Welcome back to The Front Row, Encore fans. Today we’re pumped to share a new feature with you: Theatre Magic Mondays. It takes a wonderful group of participants, families, volunteers, and community supporters to bring 50 years of “Theatre by kids, for kids” to Arlington. We want to share some of these awesome people with you!
On Friday, October 5th, Encore was thrilled to honor longtime supporters, Fairlington Dental. Their generous support has brought many Encore productions to the stage, including this season’s Ghostchasers, as well as The Jungle Book (2017), the world premiere of Cul de Sac (2016), and many more.
Development Associate Rosemarie O’Connor and Board President Carole Russo proudly presented the Outstanding Corporate Partner Award to Dr. Michael B. Rogers, DDS before the opening performance of Ghosterchasers! Dr. Rogers was kind enough to share some words about his relationship to theatre:
Dr. Rogers shared that he initially started supporting Encore because he personally knows the benefits of children participating in live theatre. He played the Wizard in his school’s production of The Wizard of Oz, a show that reminds us about courage, heart, and bravery. As he waited backstage for his first entrance, Dr. Rogers was so nervous. His first few lines were fine because he was behind a curtain – then came the reveal scene. Dr. Rogers was anxiously waiting, then the curtain opened and he saw the audience. Instead of running away from his fear, he showed bravery in his performance and had a great time. Dr. Rogers reminded us that theatre makes an impact on the lives of young people and teaches them life skills that carry over into all sorts of careers, even dentistry.
Many thanks to Fairlington Dental for their continued support of “Theatre by kids, for kids” over the years. Their generous sponsorship will bring two of our upcoming productions to life: Jingle ARRGH the Way sets sail November 16th, 2018 and the Sherwood Forest comes to life in Robin Hood, starting February 22nd. These lively tales feature casts of hilarious and wonderful characters, so you won’t want to miss these shows. Act now to purchase your best seats today! Tickets can be purchased online or by calling our Box Office at (703) 548-1154.
Photos and GIF by Aileen Christian. Logo provided by Fairlington Dental. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy and Rosemarie O’Connor.