Our History.

Encore Theatre & Gallery was founded in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2018 by playwright, director and producer Marc Raby. The theatre was established to expand opportunities for African American artists and to create a consistent cultural home where stories from the African diaspora could be developed, presented and celebrated.

From its beginning, Encore was envisioned as more than a producing theatre. The organization sought to create a place where artists could develop their craft, audiences could gather, new voices could emerge and African American stories could occupy a central and sustained place within Birmingham's theatrical landscape.

The concept challenged assumptions about the audience and artistic community available to support such a theatre. Before Encore opened, questions were raised about whether Birmingham could sustain an entire theatrical season centered on Black performers, stories and audiences.

Encore's inaugural season helped answer those questions.

The company presented five major productions during its first season, including Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf, Douglas Turner Ward's Happy Ending, and the original work Tiny Tim. Audiences responded enthusiastically, helping establish both a community for the work and an artistic identity for the young organization.

In 2019, the organization incorporated as the Encore School of Arts and Theatre, reflecting a mission that had begun to extend beyond theatrical production to include arts education, artist training, new-work development and community engagement.

These early years established principles that continue to guide Encore: a commitment to representation, an investment in local talent, a belief in the importance of Black cultural institutions and an understanding that theatre can serve simultaneously as entertainment, education, cultural preservation and community gathering.

As Encore developed, the theatre established a programming identity that embraced the breadth of the African American experience rather than limiting Black theatre to a single genre, period or subject.

Its stages made room for contemporary and classic drama, comedy, musicals, family programming and original work. Stories could be historical or contemporary, joyful or difficult, sacred or irreverent, traditional or experimental.

That range became central to Encore's understanding of representation. The goal was not simply to increase the number of Black performers appearing onstage, but to help create an environment in which Black artists, stories and audiences could participate fully in Birmingham's theatrical life.

Encore also became a creative home for artists at different stages of their development. Experienced performers and theatre-makers worked alongside emerging artists, community performers and people entering the theatre for the first time.

The Little Theatre with a Lot of Soul — a phrase that reflected the intimacy of its performance environment as well as the ambition and cultural character of its work.

Education became an important part of Encore's institutional mission during its early development.

Among the theatre's first youth initiatives was Acting Up, a theatre camp created to introduce young people to acting, performance, movement, collaboration and the creative process.

The program was designed not only to develop performance skills, but also to encourage confidence, communication, creativity, discipline and self-expression. It reflected Encore's belief that sustaining a healthy arts community requires investment in young people as well as working artists.

As Encore's educational programming evolved, Acting Up was reimagined as ShowUp Drama Camp. ShowUp continues the purpose established by the original program while expanding Encore's commitment to creating accessible opportunities for young people to discover theatre, develop their creative abilities and experience the collaborative nature of the performing arts.

Youth education remains part of Encore's larger institutional mission to develop future artists, audiences and creative citizens.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented one of the first major challenges in Encore's young history.

Like theatres across the country, Encore was forced to suspend live performances and public gatherings in 2020. For a young organization whose artistic and financial model depended heavily upon bringing people together for live performance, the shutdown created significant uncertainty.

Encore responded by developing Monologue Mondays, a virtual performance series presented through Facebook Live.

Throughout the series, actors performed material from writers including August Wilson, Lorraine Hansberry, Lynn Nottage and William Shakespeare. Encore artists were joined by performers from outside Birmingham, including participants from Atlanta and St. Louis, allowing the theatre's programming to reach beyond the physical boundaries of its stage.

The series attracted attention beyond Birmingham and received a special video acknowledgment from legendary actress Marla Gibbs, the five-time Emmy-nominated performer known for her landmark roles on The Jeffersons and 227. Gibbs' acknowledgment celebrated the artists and work being presented through the series.

Encore's work did not have to be confined to a single stage or building.

Following the disruption of the pandemic, Encore resumed live performances and entered a period of rebuilding, artistic development and organizational growth.

