Today we are highlighting our stage manager of The Addams Family, Josie Funk, who is also an Encore alum! You may remember them as our stage manager for last year’s summer musical, Footloose. Josie is currently a college student at VCU Arts, studying stage management. Read along to learn more about their journey at Encore and beyond!
What was your first introduction to Encore Stage & Studio?
My first introduction to Encore was my parents taking me to see Encore shows when I was very little, however I don’t remember it very well. My first introduction to Encore that I remember was doing improv and musical theatre classes when I was in fourth grade (2016-2017!) My love of theatre took off from there and I have since explored doing cast, backstage, front of house, and my favorite, stage management.
What is a lesson or your greatest takeaways Encore in your formative years?
Encore taught me a lot about collaboration, both in and outside of a production. One of my favorite things about theatre is working with people of different skill sets. Everyone has something different and interesting they can contribute. A production, or anything collaborative, can’t succeed without each person’s contributions. I think theatre is the perfect place to learn how to collaborate and appreciate what each person can bring to the table.
What was your favorite show you’ve done at Encore?
Definitely Footloose! I got to stage manage it (which is my absolute favorite thing in the world to do) and at that point, I had grown a lot as a stage manager, so it was really cool applying all of those skills to a full length musical. Footloose also had some of the best people I ever worked with. If I could name everyone involved in the production right here, I would! It was truly a joy working with all of them. Footloose also had great music, which was an awesome bonus. My honorary mention is The Hobbit, which I did mics for, because I’m a Lord of the Rings fan!
How did it feel working with your mom in Footloose?
It was a lot of fun! My mom surprised me by auditioning since she wanted to spend more time with me before I went off to college. To her surprise, she was cast in the show! (I was not surprised because I know how awesome she is.) It was really cool watching my mom discover the theatre kid part of herself that hadn’t gotten to shine since she was in high school. My mom and I really got to be there for each other through the process of putting on a production, which was pretty cool. (The free rides to rehearsal also didn’t hurt haha).
What is your favorite memory you’ve made with your castmates/crewmates at Encore?
It’s honestly impossible to name just one, so here are some that stick out to me! At one of the later Footloose rehearsals, Chris Dockins, who played Reverend Shaw, brought pendants with the show’s logo for all of us. It was such a thoughtful and meaningful gesture that really brought us closer together. Footloose was a very special show in general because everyone really cared for each other and wanted each other to succeed. I have so many great memories from working on it.
How does it feel returning as an alum?
Returning as an alum is very exciting! I thought Footloose last summer would be my final Encore show, so being back at Encore is such a treat, especially to stage manage. Through my first year at Virginia Commonwealth University, I feel as though I have learned so much more about stage managing, so I am excited to bring that knowledge to The Addams Family!
Tell us about the first time you stage managed!
When I did backstage crew at Encore in middle school, I always looked up to the stage managers I worked with, so I was very excited to stage manage for the first time. I was in 9th grade (2021) and Encore had just started doing regular season shows again post-COVID lockdown. Kristen, Encore’s former technical director, asked me to submit an application to stage manage and I did! I was selected to stage manage Riley O’Brien and the Lost Leprechaun. It was challenging learning a new, complicated position, but I got some assistance and have gone so far since then. It was also interesting stage managing while coming out of COVID. I used to have to take actors’ temperatures before rehearsal!
What made you pursue a career in stage management?
I’m not sure if there’s a moment where I decided stage managing is what I want to do as a career. It just clicked for me. One of my professors said (and I’m paraphrasing) that no one who “kind of” wants to go into theatre actually does it, it has to be the only thing you want to do. Stage management is my calling and the only thing I can see myself doing.
What has been your favorite thing about studying stage management in college so far?
My favorite thing about studying stage management so far is all the hands-on experience we get. At VCU in the stage management major, we generally don’t get our first mainstage assignments until our sophomore year, but our professor tries to put us in as much non-mainstage work as possible and there are so many opportunities. In the spring semester, I got to stage manage an original work called The Q Word, which was a student’s project for an independent study. Through stage managing that production, I got to apply the skills I learned in my stage management courses so far, which was really rewarding. The show ended up being great as well! I also love how much support there is within the major. Everyone is really willing to proof each other’s paperwork, provide guidance and give advice, and bond over similar experiences.
How has Encore Stage & Studio helped you find community?
Encore gave me a place where I belonged. I was an introverted teenager (and still am introverted) and really struggled making friends in middle and high school. Through Encore, I’ve gotten to meet people with the same passions as I do and work collaboratively towards a common goal, which has really helped me come out of my shell. I’m also still friends with people I met at Encore!
What are you looking forward to most about stage managing The Addams Family Musical?
I’m really excited to apply the skills I learned in my first year of college for stage management to this production! I think I have grown so much as a stage manager, and as a person, in this past year and I’m very excited to stage manage a full length musical with this new knowledge.
As we go into our 60th anniversary, what is something that makes Encore feel like a home?
I did my first Encore show, Madeline’s Christmas, during Encore’s 50th season, so it is so cool reflecting back on almost 10 years of doing Encore. Throughout those almost 10 years of doing Encore, the people have made it feel like a home. I have so much to thank the people at Encore for. As I previously stated, I’m still friends with people I met at Encore (shoutout Riley Dennis, who’s been a steady friend even though we’ve been states apart for college). Friends I’ve since grown apart from have also been such big sources of light for me in my time at Encore. I don’t think I would’ve gotten into stage management without Kristen Jepperson asking me to apply to stage manage, so I’m ever grateful to her, as well as to Cleo Potter and Sara Duke for trusting me with five stage management positions and teaching me so much about theatre and supporting both my growth as an artist and a human being.
Thank you Josie for sharing stories about your time at Encore and beyond! For those of you reading at home who’d like to support their next project, you can get tickets to The Addams Family right here at Encore Stage & Studio! The show is located at Thomas Jefferson Commuity Theatre and runs from July 17-July 16, 2026.
Josie Funk (they/them) is a stage manager based in Richmond, VA and DC. They are currently pursuing their BFA in Theatre with a concentration in Stage Management from Virginia Commonwealth University. They are excited to be stage managing their fifth Encore production. Outside of theatre, Josie enjoys traveling, taking public transit, and writing music. Josie wants to thank the love of their life, Emanuelle, and their parents for all of their support. Recent credits: VCU: The Q Word (Stage Manager); VCU SALT: Trendkill (Sound Designer/Operator); Encore Stage & Studio: Footloose (Stage Manager). Instagram: josiedfunksm