Happy #TechTuesday, Encore fans! We’re less than one week away from auditions for our wacky, hilarious, and fun-filled summer production of Seussical, so dust off your dancing shoes and we’ll see you there. In the meanwhile, we’ve got a double treat of an interview for you today. A father-daughter duo that always leaves us smiling…Erich and Evie Izdepski!
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.
Evie: My name is Evie Izdepski and I am thirteen years old. I have been in several Encore shows and camps. Most recently, I appeared in Encore’s production of The Lion King Jr.
Erich: I performed in musicals when I was a teenager and took voice and piano. I never gave up music, but didn’t have a chance to do shows again until life settled down a little. 5 or 6 years ago, Evie and I began doing shows with the St. Andrews Players. Jane Massant runs the Players and is on the Encore board and I believe she told us about the shows. I have done two shows, Mary Poppins and The Music Man.
Encore: What inspired you to audition for your first Encore summer production?
Erich: I had been doing other shows with Evie and we heard about Mary Poppins, a show she loves, so we auditioned. I thought Admiral Boom or the head banker would be fun roles.
Evie: I was inspired to audition for Encore for the first time when I found out that they were doing Mary Poppins. It is one of my favorite shows and I was so excited that I started checking the website daily to see if kids were allowed to audition.
Encore: What is your favorite summer show memory?
Erich: Singing numbers with Evie on the way to rehearsals.
Evie: My favorite summer show memory is either racing my cast mates through the hallways when we were not rehearsing during Mary Poppins or playing around with the rest of kids’ ensemble during The Music Man. I can not decide.
Encore: What has prompted you to audition for multiple summer show experiences?
Evie: I’ve auditioned for multiple summer shows because it the first one was a really positive experience. Everyone was nice and it was very professional.
Erich: I really like classic musicals and Encore does great summer shows. It is a very professional organization – so enjoyable to work with them. Evie does shows throughout the year, but the summer one are special since you have a full range of ages in the cast. I think that inspires her.
Encore: What’s the best part about acting with your dad/daughter?
Evie: The best part about acting with my dad is that I have someone to go over music and lines with. I also get free rides to rehearsal.
Erich: Watching and helping Evie grow as a singer/actor/dancer. Well, I don’t help with the dancing (except I sometimes drive her to lessons!).
How wonderful to hear about your awesome summer theatre experiences, Evie and Erich! We love that you’re a part of our Encore production family. We hope that many friends, old and new, will be joining the ranks by auditioning for Seussical cast and crew next Monday and Tuesday!
Click here for more information and to download the audition forms.
Photos by Larry McClemons and Aileen Pangan. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.