Encore A–Z

This is Encore

9 min read

This is Encore

The complete organizational overview — who we are, what we do, and how we work. For a faster orientation, see Encore at a Glance.

Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

Encore Performing Arts inspires and empowers young artists to discover and develop important life skills through unparalleled arts education, mentorship, and extraordinary theater experiences.

In short, we teach life skills through stage skills.

Vision

Through the lens of acting, storytelling, and theater-making, we are inspiring and empowering young artists to develop skills in:

  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Critical thinking and complex problem-solving
  • Giving and receiving constructive criticism
  • Communication
  • Confidence
  • Leadership
  • Empathy

Encore’s vision is to cultivate new generations of confident, empathetic, and skilled young artists. By providing a nurturing and inclusive environment, we aim to unleash the creative potential of every child, preparing them for success beyond the stage in all facets of their lives.

Who We’re Serving

At Encore, our mission comes to life through service to three interconnected communities.

We Serve Young Artists. We’re investing in every young artist with personalized attention, professional training, and the support they need to flourish as both performers and people.

We Serve Our Community. We’re building a vibrant arts culture through exceptional theater experiences, community celebrations, and traditions that connect and unite our community.

We Serve Each Other. We’re collaborating with respect and support for one another. When our team is strong, we give our best to every young artist and the community we serve.

Daily Actions: Living Our Mission

These three principles guide how we work with young artists every day. They translate the mission into the room. The full cultural framework lives in Ten Commandments.

Nurture Growth Over Perfection. Celebrate effort, improvement, and creative risk-taking. Turn mistakes into learning opportunities. Meet each young artist where they are and help them grow.

Create Professional, Positive Spaces. Model theater industry standards with kindness. Keep drama on stage, professionalism in our work. Maintain safe, inclusive environments where everyone belongs.

Empower Through Mentorship. Tailor your approach to each individual’s needs. Foster both performance skills and life skills. Encourage young artists to contribute their ideas and creativity.

When we live these principles daily, we create the environment where young artists discover their potential, our community experiences exceptional theater, and we all grow together.

Production Programs: 0.0 - The Stages of Encore

Encore’s production programs create comprehensive educational pathways that guide young artists from their first theatrical experience through professional-level training. Our tiered structure allows us to serve significantly more young artists by meeting them at their specific level of readiness. See 0.0 - The Stages of Encore for the full overview.

0.0 - Junior Stages

The foundation of the educational pathway, creating a structured progression that nurtures artistic growth and development.

Camps (presented by the Youth Leadership Program). Leverage learning opportunities for our youngest artists (ages 6–9) and our most experienced young adults. Week-long format with YLP participants acting as camp counselors. Charming, endearing, supportive — performances run about 30 minutes.

Junior Shows. Our most foundational full-length productions (30–45 minutes) recognize that young children learn best through play, exploration, and positive reinforcement. Simplified storylines, colorful costumes, accessible music, interactive staging. Focus on basic performance skills — voice projection, stage presence, ensemble work — in a safe environment where mistakes become learning opportunities.

Emerging Artist Shows. 60–90 minute productions providing a pathway for young artists to embrace greater challenges while developing more sophisticated performance skills. Deeper character work, more demanding vocal techniques, collaborative ensemble skills. Enhanced production values; students begin to take on backstage responsibilities and develop leadership skills.

0.0 - Signature Stages

The heart of Encore’s educational mission, serving students who are ready for professional-level artistic challenges within a supportive educational framework.

Signature Shows. Operate at the intersection of rigorous artistic training and compassionate mentorship — demanding professional-level commitment while maintaining educational support that allows young artists to take creative risks. Full story-driven musicals with complete production values, running approximately a dozen performances. Staff- and faculty-led mentorship.

Show with a Pro. Brings the exceptional talents of experienced creative teams and professional actors directly to our aspiring young professionals — an invaluable bridge between educational theater and professional practice. Professional guest artists remain present throughout the entire rehearsal process, conduct specialized workshops, and work alongside students as cast members.

Show Choir: Aspire Performing Co.

Led by Kelby Tyrrell, Aspire Performing Co. provides young performers the opportunity to work with exceptional talent and mentors in a show choir format. Weekly rehearsals focusing on music and choreography, seasonal showcase performances open to the public, advanced vocal and movement training.

Annual Productions

A Christmas Carol: The New Musical (Show with a Pro). Encore’s signature annual production featuring themes of generosity, family, hope for change, and holiday spirit. A unique musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic, part of our Show with a Pro series.

Villains Night (Fall Aspire Production). Aspire Show Choir’s annual tradition inviting young artists to explore storytelling’s most complex antagonists — character motivation, moral ambiguity, performance range.

Bright Lights of Broadway (Spring Aspire Production). Aspire Show Choir’s spring showcase celebrating the magic and artistry of Broadway theater — a tribute to musical theater history through beloved songs and memorable moments.

