Explore Careers in the Arts at ‘Encore’ Alumni Event Programming on March 15 invites students, alumni and faculty to reconnect and celebrate the evolution of W&L’s arts programs.

Washington and Lee University’s Office of Alumni Engagement and Department of Theater, Dance and Film Studies present “Encore,” an inspiring celebration of the arts and community, on March 15 at the Lenfest Center for the Arts.

Registration is required to attend and can be accessed online here. The cost is $60 for alumni and the general public, but there is no cost for W&L  faculty, staff and students. All-day programming includes student and alumni panels, faculty master class sessions, and a networking reception. Encore is a chance to reconnect with fellow Theater, Dance and Film Studies (TDFS) alumni, current students and faculty, celebrating the legacy of the TDFS program at W&L and the wide range of opportunities TDFS alumni pursue after graduation.

Any students who are interested in a career in the arts or an arts-related field are encouraged to attend and hear from W&L alumni working in marketing, management, animation, audiobook narration, dance company administration, screenwriting, podcast hosting, dance studio management, music programming and other exciting fields.

“I am excited for current students to spend time with W&L alumni who didn’t necessarily major in the arts, but parleyed a love of the arts and degrees from the Williams School, engineering, or English into successful and rewarding careers in arts marketing, management and other related fields,” said Jenefer Davies, chair of the Department of Theater, Dance and Film Studies.

Programming kicks off on March 15 with a student panel at 9 a.m. that brings together students from across the arts spectrum who will reflect upon their study of the arts and how W&L’s programs have grown. An alumni panel follows at 10 a.m., with alumni sharing how their time in W&L’s various arts programs helped prepare them for their lives after college and the challenges of the professional world. The panel will feature Lauren Jane Barnett ’08, Ar’ese Emokpae ’10, Erik Jones ’91, Runa King ’21, Julia Pleasants ’08, Kevin Struthers ’89 and Michael Wigert ’92.

Two master class sessions will be offered at 11:15 a.m., where attendees can choose between a dance class with Davies, who is also the artistic director of the W&L Repertory Dance Company, or a theater games class with Jemma Levy, associate professor of theater. A shuttle will be available to transport guests between the Lenfest Center and W&L Dance Studios from 10:45-11:15 a.m. and noon-12:15 p.m.

Encore guests are also invited to attend the matinee performance of W&L’s annual Bentley musical, “The Prom,” at 2 p.m. in Keller Theatre, followed by a talk-back session with student performers. The program will close with a cocktail and networking reception at Hotchkiss Alumni House.

A full schedule of events (and transportation), frequently asked questions, speaker profiles and additional registration information are available at https://wlualumni.events/tdfs.