About Us

Laura Savage - Student Stage Manager

Laura has been doing theatre for six years, and is extremely lucky to have spent three years (and counting!) with Encore Entertainers. When not performing, Laura edits her school's editorial and creative newspaper, writes and directs short films, and plays violin in various orchestras, Irish groups, and bluegrass groups. Favorite theatrical roles Laura has had the pleasure of playing include "Grasshopper" in James and the Giant Peach, "Mrs. Mayor" in Seussical, a "Silly Girl" and "Wolf" in Beauty and the Beast, a "Boylan Sister" in Annie, "Trix" in The Drowsy Chaperone, and a "Lovely Lady" in Les Miserables. After a summer internship in the Santa Monica College Theatre Department, Laura also fell in love with the flip side of theatre ñ production, tech, and stage managing. She is extremely excited to be staffing and stage managing for Encore, and can't wait to participate for many seasons to come.

Eliza Faloona - Student Assistant Choreographer

Eliza has been performing since the age of 7 and has thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. Before entering into the world of theater, her main activity was ballet. She began dancing at the age of 5 at the Peninsula School for the Performing Arts (PSPA) and since then has migrated to many different studios. She has attempted many different styles of dance, such as hip-hop, lyrical, jazz, and tap. But is always drawn back to her favorite form of dance, ballet. Her Encore debut arrived with the performance of Peter Pan in January of 2009. Since then, some of her favorite roles include Cinderella's Stepmother (Into the Woods), July (Annie), Jitterbug (Wizard of Oz), Hot Box Dancer (Guys & Dolls), and Lovely Lady (Les Miserables). Eliza currently studies voice with Media Hyperium Conservatory, located in Redondo Beach. Before taking the stage with Encore Entertainers, you may have spotted her in shows such as Bye Bye Birdie, Damn Yankees, and Guys and Dolls with previous south bay youth theater companies. This will mark Eliza first year participating with Encore's student staff and she is looking forward to learning as much as she can.

Gianina Monroe - Student Director

As she finishes up high school, Gianina is proud to say that she has accomplished so much more than she thought she would have in this time. In addition to her passion for acting, she salsa dances, goes horseback riding, does aerial silks and trapeze while currently learning hoop, plays guitar and ukulele, models, has done some athletic training and sports medicine, makes films, and works at a popular sub shop. Theater has always been a haven for Gianina, often saying that it is the one place where you can truly be yourself without a fear of being judged. Before ENCORE, Gianina got her professional show experience with another theater company; she was cast in her first lead role of Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, which she has now titled as her "favorite role of all time". Other shows include Joseph (wife), Seussical (marshall), A Midsummer Night's Dream in the OC (Hermia), Annie (Pepper/Boylan sister), The Drowsy Chaperone (baker), Guys and Dolls (General Cartwright), and many more. She is so happy to have found ENCORE and thanks Sarah Brown for pointing her the right direction!

Claire Griswold - Student Assistant Director

At almost twenty shows, Claire is slowly but surely becoming a well seasoned actor. She's been a regular on the ENCORE stage, and has been seen in almost all of their productions. She started at the very beginning with Joseph! (Dreamcoat Dancer), and continued on to do it again this year (Wife and understudy Narrator). She got her first taste at a supporting role in ENCORE's production of Guys and Dolls as Sister Alice Abernathy, a role she will always remember fondly, and continued on to play some of her other favorite roles in Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), Seussical the Musical (Mrs. Mayor) and Les Misérables (Lovely Lady, Ensemble). She also was fortunate enough to play her all-time favorite role: Sarah in ENCORE's Outreach production of Quilters. She loves to sing, and performs with Mira Costa's Advanced Women's Choir. These last two years have provided her with another role, and she is extremely proud to say that this is her second year as ENCORE's Student Staff Director. She has been a part of both of ENCORE's Summer Junior Drama Programs, and was the Assistant Director of the production of Willy Wonka. This year, she will be helping Ms. Summer with many of the directing aspects of both Joseph! and Annie, and plans to work the on the Summer Junior Drama Program again.

Stephanie Rowan - Student Production Assistant

Mackenzie Hamilton - Student Choreographer