#1 – For the Nostalgia! This beloved story follows Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, who lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his child Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured, Marlin decides to face his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as the optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. For those who loved the 2003 Pixar movie, you’ll fall in love all over again with this exciting musical!
#2 – The Musical Numbers! From “We Swim Together” to the “Big Blue World,” there are fun musical numbers for everyone to enjoy! We may even have a tap dancing shark in “Fish Are Friends Not Food.”
#3 – The Under the Sea Ball on January 20 Join Encore for an anemone party to remember with the Under the Sea Ball on Saturday, January 20, 2024 following the 11am performance! Dress up in your finest fins and make your theatre experience a lasting family memory. Join Encore for delicious foods, fun arts and craft activities, and a chance to interact with the cast.
Choose Under the Sea Ball addon for Saturday, January 20, 11am performance Ball Tickets Regular Price: $30
#4 – Don’t Miss the Great Coral Reef! The colorful set is beautiful and something you don’t want to miss! See how we transport our audience to an underwater oasis!
#5 – Stay Warm Indoors! It’s cold out there friends! Stay warm and dry this weekend in the theatre and enjoy the tropical sights!
Performance Dates and Showtimes: Fridays, January 12 at 7:30pm Saturdays, January 13 at 11am and 3pm Sundays, January 14 and 21 at 3pm
Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre in Arlington, VA
Tickets: $15 for Adults, $12 for Children, Students, Military and Seniors
We’re so glad to add a 2023 member in our Encore team this fall. If you were with us during the summers of 2019 and 2020, you’ll see someone familiar! Returning to Encore as a Programming Assistant, meet (again!) Brian Hernandez!
Tell us about yourself!
I’m originally from the Falls Church area but my roots are in El Salvador. I attended James Madison University where I got my Bachelor of Science in Studio Art/Art Education and a minor in Music Industry. I did my student teaching at Smithland ES in Harrisonburg, VA and at Broadway HS in Broadway, VA. Here I taught art, and it was an incredible experience with some valuable memories. I’ve had the wonderful experience of being able to be a part of the Disney College Program out in Anaheim, California! In my free time, I enjoy exploring nature, racking up heavy weights when lifting, and catching up on my favorite animes (current shows I’m watching are Jujutsu Kaisen and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.)
What is your role here at Encore this fall and what will you be working on?
I am the Programming Assistant here at Encore! From what it looks like, I’ll be working on a variety of tasks! I’ll be helping and assisting Madaline with day-to-day operations for classes, holiday mini-camps, outreach programs, and if assigned, be lead teacher. There’s also going to be some office operations such as taking notes, organizing files, creating documents as needed, etc… We recently went over how to take orders for tickets or to register people into our system so I know that will be part of the day-to-day operations as needed. I am working closely with Cleo for the Charles Barret School Play and I am really stoked for the experience.
You’ve no stranger to the Encore team, please tell us all about what you’ve done previously with Encore.
My first experience with Encore was as an Arts Management intern back in the summer of 2019! Feels like so long ago but there were some great fantastic memories! Some include making programs for the camps, designing the shirts for “Into the Woods” and “Mary Poppins”, and running Front of House for “Newsies”! Fast forward to summer of 2020 and here I was back with Encore but this time as a choreographer for “Once Upon a Mattress!” Albeit everything about that experience was virtual, it was a unique experience to be able to create something, tweak it to be virtual, and have a completed production by the end of it all!
Can you describe your favorite theatre/performing arts experience and what made it so memorable?
My first theatre show that I was in was “The Addams Family” musical and that was my senior year of high school. Besides it being my first production, what made it memorable was that I felt it helped me create some wonderful bonds with friends, and it made me realize that taking creative risks is something that is a part of life. I didn’t think that being cast as a ghost (specifically, a Spanish conquistador), would be part of my character development, but it’s a memory I look back on and am very thankful for to this day.
What shows, classes, or programs are you looking forward to this year at Encore?
Since it’s heading into fall, I’m excited to see how the “Casper the Friendly Ghost” mini-camp will go as well as the “Creepy, Kooky, & All Together Ooky” class!
What’s your favorite play or musical as an audience member?
