Behind the Scenes at Encore: Crafting Our Unique Vision for Hadestown Teen Edition

At Encore Performing Arts, every show begins with a “design set hearing,” where our creative team comes together to shape the vision for the production. This includes discussing set and costume designs, but it’s also about defining a clear mission and objective for the show. For Hadestown Teen Edition, we’re excited to bring our own fresh take to the story, rather than simply replicating the Broadway version. By doing this, we give our youth performers the chance to step into a bold, original interpretation, encouraging them to explore storytelling in new ways.

Our director, Rhett Guter, and associate director and vocal director, Vanessa Sierra, lead this process, ensuring that every aspect of the production contributes to the storytelling. They work closely with the cast to help them break away from traditional molds, guiding them to find their own voices within the characters. This approach is essential in making each show feel personal and dynamic, reflecting our performers’ creativity and energy.

For Hadestown Teen Edition, we’ve also introduced a live band for the first time at Encore. Our band director, Mike Winslow, has worked closely with the set design and blocking teams to integrate the musicians into the show, despite the challenge of our smaller stage. We’ve carefully designed the space to make the band part of the storytelling, adding an exciting, immersive layer to the production. As part of our process, we also share set and costume drawings with the performers, helping them visualize the world they’ll be bringing to life. This is something we do for every show, and it never fails to get our young artists excited and engaged.

Hades and Persephone costume design

Eurydice and Orpheus costume designs

Stage Layout

Stage design front view