Delving Deeper with Patrick McGee

A very cheerful #TechTuesday to all of you Encore fans out there. This fall, we’re welcoming many new faces to the office and teaching teams; you’ve already met the lovely Gloria, our Marketing Apprentice, but stay tuned for even more introductions coming up this month. Today, however, we sit down with a familiar friendly face: Patrick McGee!

Photo by Claire Buffie

Encore: Please (re)introduce yourself!

Patrick: I started working with Encore as a teaching artist in August 2018, having just moved to the Northern Virginia area. Previously, I spent 12 years working as a professional actor and teaching artist in New York City. In New York, I worked as an actor in a variety of mediums (musicals, new plays, readings, television/commercials, and independent films), but I was always inspired by my work as a teaching artist. My favorite teaching project was the “I am an Islander” project, which was connected with the Broadway musical Come From Away. I helped students to examine interviews to create an original art piece based on the information that they gathered.

Encore: What does your new position at Encore entail?

Patrick: I am very excited to be stepping into my new role as Education Programs Manager, because it allows me to still inspire actors in the classroom, while allowing me to highlight and bring a spotlight to the theatre education that happens at Encore. In this position, I will help to expand classes and programming for our slightly older actors in grades 6-12. I am excited to discover and create a series of classes that older actors can really delve deeper into, developing their tools and create more meaningful work in a studio-style classroom approach.

Encore: What are you most excited about?

Patrick: I am very excited to be teaching a Shakespeare class this fall on Monday evenings. This class will explore the language in a fun and active approach through the creepy and eerie in Shakespeare’s plays. I am also excited to find ways to help support teaching artists through resources and professional development. Having spent 13 years as a teaching artist, some days can be isolating and challenging. I want to develop opportunities and resources that help teaching artists create curriculum that inspires not only their students but also their own artistry.

Encore: What’s been your favorite Encore moment/memory so far?

Patrick: This past summer, I had the opportunity to direct Willy Wonka Jr. at Stage Door. It was inspiring to watch the hard work of all the actors [to put together a show] in just three short weeks, but it was also seemed like everyone had a lot of fun, including myself.

The Glass Menagerie, The Old Creamery Theatre Company. Photo by Jonesy McElroy.

Encore: Could you share a bit about the most [unique/intense/choose-your-own-adjective] theatre experience you’ve had in your life so far?

Patrick: One of the most rewarding productions I had the opportunity to be a part of was The Glass Menagerie in Iowa. We performed in a tiny black box where the audience was five feet away from you. I performed the role of the Gentleman Caller and the whole second act the audience was completed invested in the world of the play. You could hear a pin drop. When my character revealed he was going steady with another girl, these two women in the front row just gasped. It was just a beautiful moment to show how theatre is like no other art form.

Encore: Why do you think the arts are important to young people?

Patrick: The arts are important, because they teach children to problem solve and celebrate multiple perspectives. I think both of these skills are very important in today’s world.

Encore: On a lighter note, if you were a breakfast food, which would you be and why?

Patrick: I would be a Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast, because I think it completely describes me and my work. 😊

Encore: Which show from Encore’s 2019/2020 season are you most looking forward to and why?

Patrick: I’m looking forward to Narnia, because I grew up reading those books and love musicals.

From left to right: Aslan (Sean Hackes), Lucy Pevensie (Isabel Tate), Peter Pevensie (Richard Bew), and Susan Pevensie (Lauren Monsivaiz).

Thanks for sharing a bit of what’s coming up this season, Patrick! If you’d like to connect and learn more from Mr. Patrick, check out some of his upcoming classes this season: