York County high school theater showcase will award $25,000 in scholarships

High school students across the county are gathering together for a theater showcase to show off their talents — with cash scholarships on the line.

Over 500 students will gather May 1 on the campus of Penn State York  for an annual celebration of high school theater. The "Encore" event is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. at The Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, located at 1031 Edgecomb Ave., according to a news release.

According to the Encore Awards website, the event is a chance for the York County high school students to showcase a portion of the musical  they performed this spring at their school.  Each school is given an opportunity to perform up to 8 minutes of their show and a maximum of two numbers. The afternoon concludes with a finale  of  students from participating schools performing one last musical number.

"This event is a highly anticipated afternoon of theater magic," the release states. "Showcasing the hard work of these students, directors and production teams brings pride to York County."

The performance  is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased by visiting https://pullocenter.york.psu.edu/ or by calling 717-505-8900.

In addition to student performances,  scholarships totaling $25,000 will be awarded during the show.

According to the Encore website,  student performances are  judged by professionals in the business to determine scholarship winners.  Each school also presents their Encore Award  to a student of their choosing, which includes a $1,000 scholarship.   .  Scholarships also are given to selected seniors who have applied. 

"Anyone who loves musical theater will be enthralled by the performances of these young people," according to the news release.

— Reach Tina Locurto at tlocurto@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @tina_locurto.