"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold"
-Aristotle
Season greetings, and welcome to the Winter '26 Edition of the Encore Newsletter! It has been an amazing year, and are excited to share the highlights with everyone!
In This Edition
- Homecoming and Family Weekend 2025
- Empowered: How One Girl Scout Nearly Destroyed the World’s Economy
- Encore Intensive:2026
- Student & Alumni News
- Upcoming Events
- Engage With Encore
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Homecoming and Family Weekend 2025
Picture-perfect fall weather served as an ideal backdrop as Elizabethtown College celebrated the 2025 Homecoming and Family Weekend in early October. Homecoming brought together students, employees, alumni, families, and friends on campus for a wide variety of engaging events, inspiring performances, and beloved Etown traditions.
Thank you to all that made this 2025 Homecoming & Family weekend such a success. Over the course of three days we were able to come together as alumni, students and families, to celebrate the College, and our time at Etown. We hope that everyone had a chance to reconnect with old friends, and make new ones. We came together to share our Etown pride, and to truly celebrate the many things that make Elizabethtown College such an incredible place! You can see the full Homecoming recap here.
Homecoming & Family Weekend
4th Annual Theatre & Dance Reunion
It's hard to to believe that students and alumni alike have been descending on the Tempest Theatre for four years now! We continue to connect with old friends and meet new ones. Exactly what the theatre does for all of us. We hope to see you next year!
Many Alumni joined us at Twisted Bine in Mount Joy in the evening, and the stories continued!
Mark your Calendars for Homecoming & Family Weekend, October 9-11, 2026!
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Empowered: How One Girl Scout Nearly Destroyed the World’s Economy
Amaryllis is determined to win her Girl Scout troop's cookie-selling contest, but she'll need more than charm to win first prize (a unicorn!) and avoid last place (which means getting kicked out of the troop!). So when sales droop, she naturally turns to the financial sector for advice. Soon she's faking a terminal illness, franchising her methods, and contracting with a payday lender to offer 30-year loans for cookies. A hysterical homage to Glengarry Glen Ross and send-up of the wild excesses of the financial crisis.
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Encore Intensive:2026
Mark your calendars for Encore Intensive:2026!
Encore is proud to announce that we will be back for another weekend filled with classes, hands-on sessions, networking, and volunteering this February. If you are interested in joing us as a presenter, or an attendee, just fill out the form below.
Keep an eye out for more details in early January, and we hope to see you for Encore Intensive:2026. In the meantime, enjoy some photos from last year's inaugural event!
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Student & Alumni News
Alpha Psi Omega holds Annual Cabaret
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the philanthropic heart of Broadway. (The) support provides meals and medication, health care and hope to those in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., affected by HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.
Etown's national theatre honor society, Alpha Psi Omega (APO), hosted its annual fundraiser, "Broadway Cares: Equity Fights Aids Cabaret," in October. The event, held in the Jay Lounge, was presented to help spread awareness for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The organization, founded in 1988, raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. It is the theatre community's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, BC/EFA has raised over $300 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV, and other critical illnesses.
Theatre Classes Continue on Campus
With classes ending on campus for the term, its exciting to see new instructors and classes on the schedule for Spring! Kristin Wolanin will be returning from her role as Guest Director of Empowered as Adjunct Professor for the Spring Semester TH-165 Basic Acting Class. Bruce Walsh is wrapping up the second year of TH125 History of Musical Theatre and will return in the Spring for the TH-240 Playwriting Class.
Upcoming Events
February 13-15, 2026- One Act Musical Festival
This year’s One Act Festival will be the One Act Musical Festival! Three student directors have chosen ten-minute musicals for the February show.
February 20-22, 2026 - Encore Intensive:2026
Our second annual event will include a "Meet & Greet" for students & alumni, classroom & hands on sessions, and volunteer hours in the Tempest Theatre
March 20 - 29 - Spring Mainstage Production - She Kills Monsters
Directed by Griffin Yeyna with Claire Grau
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Engage With Encore
Look At Us!
Want to learn more about Encore? Visit our official Elizabethtown College Alumni Association site!
Talk With Us!
Have specific questions? Curious about our upcoming projects and productions? Want to get in touch with one of the members of our Steering Committee? Interested in getting involved with what we’re doing? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera? E-mail us and we’ll be more than happy to connect with you!
Give Us Your Opinions!
Feedback from fellow alumni and current students is the foundation on which Encore builds and plans its future. If you feel compelled, please take our completely voluntary survey to share a little bit about yourself and your interests regarding Encore’s future programming. We’re so excited to hear from you!
Join Us and Get Involved!
If you or a fellow Etown alum feels inspired to join our ranks and support our cause, we’re all about it! Send us an e-mail at etownencore@gmail.com! Be sure to include any special skills that will come in handy when tackling our future projects!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our newsletter and celebrate our theatre-alumni successes! We are excited to connect with fellow Theatre Blue Jays and join together in building a resource for students, alumni, and the College!