Welcome back to the Front Row Blog! Today, we have another interview conducted by Arts Management Intern Matthew Bloss-Baum with Encore Alum Zoe Rocchio. Zoe last performed at Encore 8 years ago, so we are delighted to catch up with her again to see what life has looked like since she moved on.
Encore: Please introduce yourself, what are you up to now!
Hello! My name is Zoe Rocchio. I’m 26 years old and I currently live in Manhattan in New York City. I went to AMDA the American Musical and Dramatics Academy in 2017. I graduated in 2019 from their Musical theater Conservatory program. I am currently a nanny and live in the city. I was getting into auditioning in the city right when COVID happened. So currently I’m just working and enjoying life and seeing where it takes me. I like to hang out with friends and my boyfriend and enjoy being a 20-something in Manhattan.
Encore: What years and programs/productions (and roles) were you involved in Encore?
I was with Encore for around 5 years from 2013-2017. I was lucky enough to be in nine different shows with roles starting as a Bear in Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and as Ensemble in Once upon a Mattress, growing to supporting roles like the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and the Dragon, along with 3 other roles, in Shrek the Musical. I was in the Music Man as Ethel Toffelmier and in The 12 Dancing Princesses as Orelia. I was lucky to have lead roles, too, in our productions of Snow White as Snow White, A Little Princess as Sara Crew, and The Putnam County Spelling Bee as Rona Lisa Peretti.
Encore: What career or latest projects are you working on right now? What was your latest role at Encore?
My current project is working in New York and being an adult! My last role with Encore was Ethel Toffelmier from the Music Man in 2017.
Encore: What Encore experiences or moment(s) were most memorable for you and why?
I loved working with adults during the summer shows. My favorite show to work on was Shrek the Musical. I had 5 roles in that show. I had so much fun running from stage left to quick-change into my costume and run to stage right for my next entrance. I will always have fond memories of that show. It was a lot of fun being treated like a professional and I had an amazing experience being around everyone and making a show together. I think being in a show with other people who are different ages than you and do different things was amazing to be around. I got to learn from them and just have fun doing a musical.
Encore: What skills or lessons did you take away from your time at Encore?
Having all the shows under my belt helped a lot when I went to school in New York. A lot of the terminology I already knew about and it made it a little easier to already know what was expected of me in class and as a performer. My creativity has grown a lot I’ve noticed, the way I look at a character or look at interacting with people in day to day things. It helped me understand people more.
Encore: Were there any friendships or people who resonated with you at Encore?
Oh my gosh I made so many friends. I still talk to a lot of them now. I keep up with them on social media. I’ve seen a lot of them grow up since I was one of the older kids when I was doing shows. It was a great community to be a part of. These shows really bring kids together.
Encore: How have theatre and Encore impacted your life?
Theater was always a part of my life. Encore helped grow that passion for me. I wanted to be a better performer and they helped me see how I loved theater. Doing it while still in school was such an amazing outlet. I was able to take those experiences with me to New York City where I was able to graduate with a musical theater certificate. Just blows my mind.
Encore: Any words and wishes to share with students interested in trying out theatre?
Listen to your directors/choreographers. Don’t be hard on yourself. We’re all human and we’re not perfect, growing only comes from mistakes. But please, memorize your lines and don’t miss your cue! Don’t compare yourself to others. The biggest take away is do it because you’re having fun. As long as you’re having fun and respecting and being nice to other people, that’s all that matters. Just enjoy it and you’ll have a lot of fun doing it.
Encore: How has theatre been in your life since Encore?
Because of COVID I’ve been set back, but I’ve always incorporated the things I learned while being at Encore in my day to day life. I enjoy learning new things. I take pride in seeing the joy in the kids I take care of in the fun they’re doing. And I still have a love for theater and I’m very lucky to see Broadway shows while living in New York City.
Thanks for giving us a glimpse into what you’re up to, Zoe! We are so excited to see what you do next. It’s so fun that you were in The Twelve Dancing Princesses all those years ago and we just did it again this past January! Time flies here at Encore, and it’s great to see our students come into our programs and back out into the world so quickly. Break a leg in New York, Zoe!
Interview by Matthew Bloss-Baum, edited by Parker Nelson. Photos by Larry McClemons.