Hello, everyone and welcome back to the blog! Arts Apprentice Shannon here. Today’s Front Row Friday is also a farewell…at least for the moment! It’s the final day of my Arts Apprenticeship at Encore. It’s been an awesome season, so I’m going to share just a few highlights with you before I go.
One of the most fun projects I got to do was co-directing Twinderella as part of our residency at Ashlawn Elementary School. Our group of fourth and fifth graders were so talented and continued to impress me. The story of the show is super hilarious, so I had a fantastic time creating blocking and choreography for these (somewhat) familiar fairytale characters. It was a wonderful learning experience for me as a director and a teacher, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity.
I’m super proud of the work I did on Encore first big #GivingTuesday campaign. Encore is such a worthy community organization and it felt incredible to see my hard work lead to great results: we raised over 120% of our original goal! That’s awesome!! I can’t wait to see how much this organization continues to grow in its 50th Anniversary season.
Once a marketing person, always a marketing person, so I’m going to take a moment to promote our blog, Pinterest, and Tumblr pages, because I’m super proud of them! Whether you’re into interviews, crafts, or awesome theatre GIFs, Encore’s got something for you.
Another super rewarding aspect of this position is the fact that I get to experience multiple departments. I’ve worked on fundraising, supervised our Front of House crews, taught at camps, and more! It was so amazing to work with our students in the Healthy Play Initiative. Many of them only speak Spanish, so it was truly an exchange of knowledge, which I loved – even if my roommates gave me odd looks for excitedly naming produce in Spanish in our kitchen. Every single class was a new adventure and always a ton of fun.
I’m going to pause for a moment to appreciate my amazing co-workers here at Encore. It’s been a truly wonderful experience working and learning with all of these talented artists and administrators. From learning PhotoShop to new theatre games, theatrical lighting or how to write a grant, I have gained so much by working alongside each of you. And to anyone who is considering this Apprenticeship or a similar position: DO IT! You will genuinely learn and achieve so much more than you could every hope to squeeze onto a resume.
Speaking of people I love to work with… I’ve had such a blast creating the world of The Music Man with my incredible castmates, playing the mayor’s wife, Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn. As I’ve been saying to anybody who will listen: I love our town of River City. From each family unit, to the teenagers, to the town as a whole, the onstage relationships everyone has worked to create feel so genuine, hilarious, and unique. It’s been such a positive and warm experience, finally crossing the Encore stage.
The Music Man has just four remaining performances, so you should come join in on our fun! I would love to celebrate this amazing theatre “by kids, for kids” with all of you! Get your tickets online, by phone at (703) 548-1154, or at the Box Office before the show.
To all of the students, Front of House crew members, parents, patrons, and colleagues I’ve worked with this season, thank you. It has truly been a joy. I cannot wait to see what this next season will bring Encore and all of you. Until we meet again, my friends! 🙂
Photos by: Larry McClemons, Shannon McCarthy, Aileen Pangan
Blog contributor: Shannon McCarthy, 2016-17 Arts Apprentice