Like many small nonprofit and community-based arts organizations, the theatre faced the challenge of rebuilding audiences while managing the financial and operational realities of producing live theatre in a changed cultural environment.

Encore continued presenting plays, musicals, original productions, special events and educational programming while creating opportunities for actors, directors, playwrights, designers, musicians, technicians, teaching artists and volunteers.

During these years, the theatre strengthened its position as one of Alabama's few Black-founded and Black-led brick-and-mortar theatre organizations.

The company also continued broadening its artistic reach. Encore's commitment to the African American experience remained central to its identity while its stages increasingly welcomed artists, collaborators and audiences from across Birmingham's diverse communities.

Encore could remain unapologetically rooted in Black culture while creating a welcoming artistic home for people of many backgrounds.

The development of original work has become an important part of Encore's artistic identity.

As the organization grew, Encore increasingly provided space for playwrights and theatre-makers to develop work that might not otherwise have an immediate path from page to stage.

Particular attention has been given to stories connected to African American culture, Black Southern life, Birmingham, Alabama and the broader experiences of communities that have historically had limited opportunities to see themselves represented fully in theatrical literature.

Through the development and production of original work, Encore has served not only as a presenter of established plays but as a place where new stories can be rehearsed, tested, produced and introduced to audiences.

Communities should not only have opportunities to see themselves represented in existing theatrical literature; they should also have opportunities to contribute new stories to that literature.

As Encore's programming and profile grew, the theatre began welcoming artists whose careers extended beyond Birmingham and Alabama.

Nationally recognized performers, actors and recording artists associated with Encore programming have included Ann Nesby, Terrell Carter, Willie Taylor, Dondria Nicole and Ray Lavender, among others.

Their appearances became part of a larger artistic environment that continued to place established performers alongside Birmingham artists, emerging talent and young people developing their craft.

This combination became an important part of Encore's institutional character. National recognition was never intended to determine who was worthy of the stage. Rather, the presence of established artists demonstrated the theatre's growing ability to create programming that connected Birmingham's local creative community with artists working on a broader national platform.

Encore continued to maintain that professional artists, community artists, emerging performers and young people discovering their gifts could all contribute meaningfully to the cultural life of the institution.

As Encore matured, the organization adopted the phrase "A Home for Transformative Art" to express the broader purpose of its work.

The theatre's mission grew to encompass several interconnected priorities: producing meaningful theatrical experiences, amplifying stories from the African diaspora, cultivating local talent, developing new work, educating young people, preserving culture and creating spaces where Birmingham audiences and families could gather.

Encore's identity as an African American founded and led institution remains central to that mission.

The organization believes that a culturally specific institution can be both firmly rooted in its identity and genuinely inclusive in its welcome. Encore's work proudly centers the African American experience while inviting artists and audiences across race, culture, background, faith and experience to participate in the life of the theatre.

Not simply a place where performances happen, but a cultural resource created by and for the community it serves.

In 2025, Encore entered a significant new chapter with its relocation from Roebuck in East Birmingham to 1604 Second Avenue North in downtown Birmingham.

The move placed the organization within Birmingham's downtown theatre district and represented an important stage in Encore's institutional development.

The new home established an intimate 99-seat black-box theatre while providing additional opportunities for performances, rehearsals, education, special events, exhibitions and community programming.

The relocation also encouraged Encore to reconsider what growth could mean for the organization. Rather than measuring expansion solely by the size of a building or auditorium, the theatre increasingly focused on expanding the reach, diversity and quality of its programming.

Its downtown home provided an environment for theatrical productions alongside concerts, cabaret, comedy, educational programming, independent projects, gallery activity and community events.

The relocation carried particular significance for an organization founded to strengthen the presence of Black stories and artists within Birmingham's cultural landscape. Encore was establishing its next chapter in the center of the city and near several of Birmingham's historic performing-arts institutions.