Education Programs

Curriculum: Encore’s S.T.A.G.E. Skills

(School of Theatre to Acquire, Grow, and Engage) Skills for Beyond the Stage

Our curriculum is the central guide for all mentors, ensuring every student has access to rigorous, meaningful experiences that develop both theatrical and life skills.

Core Components: storytelling and script analysis · teamwork and collaboration · audience awareness and communication · growth mindset and resilience · empathy and emotional intelligence.

Curriculum Structure: age-appropriate skill progression · integration of life skills with theatrical training · assessment and growth tracking · individualized learning pathways.

Classes and Workshops

Encore offers ongoing classes and specialized workshops designed to develop specific skills and provide targeted learning opportunities for young artists at all levels.

Ongoing Classes: acting fundamentals and scene study · voice and vocal technique · movement and dance · music theater performance · technical theater skills · leadership development.

Specialized Workshops: masterclasses with guest artists · intensive skill-building sessions · audition preparation · industry professional development · community outreach workshops.

These programs complement our production work by providing focused skill development in a classroom setting.

Encore’s Leadership Series

Youth Leadership Program. Young performers (ages 14–18) step up to mentor fellow young artists while being mentored by experienced theater staff. They choose a specialized theater area for deep learning, collaborate on show design and staging, develop teaching and mentorship skills, and practice leadership in real production environments.

Youth in the Booth. Teens (ages 14–18) gain hands-on experience with theatrical technical production under professional guidance. Lighting design and operation, sound engineering, stage management, and production planning — explored as real career pathways.

Page to Stage — Theatre Field Trips

Our comprehensive three-part theater education program transforms traditional field trips into meaningful learning experiences: a pre-show workshop exploring context and themes, a guided live performance experience, and post-show discussion and talkbacks.

Capstone Campus

(In Development)

Educational partnership program for college students completing capstone or senior projects from accredited universities. Provides real-world theater experience while supporting Encore’s educational mission through collaborative projects and fresh perspectives.

Sensory-Friendly Performances

Modified productions welcoming individuals with sensory needs, including people on the autism spectrum, first-time theatergoers, and young children. Patron movement welcome during performance, specially trained staff, modified lighting and sound levels, safe non-judgmental environment, sensory break spaces available.

Camps

Encore’s camps extend our educational mission year-round, providing immersive theatrical experiences during traditional off-season periods. They serve as a powerful introduction to Encore’s programs while developing new talent in supportive, focused environments. Enhanced through partnerships with the Youth Leadership Program, where experienced young artists serve as mentors and counselors.

Key Features: Production Camps (themed review shows with full design elements, ~30 minutes) · Skills Workshops (rotating classes in acting, movement, voice, theater fundamentals) · Junior Company Development (introductory programs for young artists new to Encore).

Camps often serve as a young person’s first introduction to Encore, creating experiences that inspire long-term engagement with our educational mission and theatrical community.

Community Connections

Development Department Programs

The Core. Our foundational community engagement program, fostering deep connections between Encore and our surrounding communities through ongoing relationship-building and collaborative programming.

Preshow Prologues. Special presentations before select performances provide context, background, and enhanced understanding of productions.

ASL & Performances for the Blind. Accessibility programming ensuring theater experiences are available to deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and visually impaired community members through professional interpretation and audio description.

Friends of Encore. Community partnership program connecting Encore with local organizations, schools, and special needs groups.

Upcoming Community Initiatives (In Development)

  • The Red Scarf — Community recognition and connection program
  • Encore’s Fun Run — Annual community fitness and fundraising event
  • Encore Talent Shows — Community showcase opportunities for local performers
  • Encore’s Haunted House — (Working Title: House of Haunted Harmonies) Seasonal community entertainment combining Encore’s theatrical expertise with Halloween celebration

Organizational Structure

Encore operates through a mission-control system with Executive Leadership providing strategic direction, Foundation Departments (Finance, Marketing & Branding, Culture) coordinating essential resources, and Mission Departments (Production, Education, Development) delivering direct impact. See Departments and Roles for the org chart.

Executive Leadership — Executive Director (overall leadership), Artistic Director (creative vision), Managing Director (daily operations).

Foundation Departments — Finance, Marketing & Branding & Messaging, Culture.

Mission Departments — Production (see Production Bible), Education, Development.

Cultural Principles

These shape how we work at Encore — read each in its canonical home:

  • Ten Commandments — the 10 cultural commandments that guide every interaction.
  • Mike and Sully Principle — how creative and managerial energies partner on every program.
  • Phone Free — why and how we maintain phone-free rehearsal and class environments.

Conclusion

Encore Performing Arts exists to transform young lives through the power of theater. We believe that by teaching life skills through stage skills, we prepare young artists not just for success in performance, but for success in life.

Every program, every production, and every interaction is designed to nurture growth mindsets, foster professional environments, and empower young artists through personalized mentorship. We are more than a theater organization — we are a community dedicated to developing confident, empathetic, and skilled young people who will make positive impacts in the world.

Welcome to Encore — where stage skills become life skills.

Status: Working · Portal: Public · Last reviewed: 2026-05-11 · Owner: Rhett

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