WAIT…WHAT IS APPLIED THEATER?

Never heard of it? Perfect.

Applied theater takes the tools of theater and puts them to work in the real world.

Instead of creating only for an audience, we might use improv to explore a real problem, roleplay to help people practice a difficult situation, storytelling to help someone feel seen, or performance to bring a book for young audiences to life.

Sometimes we’ll perform. Sometimes we’ll facilitate. Sometimes we’ll mentor. Sometimes we’ll create something completely new. And sometimes we’ll have to figure out what the moment needs.

You don’t have to know how to do this yet. You just have to be willing to learn.

SO…WHAT MIGHT WE ACTUALLY DO?

ENCORE will be shaped partly by the students who join it, so we don’t know everything we’ll create yet.

That’s part of the magic.

But here are some of the possibilities:

🎭 PAGE TO STAGE

Work with younger students in our elementary schools to bring stories and scenes off the page and onto their feet.

ENCORE mentors may read, perform, improvise, create characters, and explore scenes alongside younger students—helping them discover theater while building toward a larger sixth-grade Page to Stage project and a fully scripted, recorded play.

You’ll get to help younger students discover something you already know:

There is a place for them in theater.

💬 IMPROV TO IMPROVE

What happens when we use theater to explore things students actually experience?

Through improv, roleplay, interactive scenes, and storytelling, ENCORE may partner with teachers and other district programs to explore topics like belonging, communication, conflict, wellness, safety, and other issues affecting students.

The goal isn’t to have all the answers.

It’s to listen, explore, create, and help start better conversations.

🤝 BUILD BELONGING

Remember walking into a theater space for the first time?

ENCORE students can help make that experience a little easier for the next person.

We’ll look for ways to welcome new students, build connections across theater programs, mentor younger artists, and help create spaces where every student can find a place to belong.

🎬 THEATER IN SERVICE

Sometimes our schools need actors, storytellers, collaborators, and authentic student voices.

ENCORE may help create or participate in videos, workshops, demonstrations, performances, roleplays, trainings, and other projects where theater skills can make an idea clearer, more human, or more meaningful.

In other words:

We have a really important collection of skills. Let’s use them.

THE ENCORE ETHOS

ENCORE isn’t just about what we create.

It’s also about how we work together and who we become while doing it.

Show up fully, take risks, and commit to the work.

Make space for growth—in yourself and in others.

Create a place where everyone belongs.

Listen closely, stay curious, and see beyond yourself.

Use your skills and your craft to meet the needs of the moment.

Find your voice, and help others find theirs.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Here’s something important:

You do not have to think of yourself as “a leader.”

ENCORE needs different kinds of people.

Performers. Technicians. Storytellers. Listeners. Idea people. Quiet observers. People who jump in first. People who notice the thing everyone else missed.

We’re looking for students who are curious, creative, dependable, and willing to grow.

You might belong here if:

• You care about making people feel like they belong.
• You listen and build on other people’s ideas.
• You’re interested in becoming a stronger artist, collaborator, and leader.
• You’re willing to experiment, adapt, take creative risks, and occasionally fail spectacularly.
• You’re curious about what theater can do beyond putting on a show.
• You can show up for an ensemble that depends on you.

No previous leadership, improv, or applied theater experience required.

We’re much more interested in who you’re willing to become than what you already know how to do.

WHAT ARE YOU SIGNING UP FOR?

ENCORE will be a small ensemble of approximately 8-12 students meeting Wednesdays after school.

Because the group is small and much of our work will depend on one another, regular attendance and follow-through matter.

Students will have opportunities to earn volunteer hours and extended application credit through eligible ENCORE activities.

Most importantly, you’re signing up to try something new.

This is a new ensemble. We’ll learn some things. We’ll change some things. Some ideas will work brilliantly. Others probably won’t.

You’ll help shape what ENCORE becomes.

INTERESTED?

Great. We’re not looking for the ten students with the longest résumés. We’re looking for a group of people who will show up, listen, contribute, experiment, and grow together.

The application below helps us get to know you a little better. There are no secret “right answers.” Just be yourself.