Also in 2025, Encore launched a partnership with the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame to expand theatrical programming beyond Encore's own stage.

The relationship created opportunities for Encore to present productions at the historic Carver Theatre, home of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and one of Birmingham's culturally significant performance venues.

The partnership represented an important development in Encore's producing model. The organization could maintain its own intimate theatrical home while also producing work in a larger historic venue.

The relationship carried particular cultural significance because both institutions share commitments to the preservation, presentation and continued development of Black artistic expression. The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame preserves and celebrates Alabama's extraordinary contributions to jazz, while Encore's work centers theatre, storytelling, education and the cultural experiences of the African diaspora.

The reach of a theatre does not have to end at the walls of its building.

Encore's ongoing programming at the Carver Theatre demonstrates the continuation of that relationship, with Encore-presented theatrical productions appearing within the Jazz Hall's performance calendar.

Encore's downtown chapter has also been characterized by a growing emphasis on collaboration throughout Birmingham's performing-arts community.

The theatre has increasingly worked with fellow arts organizations, independent producers, artists, schools, cultural institutions and venues to expand opportunities for live performance.

By 2026, that collaborative approach included an expanding relationship with Birmingham Festival Theatre, creating opportunities for shared programming, artists, audiences, venues and resources while allowing each organization to maintain its own artistic identity.

These relationships reflect Encore's belief that a healthy theatrical community is strengthened when institutions identify opportunities to collaborate.

For Encore, collaboration has also expanded the meaning of what it means to be a producing theatre. An Encore project can be developed in its own rehearsal rooms and presented on another stage. Artists can work across organizations. Audiences can discover unfamiliar companies and venues. Resources can be shared, and historic performance spaces can remain active through new programming.

Encore has consequently continued developing as both a theatrical home and a producing organization capable of creating work throughout Birmingham.

In 2026, Encore entered its eighth season under the theme "Still Becoming."

The theme reflected both the artistic programming of the season and the organization's understanding of its own development.

Eight years after its founding, Encore had grown from a grassroots theatre created to expand opportunities for Black artists and stories into an established Birmingham cultural organization with a downtown home, educational programming, original works, nationally recognized guest artists and growing institutional partnerships.

Season Eight continues Encore's commitment to a varied artistic program encompassing mainstage productions, studio work, youth and family programming, new works and special events.

The season also reflects the reality that institutional development is ongoing.

Encore continues working toward greater sustainability, expanded artist compensation, stronger organizational infrastructure, broader audiences, deeper educational opportunities, new partnerships and increased opportunities for Birmingham artists.

"Still Becoming" acknowledges that Encore can celebrate its history without treating that history as complete.

Today, Encore Theatre & Gallery is a Birmingham-based community theatre and arts organization dedicated to ensuring that stories and voices from the African diaspora remain a vital part of the city's cultural landscape. The organization describes itself as "The Little Theatre with a Lot of Soul" and "A Home for Transformative Art."

Encore operates from its downtown home at 1604 Second Avenue North and continues to produce theatre while supporting education, artist development, new works, multidisciplinary programming and community engagement.

Its history has been shaped by thousands of individual contributions: actors and directors, playwrights and musicians, designers and technicians, teaching artists and students, staff and volunteers, donors and community partners, families and audiences.

Some have participated for years. Others have contributed to a single production, class or event. Together, they form the institutional history of Encore.

Since 2018, the organization has survived the challenges of establishing a new Black-led theatre, an unprecedented global pandemic, the rebuilding of live audiences and a major relocation. Along the way, Encore has expanded its educational work, developed original productions, welcomed nationally recognized artists, created new partnerships and established a presence in downtown Birmingham.

What began as an effort to make more room for Black artists, stories and audiences has grown into a broader commitment to uplift powerful stories, cultivate local talent, give young people a creative path forward, preserve culture and create a place where community can gather. Those priorities remain part of Encore's stated mission today.

Encore remains proudly rooted in the African American experience while welcoming the larger community into the work.