Children's Theater Community Programs in Arlington, VA

Nearly 15,000 children and families served per season — through schools, Scout troops, training programs, and performances that bring theater to kids who might never audition for a show.

Encore Stage & Studio has been part of the fabric of Arlington and Northern Virginia for 60 years. The camps and classes are what most families find first. The community programs are what make Encore something larger than a theater school.


This is where school administrators find a production partner who actually shows up. Where PTA chairs discover a residency program that turns their students into a cast of 25 or 30. Where Scout troop leaders find a workshop that meets badge requirements and gives kids a morning they remember. Where high school students build real customer service and leadership skills running front-of-house operations for a live audience.


Theater that meets kids where they are — in their school, their troop, their community.

Community Programs

Programs That Bring Theater Into the Community

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School Residency Programs

Encore teaching artists come into your school and guide students through the full production process — from first rehearsal to opening night. Designed for elementary school PTAs producing full shows with casts of 25 to 30, these residencies are professionally run, logistically supported, and built around your school's calendar and capacity.

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Flip the Script — Touring School Performances

Encore brings live theater into Arlington and Alexandria elementary and middle schools through Flip the Script, our touring performance program. Students see a professional-quality production in their own building — no field trip required.

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Scout Badge Workshops

Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops earn badges through an Encore workshop experience that combines behind-the-scenes theater education with a pre-show experience at a live production. Designed to meet specific badge requirements while giving Scouts a genuine look at how live theater works.

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Encore Excellence — Front of House Training

Encore Excellence is a student-run front-of-house training program that puts teenagers in charge of the entire audience experience — ticketing, ushering, customer service, and theater operations. Students build real-world professional skills in a live environment. This is not a volunteer credit. It is a credential.

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Parent Night Out

A new Encore program giving parents a planned evening off while their kids enjoy a structured, theater-focused experience. Details and upcoming dates available on the program page.

Encore's Reach Across Arlington and Northern Virginia

Nearly 15,000 children and families move through Encore programs every season. That number spans productions, camps, classes, and the community programs on this page — reaching schools across Arlington County and Alexandria City, Scout troops throughout Northern Virginia, and families from Arlington to Washington, DC to McLean.


The community programs are a direct extension of Encore's mission: theater education that is accessible, professionally delivered, and built to last. For 60 years, that mission has not changed. The programs have just grown.

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What Schools and Organizations Ask About Partnering With Encore

  • How does Encore Stage work with schools in Arlington, VA?

    Encore partners with Arlington and Alexandria schools through two distinct programs. The school residency program embeds Encore teaching artists in your school to guide students through a full production — from first rehearsal to performance night, with casts of 25 to 30 students. The Flip the Script touring program brings a live Encore production directly into your school building, no field trip required. Both programs are professionally run and coordinated around your school's schedule.

  • What theater outreach programs are available in Northern Virginia?

    Encore offers school residencies, touring performances, Scout badge workshops, and front-of-house training for student volunteers — each a distinct program designed for a different audience and a different kind of engagement with theater. Details for each program are available on their individual pages linked above.

  • Are Encore's community programs only for kids who want to perform?

    No. The school residency and touring programs reach students in their own schools regardless of whether they have ever sought out a theater experience. Scout workshops are structured around badge requirements, not auditions. The Encore Excellence front-of-house program develops customer service and operations skills — no performance component required. These programs are built for participation, not selection.


  • How do I contact Encore about a school or Scout partnership?

    Each community program page includes contact and inquiry information specific to that program. Start with the program page most relevant to your organization and reach out through the contact path listed there. For general inquiries, you can also reach us through our main contact page.

Encore Stage & Studio has served the Arlington and Northern Virginia community for 60 years — through productions, camps, classes, and the programs on this page. If you are a school administrator, PTA chair, Scout troop leader, or parent trying to understand the full scope of what this organization does, the place to start is the program that fits your community's need.