The Grayslake Central Encore! theater group is surely a place to meet new people, to strengthen the skills of working with others, to be pushed out of your comfort zone, and to have fun. Encore! provides one of a kind experiences that can’t be missed.

Maureen Ritter, the Encore! sponsor explains the program.

“Encore! is the theatre group that produces the shows at Grayslake Central, and it’s pretty synonymous with the productions that we put on,” said Ritter.

Encore! not only produces plays, but they also do many other activities.

“It’s also the group that organizes field trips. It’s the group that does service activities, like when we contribute to the school food drive. It’s the group where students who are preparing monologues or portfolios for college get assistance with that, and so, we do all sorts of things.” said Ritter.

How is Encore! operated though? While it is definitely a time to socialize with friends and enjoy the arts, it is also important to get work done in order to put on the best production possible.

“It’s usually a combination of [being] really social, but focused, so it’s not just the adults [who] are cracking the whip all the time. Students are having fun, and it should be something that’s enjoyable if they’re doing something that they love, so I would say it’s focused, but social” said Ritter.

The students of Encore! also enjoy the experiences and memories that theater offers. Freshman Encore! member Lily Bassett explains why she enjoys taking part in theater.

“My favorite part about Encore! is probably the inclusiveness I feel with it. There’s no cliques or anything and everyone welcomes everyone into the group.” said Bassett

Another Encore! Student, freshman Collin Engelhardt, explains why he likes Encore!  

“The fact that you can come together and meet so many people that have the same interests than you and you really connect with them and feel like you fit in,” said Engelhardt.

The overall consensus is that the Encore! the community is very welcoming and is a great place to relax and meet new friends.

Some still might feel as if Encore! is not for them, but Bassett clears these misconceptions by saying that “[Encore! is] not just for people that have done theatre their whole life, you can join at any time, your senior year, your freshman year, whenever, and it’s really inclusive. You don’t have to be a professional to be able to do it.”

While there are over 100 members in the company, Ritter points out that Encore! can always use more members.

“If you are a leader, we can always use really strong leaders. If you like to work with your hands or are creative, we definitely need creative people, hands-on people. If you like to be on stage or to entertain people, we need those people as well, or if you like to be behind the scenes working hard, we need those people too” said Ritter.

If you would like to be a member of Encore!, Ritter explains how to get involved. “Come find me and just chat with me in the English office. Figure out what your options are. Even if we’re in the middle of working on a show, we always want to welcome new people.”

Because many enjoy the activities and performances put on by this group and the great opportunity to connect with new people, Encore! is truly an experience that everyone should try out.