Happy #TechTuesday, Encore fans! Today we’re excited to chat with one of our Encore “crewtons,” Gabby. We’re excited to learn more about her theatre experiences and what keeps her coming back to participate on our tech crews. Let’s go!
Encore: Please briefly introduce yourself. How did you get involved with Encore?
Gabby: I’m Gabby Simek and I’m in 10th grade at Arlington Tech. I was getting bored with my other activities, so my mom encouraged me to try Encore because she knew that I used to love theatre so much in middle school and still do. I wasn’t sure because I’m not much of an actor, but I tried tech crew and loved it. I did a summer camp last year, then my first official show was Disney’s Frozen Jr. last fall.
Encore: How long have you been participating in Encore productions and in which capacities?
Gabby: I have been participating in Encore’s productions for only one year. I started with Mary Poppins Jr. Tech Camp last summer. I’ve done three shows so far: Disney’s Frozen Jr, Narnia, and The Three Musketeers. I was planning to do The Frog Prince of Spamalot and West Side Story before the pandemic happened.
Encore: What are the biggest/most significant things you’ve taken away from working on Encore shows?
Gabby: I would say that the biggest thing I have taken away from working on tech crew is being able to trust your team. You have to be able to count on others to do their best and work hard, especially when something doesn’t go according to plan and we have to fix it quickly.
Encore: Do you have a favorite crew-related memory you’d like to share?
Gabby: My favorite memories are the downtime between shows or at rehearsal when we were done setting up and we could hang out and talk. We call it “nap time” because it gets really cold backstage so sometimes so we bring blankets to snuggle in and have “nap time” where no one actually sleeps but we all relax backstage and hang out.
Encore: Do you have any advice you’d give kids who might be interested in trying out for crew in the future?
Gabby: For future Tech kids, I suggest you try to make a healthy balance between the hard work and fun stuff we do. You have to find a way to be organized and stay on task but still can have lots of fun. Also, try out different jobs – I learned sound as well as backstage tasks this year. Next, I want to try out the lighting jobs. Then hopefully one day I can be a stage manager!
Encore: Describe Encore Stage & Studio in five words or short phrases.
Gabby: Wonderful. Loving. Fun. Hard work. Also The Best!!!!!!
Encore: Anything else you’d like to share?
Gabby: Tech crew was like a sanctuary for me because people understand how hard it can be to deal with school and personal problems. In tech, it was easy to make friends and find people who were willing to help and be there for you!
Many thanks to Gabby for taking the time out of her distance learning schedule to talk tech with us. Hopefully, we’ll be back in the shop and the theatre again soon!
If you’re interested in learning more about Tech Camp (as well as what virtual Tech Camp might look like, if need be), be sure to tune into our Instagram Live tomorrow at 1 PM. Production Manager Rebecca Pfeil will be interviewing Tech Camp director Kyla McLaughlin, as well as one of Encore’s tech-iest alums, Luci Harris. You won’t want to miss this shop talk, so follow us on IG today!
To learn more about both our in-person and potentially-virtual summer camp offerings, please join us for a virtual Open House event on Saturday, May 30th. Virtually meet the teachers that will be joining us this year and see some of their special talents. Hear from the camp directors and learn their plans for taking summer online if necessary. Experience a sample class to get a taste of what a virtual camp program could look like for your students. Our staff will also be available to answer questions from the audience. Registration is free and open now!
Photos by Aileen Pangan Christian, Kyla McLaughlin, and Cindy Kane Photography.
Additional photos provided by Encore participant Gabby Simek.
Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.