Congrats to the Class of 2014!

Graduation season is here! We’re very proud of our Encore seniors and all their hard work onstage, offstage, in the classroom and beyond! Best wishes on your future endeavors! Encore will always be cheering you on!

We were very fortunate to sit down and hear from a few of our seniors on their Encore adventure.

Encore: What productions and programs have you been involved with Encore?

Olivia: I have done at least 13 shows with Encore (both on tech and in cast) along with attending Stage Door, and working at the summer camps, It’s Elementary and Teens and Tweens, for a couple of summers.

Hugh: I started with Robin Hood, when I was a sophomore, and that was the first play I ever did. I played the Sheriff of Nottingham and I had a blast, so I really wanted to do another one after it ended. After that I would do The Magical Lamp of Aladdin and then do crew for Charlotte’s Web, and I had a ton of fun being involved with those. During the summer I was a pirate in Pirates of Penzance and I got a lot out of working with adults and doing a musical (or, in this case, an operetta) for the first time. After that I did The Hobbit and Sleeping Beauty. Most recently I portrayed Grimsby in The Little Mermaid Jr.

Sean: I was in Pocahontas, Little Mermaid, Dracula, The Best Haunted House Ever, Princess and the Pea (tech) and Brother’s Grimm Out of Order (tech).
I also performed in the summer shows including Pirates of Penzance and Wizard of Oz

Encore: What is your proudest moment while participating at Encore?

Olivia: I have done at least 13 shows with Encore (both on tech and in cast) along with attending Stage Door, and working at the summer camps, It’s Elementary and Teens and Tweens, for a couple of summers. My proudest moment would probably be getting my STAR award back in 8th grade! I was actually in The Velveteen Rabbit, which was the show they were handing the awards out at that year, and I was the Toy Fairy. I wore this huge wedding dress and I decided to wear it to accept the award before the show started because I didn’t want to change out of some fancy outfit into my costume after I received my award. My costume was, like I said, a huge wedding dress that had 27 buttons and no zipper to be seen. I remember walking up onstage when they called my name and everyone just kind of let out a confused gasp and thought that I had just worn the wedding dress to accept just because. It probably took them awhile before they realized I was in my costume for the show! It turned into a funny story along with my proudest moment here… whoops!

Hugh: I remember getting recognized when I did Robin Hood. During its opening weekend, I went to a restaurant and a guy there gave me a fist bump and was like “I saw you! I took my kid! Great job!” It was stupendous. I got recognized a lot when I did The Magical Lamp of Aladdin that year as well. I played Jammal (basically Jafar), who was this evil magician, and it was a very big part. I was really nervous about it. I guess something about that performance was very memorable, because for months afterward a lot of people recognized me as “the dude from Aladdin.” On more than one occasion I’d be going somewhere, and see a kid with their parent, and they’d point and go “I saw you in Aladdin.” That was pretty cool.

Sean: My proudest moment at Encore was when I was in Dracula. All hope seemed lost, but then I broke free of the vampires and stabbed Dracula in the heart with a stake. I really felt like the hero and it felt nice to be the one to finish off the villain.

Encore: What skills or lessons do you find most helpful from your experience at Encore?

Olivia: I honed a lot of basic theatre skills which I guess is fairly important when it comes to collaborating in a show. I developed my ability to cheat out, to project, and to listen to the tech crew and respect them because they have the show in their hands and are very vital to keeping the show from crashing down around the actors. I also learned a lot about collaboration and being there for others. I learned the importance of showing up because it’s a real hassle when you’re not there at rehearsal to practice your part. Everyone else has to adjust to you not being there. I learned that always being friendly gets you a lot more places than closing yourself off. This is all going to help me when I want to find a job because I know how to collaborate and be respectful and to be responsible.

Sean: One of the biggest lessons I learned was that even when you are not the focus of the scene or are just a character in the background, you need to keep acting. It is important to stay in the scene, and remaining your character even when someone else is the main focus is what brings the world to life and creates the illusion of acting.

Encore: What do you think makes Encore Stage & Studio unique?

