Carleigh Rockett
Carleigh’s love of theatre began with a preschool field trip to see “Harry the Dirty Dog”. They loved it so much that their mother bought them season tickets to Encore Stage and Studio for their 5th birthday. She’s been a season ticket holder ever since. Carleigh’s backstage career began when she painted scenery for Francis C. Hammond’s production of “The Wiz”. They have also done backstage work for the T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School) productions of “Noises Off”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Euripedies Medea”. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Carleigh provided virtual backstage support for the Encore/Center Stage production of “Once Upon A Mattress.” They’re looking forward to helping out with Encore/Stage Door this year and will be attending Christopher Newport University in the fall. They are excited to see what this production has in store and hopes you enjoy the show!
Gabby Simek
Gabby Simek, I love science, animals and the arts. I love to have fun with people and will do anything you need me to!
Daniel J. Smith
Daniel J. Smith, baritone is a native of North Carolina. He is a graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia with a Master of Music in Vocal Performance. While In graduate school, Smith studied in Amalfi Coast, Italy for three summers. He is an alumnus of Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Business.
Most recently Smith debuted “Dew” a piece from Our Queer Mother, Gabriela, composed by Emily Lau, with text by Gabriella Mistral, Langston Hughes, and Jackson Sade.
Smith also debuted the role of The Invisible Man in The Burning Bush, composed by Jasmine Barnes and Joshua Banbury, librettist. The Burning Bush is a part of The Cartography, a new curatorial music program led by the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera.
Smith also appeared as Elephant Geralard in Slopera! A bite-size opera based on Mo Willems’ book, I Really Like Slop! Slopera is a 20-minute children’s opera with music by the Kennedy Center’s Composer-in-Residence Carlos Simon.
In 2019 Smith joined the cast of Stirring the Waters Across America and Devine, Hamer, Gray: A New American Musical (in development). Roles include Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas); King Melchior (Amahl and the Night Visitors); L’horloge comtoise (L’enfant et les sortilèges); Marcello (La Bohème); Pirate King (The Pirates of Penzance); Antonio (The Marriage of Figaro); George, Earl of Mountararat (Iolanthe); and scenes from Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri and La Cenerentola, all with Mason Opera. He has also performed as Barone Douphol in La traviata (Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra), Zodzetrick in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha (Opera Northern Virginia), and Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro and Papageno in The Magic Flute (Almalfi Coast International Music Festival). Smith placed in the state and regional National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions and was a semi-finalist at the 2019 Classical Singer Convention. As a featured soloist, Smith appeared with the Winston-Salem State University Choir; the Ben Holt Memorial Branch of the National Association of Negro Musicians; the World Federation of Friends of Museums; and in I Am My Ancestors, a concert sponsored by I Am Confidence.
Madeline Dunn
Teaching Artist/Choreographer
Madeline is a performer, choreographer, and dance instructor with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from George Mason University. She has performed in professional theatre, theme park, and cruise line productions as well as several developmental workshops, cabarets, and social media-based commercials. She has been teaching dance for over ten years to ages two through eighteen and is thrilled to be joining Encore this summer!
Xander Tilock
Camp Counselor
Xander Tilock is a rising first year at the University of Virginia where he will be double majoring in drama and media studies. A recent graduate of Justice High School, Xander has previously worked on 23 Encore productions since 2015. In addition to working with Encore as a Camp Counselor last year, Xander also wrote and directed the Encore Cares productions of A Winter Star and Voyager’s Compass. In his free time, he babysits, takes care of pets, and teaches Spanish to young children. He is excited to welcome you with enthusiasm to the Encore family for an amazing summer!!
Sara Strehle Duke
Executive Director
Sara Strehle Duke, Executive Director, has led Northern Virginia’s largest, award-winning children’s theatre since 2010. During her tenure, she has quadrupled Encore’s annual operating budget and full-time staff, and the organization now serves 15,000 children and their families each year. In 2015, she was recognized as one of Leadership Center for Excellence’s 40 Under 40. Previously, she worked for the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia and Round House Theatre in Bethesda. She is a Board member for Embracing Arlington Arts, a graduate of Leadership Arlington, Class of 2014, and a dedicated volunteer with several youth-serving organizations. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of William & Mary.
Madaline Langston
Education Programs Director, Flip the Script Director, It’s Elementary Summer Camp Director
Madaline Younger Langston has been with Encore Stage & Studio’s It’s Elementary Program for over a decade and is currently Education Programs Director. Madaline is a graduate of the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts Advance Theatre program in Washington DC. She began developing her improvisation and classical skills performing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Madaline later joined the Shakespeare Theatre Company under the Artistic Direction of Michael Kahn, followed by two National tours with the John F. Kennedy Center’s programs for children. As a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation Television Radio Artists, and Actors Equity, Madaline has worked on films, industrials, regional and national commercials. She is CPR and First Aide Certified. Madaline is also a VIRTUS certified teaching artist. Madaline Langston is a Children’s Theatre Foundation of America’s 2021 Corey Medallion Award nominee.
Liv Wilson
Education Programs Coordinator
Liv Wilson (she/they) is a dramaturg, playwright, librettist, and theatremaker based out of Washington, D.C. Their work has been seen at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Boise State University, The University of Texas at El Paso, The College of William & Mary and at The Premiere Theatre Playwriting Competition. Liv is the recipient of the Howard Scammon Prize for Drama and the Martin Jurow Theatre Arts Award for artistic excellence. She has worked as the dramaturg for Ford’s Theatre, Cadence Theatre Company’s Sitelines BLM series, and several independent works developed by artists across the country, including two new musicals at The Tank. Liv received their Bachelor’s degree in History from The College of William and Mary in 2021 and is a recent National Theatre Institute alum.
Megan Hayes
Anna Hollingsworth
2020 Summer Educational Intern
Anna graduated high school in 2018 and is now majoring in theatre as a rising junior at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. She has an older sister in university in Iowa and a younger brother in high school in Vienna, Virginia, where her parents and dog live. Anna is fascinated by all aspects of performing arts from working on the technical parts of productions (lights, sounds, props) to acting on stage herself. Since her first year in high school, Anna has had a passion for helping children discover the arts, especially teaching students with learning differences through theatre. Anna is thrilled to intern with Encore this summer and to monitor some of the Scenes for Tweens camps!