Fridays, October 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, and 20
5:00 – 6:30 pm
For Grades 7-12

Encore Stage & Studio invites students of all backgrounds to participate in our fall 2020 Flip the Script program, The Day Something Happened. Our project continues by building on the success of last year’s student devised production The Day Nothing Happened which explored the 1959 desegregation of Stratford Junior High School.

Over six sessions, students will examine racial divides in their own lives culminating in a filmed performance of original monologues. Friday night classes will be held from 5 – 6:30 pm in a hybrid format: in-person outdoor meetings and/or zoom. Community members, local historians and guest artists will inform our discussions and provide students with a framework for creating theatre that reflects their daily experiences. By creating an opportunity for a new generation of storytellers to investigate the racial divides that persist in our community, we will build bridges of understanding and ignite change.

$50 registration fee. Scholarships available. If you are able, please consider making an additional contribution to Encore in support of this important work.

Dorothy Hamm Middle School
Tueday, February 4, 2020
The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
6:00 pm
Open to the public

Busboys & Poets – Shirlington
Q/A Session
Saturday, February 8, 2020
8:00 am
Open to the public

Kenmore Middle School
Thursday, February 20, 2020

Feel the Heritage – Green Valley Neighborhood
Saturday, February 29, 2020
1:00 pm
Open to the public

South Arlington Vigil & Call to Action for Justice & an End to Racism
Saturday, June 13, 2020
6:30pm
Drew Model School

Encore Stage & Studio’s Flip the Script has worked with local students over the 2019/2020 season to develop an original theatre piece focused on Arlington, Virginia’s African American voices. Incorporating both historical and modern narratives, the performance will enrich understanding of our shared local history while sparking dialogue within our community.

A question and answer session will be held after every performance.

Interested in our touring opportunity? E-mail info@encorestage.org to get started.

Flip the Script performed at Theatre One The Run on November 2 and 3, 2019.

Encore’s Flip the Script project team is comprised of historians, community members, and theatre professionals that will guide project participants in their research and artistic work. Ms. Madaline Langston, Encore’s Education Programs Director is spearheading our project. They will coordinate Flip the Script from start to finish, particularly focusing on the creation of the theatrical piece and preparing participants for public performance.

The theatre sessions will be led by Ms. Langston. Through a series of theatre exercises and improvisation, participants will devise theatrical vignettes as a response to the historic narratives discovered in earlier sessions. Devising is a theatre practice that uses collaboration from all participants to create a new play. It is the opposite of a traditional playwrighting model as everyone involved in the project works as a team to develop the script. It is often used to address social issues because it inherently incorporates many points of view. Encore has extensive experience devising new work for audiences of all ages. 

Participants will be divided into small groups and work directly with their peers with our project team members giving feedback. They will explore themes from their research, share narratives through improvised acting or write out more complex scenarios. They will have the opportunity to serve in a variety of creative positions such as actor or director. These first creations will be documented, edited, and compiled to form a single piece by Ms. Langston. 

Director, Madaline Langston was recently featured in Embracing Arlington Arts radio show and Arlington Magazine’s “10 minutes” series.