Amy Thompson
Teaching Artist
Amy Thompson is a teaching artist and director based in Arlington, VA, who focuses on introducing Shakespeare to children in grades 1-12. As an affiliated teaching artist with the Folger Shakespeare Library and director of the Nottingham Shakespeare Program, she has directed and produced dozens of plays, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Tempest, Hamlet, and Richard III. At Encore Stage & Studio, she teaches acting classes and summer camps, and directed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as well as last year’s inaugural Bard in the Box production, Much Ado About Nothing. She holds an M.A. in Theatre Education from Catholic University (May 2016). Cul de Sac was her first full-length play.
Barbara Wilkinson
Private Piano Teacher
Barbara Wilkinson is a classical pianist by training but considers herself a collaborative artist by birthright. Raised in a musically gifted family where life was infused with music, Barbara finds her true creative calling when making music with others. Her career has offered numerous such opportunities including performances with Belgian baritone Jose van Dam, appearances with the acclaimed National Broadway Chorus, coaching young artists in Washington National Opera’s summer institute, serving as staff pianist at American University, founding and directing the female vocal ensemble Senza Nome, and motivating musicians of all ages and levels through her playing, teaching, and coaching.
A native North Carolinian, Barbara holds degrees in Piano Performance from UNC-Greensboro and the University of Michigan. You can find her online at www.dcpianoandvoice.com.
Dawn A. Douglas
Writing Consultant
Dawn A. Douglas, a native of Baltimore, MD, is an actress, former model, director and writer. Dawn has worked alongside some big names like Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington and George Clooney and with legendary film directors including Sir Ridley & Tony Scott, Barry Levinson and Clark Johnson. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.
In recent years, Dawn has expanded her talents to include writing and directing. She directed several plays for the Baltimore playwright Robert Garcia and—in a first—the award-winning music video “My Rap Show” for artist Ollie “Goldenbeard” Voso.
Currently in production is her first independent film, which she wrote, is directing and is acting for. Titled “Yin & Yang: Mandala of Life”, her script has already won several awards and placement in multiple, internationally recognized film festivals. Dawn is currently writing her first feature script, penning several other film shorts and developing new media content.
Dawn is excited to work with Encore Stage and Studio on their latest student lead writing and production team.
Michael McCorkle
Teaching Artist, Flip the Script Videographer
For more than 12 years, Michael McCorkle has been a writer, producer and director of original local theatre productions, as well as a drama and film instructor for DC middle and high school students. As an instructor, Michael teaches film production at the Washington International School. He also serves as a Teaching Artist for Imagination Stage, The Theatre Lab, and Young Playwrights’ Theatre.
As a producer, Michael is the Founder and Producing Director of OneStage Productions, Inc, a theatre and film production company that is based in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. As a writer and director, he has written and directed stage plays which all have been filmed and released nationally by Maverick Entertainment for nationwide retail distribution, including Like Father, Like Son, A Change Is Coming, and Home Is Where There Heart Is. Following its debut in 2007, A Change Is Coming received the 2008 Velocity Magazine Award for Best Film/Stage Play. Michael has also written, produced, and directed the romantic comedy stage play, All The Man I Need for its debut in 2013, and has recently written and produced the independent film adaptation of the stage play, which was released for national distribution in December 2017.