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Happy #FrontRowFriday, everyone! As the weather gets warmer, we can’t help but dream of poolside fun, ice cold treats, and, of course…our Encore summer! Today we’re psyched to chat with two alumni of Encore’s summer productions: Rebecca Blacksten and David Lopez. Let’s hear what they have to share!
Encore: Welcome to the blog. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Please briefly introduce yourself and tell a bit about how you’ve been involved with Encore.
David: Hi, I’m David! I’ve worked with Encore for the last five summers; I played Emmett in Legally Blonde, Sir Harry in Once Upon a Mattress, Humpty Dumpty in Shrek the Musical, and Charlie Cowell/Jacey Squires in The Music Man. I was also a member of the crew for Mary Poppins. I’m a graduating theatre major from VCU and in August I’m moving to Ohio for an acting Internship.
Rebecca: Hello! I’m Rebecca Blacksten, a sophomore at McLean High School! I have done two productions at Encore Stage and Studio: Mary Poppins (Featured Ensemble) and Music Man (Zaneeta Shinn).
Encore: What inspired you to audition for your first Encore summer production?
David: I auditioned for Legally Blonde because a lot of my friends were auditioning for it and they said I should too. Going into auditions, I was hoping to be cast as Warner because I’d never played a mean character before then, but I’m happy with how things played out!
Rebecca: I have done many productions in and out of school, I love to be a part of my community through theater! My dad started doing Encore when it was still CTA (Children’s Theatre of Arlington) in the early ’80s, and he inspired me to begin auditioning for Encore. I also went to almost every Encore show when I was younger, and I am still an avid fan! I was so excited to hear that Encore was doing a childhood favorite of Mary Poppins, so I decided to go and give it a shot!
Encore: What is your favorite summer show memory?
Rebecca: My favorite memory might be having my wonderful Music Man family, as we became so tightly knit and I felt like we had a familial relationship! It was always so wonderful to walk into rehearsal and gossip with my ”mom” and joke around with my “dad” (not to mention ooh over my precious “sister”!!).
David: Can I say two? The first one are all of the inside jokes the cast of Once Upon a Mattress came up with during the run of the show (#cocoa #sparkle). The second is more of a tradition: Every year since Mattress Liam Clancy, Paddy Clancy, and I all bring in our instruments during the runs of our shows and find time to have jam sessions on the stage. We usually play the same songs from Once every year, but nonetheless it’s one of the things I always look forward to with every show we work on together.
Encore: What has prompted you to audition for multiple summer show experiences?
Rebecca: I wanted to go ahead and continue to audition so I can see my Encore family again and again, and hopefully for many more shows to come!
David: What keeps me coming back are the people I’ve met working with Encore. I’ve made some good friends here and I love working with the creative team. I have nothing but great memories from working with Encore so I’m always delighted to get the chance to work with you guys again.
Encore: Will we be seeing you at Seussical auditions on May 14th or 15th?
David: Should time permit, definitely!
Rebecca: I will certainly be coming out to get Seuss-ed up this summer, and I encourage many people to join me!
Thank you so much for sharing about your summer Encore experiences, friends! We hope to see the rest of our Encore family at auditions for Seussical in just one month – May 14th & 15th at Encore’s Main Campus. Click here for more information on what to prepare and what to expect. We can’t wait to get Seuss-ed with you!
Photos by Larry McClemons and Aileen Pangan. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.