Olivia: What makes Encore unique is that the shows are basically almost all run by kids. The Stage Manager is a high school student and they are calling the cues and tell the crew what to do during the show. They run the whole thing. There are really awesome adults who help here and there but it’s the kids show. The kids feel like it’s their’s to perform and their’s to execute. You definitely learn a real sense of responsibility for the show and for others.

Hugh: Encore is a really fun environment. I really like that because it helps you learn to be professional as an actor, but of course have fun with it at the same time. Shows can become stressful if people are too uptight, and at Encore everyone I have worked with has been really laid back and easygoing. It’s a great way to make friends and has been very welcoming from the start.

Sean: Encore is unique in that kids from all ages and experience levels can come together to put on a show. People who have never acted before can learn from the ones who have done multiple shows, and the more experienced kids can teach the new generation.

Encore: How has Encore impacted your life beyond the stage?

Olivia: Encore has helped me be a much friendlier person and to put myself out there. I mean I’m a pretty friendly person in general but Encore definitely helped me become even more. Encore was a place where I found so many new friends and I’ve kept contact with a lot of them. Susan and Sara became references for jobs and wrote recommendations for me that helped me get important jobs and get into other things. And there is so much other stuff that I probably don’t even realize that Encore has done for me. Encore has just made such a large contribution to my life, I just don’t know how to measure it.

Hugh: Doing Encore shows definitely helped me to become more social. I was kind of awkward and afraid before I did a play, and had trouble making new friends. I didn’t talk to a lot of people. Doing a show taught me to become more outgoing, and I’m really glad I decided to do it in the end. I’ve made a lot of really good friends from that, and I don’t know where I would be today without them. They’ve been the best friends I’ve ever had. There are a lot of really outgoing people in this type of field, and they just live to make others happy. A lot of them come up to you and talk to you when you’re lonely or unhappy, and it goes a long way. I’m thankful that I get to work with them.

Encore: What are your plans after you graduate?

Olivia: I’m attending UVA in the fall and I plan to major in History and then Teacher Education. I’m going to get my Masters and then I plan to go into teaching. Preferably Secondary Education in History I think. Either middle school or high school.

Hugh: After I graduate, I plan to study acting at Shenandoah University. I want to learn to become a better actor and hope that I can get a lot out of it. I look at acting as a big game of make believe, in a way. You get to escape reality and be something that you’re not, really getting to try all different sorts of things at times. When I learned that you could do that as a career, I was like, “That’s for me, mate. Sign me up.” I’ve also considered going into film and television production or something having to do with writing, if it doesn’t go to plan, so hopefully all goes well.

Matt: After graduating high school I will be attending Furman University.

Sean: I plan to attend Roanoke college in the fall to study computer science and possible econ. I do plan on participating in the theater program there to continue my acting career.

Encore: What advice can you give to students interested in theatre for the first time or rising seniors who want to be involved in Encore/theatre in general?

Sean: For kids who are new to theater, it is very important to figure out who your character is. What is his back story? Why does he do what he does? Why is he in this scene? Is there anything special about him, like the way he walks, or how he interacts or knows the other characters? Thinking about this can make your character more then what is in the script.

Hugh: First, I’d say that you’re never too old to start. I was a sophomore when I did Robin Hood, and that was my first show. I’m glad I decided to do it, because it was a lot of fun and I got a lot out of it. Second, have fun with it! It’s important to be professional, but that doesn’t mean you can’t let loose a little and have fun with your role. I personally feel that the best shows I’ve been involved with were the ones where everybody involved could bring out the best in each other and have fun. You really bond with the cast that way. Lastly, I’d say respect everyone involved. Everyone plays a significant part, regardless of what they do or where they stand, and nobody is more superior than anybody else. That is a very important aspect; it’s about the group as a whole.

Olivia: GO FOR IT. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. Don’t let your self-consciousness prevent you from doing something so fun and so useful in life! The skills you learn in theatre are some of the most important ones. Just try and believe in yourself or let Encore/theatre help you believe in yourself. Just open up, it’s never too late to join and enjoy theatre.

2014 Encore Seniors from Encore Stage on Vimeo.

Photos taken by Larry McClemons