here.
We are so grateful to volunteers like Jim and organizations like The Allstate Foundation for supporting non-profit organizations like Encore, especially during this uncertain time.
Snow White (Zoe Rocchio) and the Prince (James Brady). Photo by Larry McClemons.
2) Part of the Cause
As theatre practitioners, our Encore staff is used to rolling with the unexpected. When it became clear that our spring production of The Frog Prince of Spamalot would not be able to perform as planned, Encore’s resident costume designer, Debra Leonard, got to work creating cloth face masks to donate around the region. Fabric that was once destined to become clothing of fairy tale villagers is now performing its own kind of magic by keeping people safe!
3) Spring Has Sprung
This month Encore was proud to present two weeks of virtual spring break camp. After barely two weeks of preparation, our stellar Education team came together to adapt and create programming to engage our spring break students. Parents and students submitted high praise for the program and it was great to connect with our students face to face once more.
Graphic by Aimee Pangan
4) Log On + Tune In
In addition to spring break camps, Encore has also launched a bevy of virtual theatre classes for the spring. In addition to popular returning titles like The Actor’s Toolbox and Creative Dance, there are also brand-new script analysis classes available, taught by our very own Artistic Director Susan Keady! Whether you’re interested in a one-week or month-long class series, there is an exciting theatre journey waiting for YOU.
The young among us (including the young at heart) can tune in for a free Parent & Me class every Tuesday morning on Facebook and Instagram Live. Led by Ms. A, viewers will work out the wiggles through movement, stretching, music, and storytelling. We hope to see you in the comments!
Stretching to Grow
In our comedy classes, we teach the primary tenant of improvisational comedy (i.e. “improv”): “Yes; and…?” This simple phrase encapsulates the idea that we should always be moving forward, embracing changes and working to build something even better. This is the attitude that the entire Encore staff has taken on since the move to social distance and telework from home. This has led us to create virtual camps, host live classes, and even incorporate a new platform: IG TV. This series of live Instagram interviews is designed to bring together our staff and students during this physically distant time as we learn more about our teaching artists. Have questions or thinking of someone you’d like to see featured next? Send us a message and let us know!
Catch a Refill
Did you miss out on this season’s performances of Disney’s Frozen Jr. or Flip the Script? You’re in luck! Tune into Encore’s virtual Benefit Breakfast and you just might catch a reprise from some of this season’s favorite shows. Hear from student speakers, honor a beloved volunteer, and learn more about Encore’s mission, all from the comfort of your own home (and PJs… Your secret is safe with us!). Please invite loved ones from far and wide to learn more about Encore. As our primary fundraising event of the season, we’re counting on each and every one of you to spread the word to support Encore’s programming in the weeks, months, and years to come.
Images by Larry McClemons, Caitlyn Barron, Aileen Pangan Christian, and Cindy Kane Photography.
Graphic design by Aimee Pangan.
Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.
It’s Okay to Feel…
Hey there, Front Row friends.
I’m coming to you with a somewhat different blog today. Here on the blog, I like to keep things light, fun, and (usually) full of puns. Now, however, that isn’t the tone that feels quite right. The current state of the world is rather confusing and even a touch scary. Personally, I’ve found myself unmotivated to do much of anything beyond the bare minimum. But I’m here to let you know that it’s okay.
However you may be feeling, it’s okay to feel that way. It’s alright to feel mad that a big event got canceled after you’ve been looking forward to it. It’s just fine to feel sad and to miss your friends and other loved ones. It’s totally understandable to be feeling super stressed because many things around us are changing at what feels like an incredibly rapid pace.
When I’m feeling the much-ness of it all, I turn to stories: books, movies, phone calls with friends. I thought we could remember some stories together on the blog today. Here are some characters that have faced big feelings, of sadness, loss, fear, and more. They don’t let these feelings overtake them; they live through the experience with the help of loved ones and carry on to share their beautiful stories.
Horton the Elephant, Seussical
Horton is treated as an oddball by most of his neighbors, especially when he takes a clover full of invisible Whos into his care. He experiences many trials and obstacles in his journey to protect the small planet, but eventually is seen as the hero that the audience (and Gertrude McFuzz) has known him to be the whole time.
Princess Anna, Disney’s Frozen Jr.
After the untimely loss of their royal parents, Anna’s sister Elsa shuts her out to protect her from the future Queen’s unknown powers. After years of sadness and confusion, Anna manages to overcome both the emotional and physical barriers in her path to not only save the kingdom but to come together as a family once again.
Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
Faced with a blindside break-up and a broken heart, Elle doesn’t hide away from the world. She channels her sadness and frustration into gaining admission to Harvard Law School, finding true friends, knowledge, and personal confidence along the way, all the while dressed in style.
Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh
If creatures were weather, Eeyore would probably be a rainy day. That doesn’t stop his friends from including him on their Hundred Acre Wood adventures!
