"It was only in the theatre that I lived."
- Oscar Wilde
Season greetings, and welcome to the Winter '25 Edition of the Encore Newsletter! We've had a great year, and are excited to share the highlights with everyone!
In This Edition
- Homecoming and Family Weekend 2024
- Rumors by Neil Simon
- West Side Story 30th Anniversary Celebration
- Student & Alumni News
- Encore Winter Intensive
- Upcoming Events
- Engage With Encore
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Homecoming and Family Weekend 2024
Thank you to all that made this 2024 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's 125th Anniversary with an amazing list of Charter Week events, that included this years Homecoming Weekend. We hope that everyone had a chance to reconnect with friends and others, 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.
Celebrating its 29th consecutive year as a time-honored and beloved tradition, the Homecoming Parade officially kicked off the weekend’s festivities with floats constructed by current students, staff members, and alumni. On Friday, campus clubs and organizations came together at the Elizabethtown Fairgrounds to create this years amazing floats. The theme for the parade was “This is Etown,” where floats were tasked with celebrating a favorite aspect or tradition of the College. Sock & Buskins entry celebrated the club's long history on campus, and wished it "Happy Birthday"!!
Etown’s own student improvisational comedy group helped start Homecoming and Family Weekend off with a laugh by hosting an improv show in celebration of the College’s 125th anniversary!
Sock & Buskin and Alpha Psi Omega joined other campus clubs in the Midway for the yearly Homecoming Fair!!
Alumni, Staff and current students had a great time hanging out and exploring the Tempest Theatre at our annual Theatre and Dance Student and Alumni Celebration prior to the West Side Story Reunion!
Etown’s student a capella groups Melica, Vocalign, and Phalanx (MVP) harmonized and delighted attendees of the 13th annual Homecoming M.V.P. Spectacular show in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. The event also featured alumni announcers and the conferral of the 2024 Distinguished Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award to alumnus Agnetha “Aggie” Serrame-Bennett ’14.
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Rumors – Fall 2024 Campus Production
A dinner party? A BMW? A gunshot? It sounds like Tempest Theatre is putting on another show to remember.
Kristin Wolanin returns to Elizabethtown to direct the fall production of Rumors by Neil Simon. Kristin was joined by student director Sarah Jakubowski. You can read more about the production in the Etownian below.
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West Side Story 30th Anniversary
The tradition of theatre at Etown runs deep, dating back to at least 1932 when Sock and Buskin was founded. We are taking the opportunity to honor some remarkable milestones of Theatre during the 125th celebrations over Homecoming & Family Weekend!
Alumni, faculty, staff, and current students joined together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Etown’s West Side Story production. The intimate "fireside chat" welcomed alumni & current students to share memories of West Side Story, theatre on campus, and what theatre means to them.
Thank you to all that helped make the event an amazing success! We hope to bring this type of programming to campus in the future!!
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Student & Alumni News
Alpha Psi Omega holds Annual Cabaret
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.
Etown Alumni Honored at KCATF Region 2 Festival
Congratulations to Tyler Joseph Rossi, '19! His One Act, Wanderlust, and his Ten Minute Play, Take Me Back, will be performed at KCACTF Region 2 Festival in January.
As a writer, I’m drawn to shining a light on histories dark corners – things that people haven't heard of or angles of something familiar we've never seen before.
Tyler is a Playwriting MFA Candidate at Catholic University of America. He is a Core member of the Lancaster Dramatists’ Platform and is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and LMDA. His various playwriting awards/honors include END OF THE LINE: A BONNIE AND CLYDE PLAY (Andrew W. Mellon Grant, SCARP Grant from Elizabethtown College), VERBOTEN (Kennedy Center Undergraduate Playwrights Workshop Semifinalist), The Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive (Invitee 2019, 2020), and Theatre Lab's Fair Play Initiative 2021 (Finalist). METROSEXUAL COALCRACKER (Prologue Theatre's Foreword: New Play Series Semifinalist, Fulton Theatre: Festival of New Works: Stories of Diversity Semifinalist).
Join us for the Encore Intensive this winter!
Theatre & Dance alumni will be returning to campus this February for a weekend full of special classes, volunteering, and of course plenty of laughs! On Friday & Saturday, February 14th & 15th, we will launch a series of in-depth classes, panel discussions, and volunteer opportunities.
The schedule for this inaugural event is still being developed, but we will share updates soon. This event is open to everyone! If you are interested in attending, or presenting at the event please follow the links below!
Upcoming Events
February 14-16, 2025 - One Act Festival
February 14-15, 2024 - Encore Intensive
March 14 - 22 - Spring Mainstage Production - Midsummer Nights Dream
all dates tentative - for more information click below for full campus calendar
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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!