Encore Stage & Studio to Receive National Theatre Award

Encore Stage & Studio, Inc. of Arlington, Virginia is being honored with the Twink Lynch Organizational Achievement Award from the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT). The award will be presented at an awards ceremony during the AACTFest 2017 national festival in Rochester, Minnesota June 26-July 1, 2017.

The AACT Twink Lynch Organizational Achievement Award recognizes AACT member theatres for successfully completing major steps in new directions, expanding services to their community, or moving to the next level of organizational development. Visit aact.org/awards for information on all AACT National Awards, 2017 AACT Award winners, and previous honorees.

Encore Stage & Studio, Inc. founded in 1967, is a children’s theatre that creates casts comprised entirely of students ages 9-18. The theatre invites children ages 12-18 to participate as backstage crew members, board operator, house managers, and stage managers. Until 2010, when their first Executive Director was hired, Encore was managed solely by a small team of dedicated volunteers. Since 2012, staffing has expanded to include six full-time and two part-time staff members, an arts administration apprentice, multiple summer interns and hundreds of production and education contractors. In just six short years, the organization’s budget has grown from $225,000 to $750,000, and programming has expanded not only in the number of shows per season, but in various camps, educational, and business partnership activities. The theatre has been recognized for its consistently excellent programs and was featured in a Backstage.com article entitled “12 Great Children’s Theatres across the U.S.”

AACT provides networking, resources, and support for America’s theatres. AACT represents the interests of more than 7,000 theatres across the United States and its territories, as well as theatre companies with the U.S. Armed Services overseas.