Sara Crewe, The Little Princess
When tragedy strikes, Sara is left alone in a girls’ school, faced with a bully, a lack of acceptance, and the whirlwind that comes when one’s world so rapidly changes. With grace and gumption, she rises above the negativity and finds her own happy ending.
Cinderella
Orphaned like so many fairytale heroes and heroines before her, Cinderella is left in the care of her evil stepmother and cruel stepsisters. She doesn’t allow the toil of endless chores and unkind words to make her hard. Instead, she remains kind and is blessed with a fairy godmother who helps her chase her dreams and chase her circumstances.
Take this moment to sit up a little straighter. Take a deep breath. Okay, now another one. Give yourself permission to feel, however that may be right now. Heck, it might even change in the next day, hour, or minute. That’s alright. We are all going through a huge series of changes. Let’s remember to treat one another and ourselves with an extra bit of kindness. I believe in you, friend. We’re going to get through this together. Stay safe and we’ll see you again soon, on the blog, in our virtual classes, and (eventually) at the theatre.
Take care,
Shannon
P.S. If you, like me, find yourself missing our Encore friends, please consider joining us in a virtual class or tune in for one of our Instagram Live chats with teaching artists, students, and more.
Photos by Connie Polnow, Larry McClemons, and Cindy Kane Photography. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.
Dramaturgy 101: Going Live w/ Radio Theatre
Welcome back to Dramaturgy 101! As Encore rolls out our line-up of virtual Spring classes and camps, we’re excited to continue to bring creativity and storytelling into the lives of our students, families, friends, and community. This month, we’re excited to debut our Radio Drama classes with our Artistic Director Susan Keady. Susan will be leading an ensemble of performers in a virtual class focusing on the production and performance of radio plays.
Radio drama first started gaining popularity in the 1920s. As more people could afford radios in their living rooms, the demand for programming beyond news announcements grew. In 1922, Station WGY in Schenectady, New York, began producing weekly staged readings of plays. Soon, major radio stations all over the country began producing readings of plays with live music, sound effects, and troupes of actors. Many people who would later be pioneers of film and television, like both Ethel and Lionel Barrymore, Lucille Ball, and Rod Serling, got their start writing, performing, and producing radio plays.
By the early thirties, artists were writing plays specifically for the radio, taking into consideration specific qualities of radio that made it different from live theatre. One such radio drama, the 1924 French play Marémoto (“Seaquake”) by Gabriel Germinet and Pierre Cusy staged a soundscape of a realistic sinking ship before revealing that the characters were all actors in a theatre rehearsing a play. The play ran popularly in Germany and England but was banned in France until 1937 because the government feared ships would mistake the dramatic SOS messages in the opening sequence for actual distress signals. By using sound to set the realistic scene of a sinking ship, Gabriel and Cusy bring the audience into the emotion of that moment and make it real for them. Then, the actors break the audience’s illusion of this heightened moment of danger by bringing them suddenly into a very different space: a rehearsal. Not only was the twist exciting for audiences, who were used to receiving their drama exclusively on stages, but it tells us about the close connection between radio and theatre. Both are largely performed live and radio, unlike theatre at the time, had a unique ability to reach everyone regardless of where they lived or whether they could afford sometimes-expensive live theatre tickets. Radio also allowed artists to present music, stories, poetry, drama, and other work directly to thousands of families and individuals around the country all at once. It was simultaneously able to be mass-marketed and still feel personally moving.
In the late 2000s, the rise of online music streaming services like iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify created a familiar opportunity for writers, comedians, playwrights, and independent producers: the advent of podcasts. These platforms provided a public place where artists could produce their work to a large audience and make an income off of that audience’s engagement with their work. An individual with an idea and a microphone had the same opportunity as established radio stations to share their work with a potential audience consisting of anyone who had an internet connection. As podcasts have entered the mainstream, they’ve grown more diverse than ever and many rely on playwrights and actors who also work in television, films, and theatre to bring stories to life for their audiences. Some dramatic podcasts today revive old radio dramas or recreate them to celebrate the roots of the form.
With Susan Keady, winner of a 1996 Peabody Award for directing the radio show Kinetic City Super Crew, students will have the opportunity to explore a new (old) form of dramatic performance. Together, we’ll explore historical and modern radio drama scripts and build the foundations of vocal performance, script work, storytelling, and audience engagement. We’re so excited to share this opportunity to develop skills in producing and performing in radio.
In addition to Susan’s courses in radio drama, Encore is offering a robust line-up of programming for our Spring session. Classes for Grades 6-8 and 9-12 begin as early as next Thursday, April 16. Classes for Grades K-5 pick up starting in May, so now is the time to get signed up and invite all of your friends to join you before enrollment is full!
Blog contribution by 2019/2020 Production Apprentice Kyla McLaughlin.
Edited by Shannon McCarthy.