My favorite musical in life is, and forever will be, “Moulin Rouge”. I have not had the opportunity to see it in person, but I know that if I did, it would be a euphoric experience.
Why do you think performing arts are important for young people?
The performing arts are important for young people because it allows them to experience the world in their own ways. As an educator, I told my students, “define normal.” It is so disheartening when young people feel like they can’t express themselves or that their experiences get diminished because “it’s not normal” or that it will be perceived as weird to their peers. The performing arts acts as a backbone for support for young people to surpass their creative limits, to collaborate with other creative risk-takers, and its value on how it can help someone throughout their life is immeasurable.
What is your dream character role or dream production to work on and why?
Going back to Moulin Rouge, I would love to be involved in a production like that in any way possible.
What theme day should Encore have at the office?
I think it would be fun to do a nostalgic “favorite cartoons growing up” kind of day. We wouldn’t have to dress up like the characters, but it would be great to see coordinated outfits and guess which show everyone is. I already have some outfit ideas for myself for shows like, “Dragon tales”, “Maggie and the Ferocious Beast”, and “Invader Zim” to name a few.
In his interview, Brian also wanted to share another Encore “core memory.”
This is an oddly specific memory but during my time back in 2019, McDonald’s had toys for “Toy Story 4” and those toys were stand-alone but if you collected all of them, they combined together to create the RV from the movie! I think we got up to like 5 out of 9 pieces or something but it was a fun little bonding moment with the staff in trying to see updates on how it was going. Wanted to share that I really appreciate that memory and all of y’all.
We’re ecstatic to see Brian return and share his experiences in this latest Encore role!
Encore alum, Xander Tilock shares his review of Charlotte’s Web:
“With the right words, you can change the world.”
This sentiment speaks right to the heart of Encore Stage and Studio’s current production of Charlotte’s Web. Alisa Kingsbury directed a talented young cast and brought these words to life in every corner of the show. The performance was enjoyable for all ages.
Encore’s outstanding technical staff, led by Kristen Jepperson as Technical Director, was consistently solid. Sam Regardie as the student set designer was outstanding in creating the immersive physical world of the play. Lighting by Gary Hauptman was also perfect as Encore patrons have come to expect.
The classic tale follows a pig named Wilbur (Abigail Reid) who is saved from an unfortunate fate on the farm by a child, Fern (Beatrice Misch). Wilbur is moved to another farm and navigates survival with the help —- or in some cases, reluctant help —- of the other barn animals.
The actors portraying animals took full advantage of their stage time, always painting an interesting stage picture with various barn activities. Lucy Constantine shined in her Encore debut as Charlotte, the titular character. She presented her poetic lines with the perfect touch of calm and teacher-esque tone without pushing the message of the show too far. Jonah Saxe countered Constantine as Templeton, the mischievous rodent and displayed masterful stage presence by earning abundant laughs from the audience with nearly every line.
As for the humans onstage, the farm folk of Lurvy (Layne Markowski) Mr. Arable (Spencer Tilock) and Homer Zuckerman (Zachary Rubin) moved the story forward and made a significant impact in each scene they entered.
As some may know, the plot takes a massive turn in the second act — a difficulty that the cast handled extremely well under the direction of Kingsbury and Assistant Director Jadion Jones. Additionally, Encore’s portrayal of Charlotte’s Web never felt too dark or overly theatrical. There was a perfect mixture of story, lessons to be learned and true emotion to be felt by all.
Charlotte’s Web is the perfect story for the full gamut of Encore patrons. We witness Wilbur’s entire perspective on the meaning of life evolve and grow. Ultimately, a somber yet heartwarming conclusion is reached — that we live to do good for others. The storytelling agents all flow beautifully together to culminate in theatergoers leaving with a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the wonderful little details that make being in community together special.
Ultimately, the message also applies to what Encore as an organization is all about –- building community. Charlotte’s Web explains that friendship comes in many different forms, and our differences make us stronger. Post-pandemic, a new generation of Encore cast and crew has truly carried on the Encore way with pride —- and it makes for a production that is one of the season’s best.
Charlotte’s Web continues next weekend at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre, with performances on Friday at 7:30 pm, along with Saturday at 11:00 am and 3:00 pm and a final run Sunday at 3:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at encorestage.org.
