Making Theatre Accessible to All.

May 2, 2014

Calling all heroes! There’s a mystery afoot in King Alfred and Queen Lillian’s kingdom. Uncover the mystery in Encore Stage & Studio’s production of The 12 Dancing Princesses, a fun fairytale that will keep you on your toes—literally! This production runs May 30-June 8, 2014 at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre (125 S. Old Glebe Road Arlington, Virginia 22204). Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Grapic Design by Aimee Pangan

Every night the King sends his twelve princesses, each more beautiful than the last, off to bed with brand new shoes in a secure chamber in the castle. However, every morning the King awakes to find the shoes worn as if the girls had been dancing all night. Since no one will confess to what has happened, the King promises his kingdom to anyone who can discover his daughters’ secret within three days. Join one hero who is determined to uncover the mystery of the shoes and win his shot at a kingdom and a princess.

We are delighted to announce Encore Stage & Studio’s first Special Accessible Matinee performance on May 31, 11 a.m. This matinee performance will provide accommodations for children and families with special needs and disabilities. Here to share this wonderful event are two of our own versions of heroes in the community, Madison Gallant and Claire Spaulding, also the creators behind this special event.

Madison: My name is Madison Gallant and I am a junior at Washington-Lee High School. I am a member of my school’s Model United Nations club and book club. I also tutor middle school students in math and science.

Claire: I’m Claire Spaulding, a junior at Washington-Lee High School. My mom is a teacher of visually impaired students in Fairfax, and her students love going on field trips to accessible circus shows. Then I had the idea of making theatre accessible to children with special needs.

Encore: What inspired you to create this special event?

Madison and Claire: We are both a part of the International Baccalaureate program at our school, and for our service project, we wanted to help make a wider variety of performing arts accessible to children with disabilities in our community. Through many months of planning and with the help of the wonderful people at Encore, this dream of ours is becoming a reality.

Encore: Why is this opportunity important for children with disabilities?

Madison and Claire: We hope that this special performance of Encore’s The 12 Dancing Princesses will be engaging and enjoyable for children with special needs. Accommodations include an ASL interpretation and assisted listening devices, as well as Braille and large print programs to allow the performance to be accessible to all audiences. We hope that the exclusive backstage tour and Q&A session with cast members will provide an opportunity for children with special needs to make meaningful connections with the story and to experience theatre in a new way.

Cast members of The 12 Dancing Princesses.

Encore: How can families participate in this event?
Madison and Claire: We encourage families of children with special needs to attend this special performance. Interested patrons needing these accommodations must e-mail info@encorestage.org or call our box office at (703)548-1154 in advance.

All Performance Dates and Show Times:
Friday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 31 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Sunday, June 1 at 3 p.m.
Friday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 7 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Sunday, June 8 at 3 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at online or by calling our box office at (703) 548-1154. Adults $12; Children, Students, Military and Seniors $10. Group discounts and birthday party packages are available. There will be a special pre-performance music by Prelude Youth Orchestra on June 7 & 8 at the 3 p.m. shows.

Encore Stage & Studio provides accessibility services year round. Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre is accessible to persons with disabilities. Should you require assistance with any special needs, please call our box office as far in advance as possible so that we can make the proper arrangements.

For patrons in a wheelchair or with limited mobility:
Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre is wheelchair accessible and has designated wheelchair seating. Please call our box office and we can assist you with purchasing wheelchair accessible seating.

For patrons who are deaf or hearing impaired:
ASL interpretation is available on request. We ask that you contact us at by phone or by email boxoffice@encorestage.org at least two weeks prior to your preferred performance so we can arrange for an interpreter.

Click here to view the full press release, “Calling All Heroes: Mystery Afoot in the Kingdom.”

Click here to join our facebook event! Be sure to share this event with friends and family!