Artistic/Executive Director Eliza Roaring Springs has been the driving force for senior theater in Lane County, Oregon, for the past 20 years. Her work has included teaching acting classes at senior centers; touring a vaudevillian company of seniors (the One-Niters); and directing variety shows with more than 100 senior performers.

Her training began with a B.A. in Theater Arts from Humboldt State University in California (1971). This led to teaching creative dramatics and puppetry, and performing in children's theater improvisation. Eliza also worked extensively as an actress for many years, in both California and Oregon.

A move to Eugene in the early 80's prompted her focus on senior theater, and her attendance at a Senior Theater Festival at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in January 1995, gave her the fertile ground needed to create a dream.

In July 1997, she applied for and received a community arts grant from Lane Arts Council, and Encore Theatre, Seniors Reaching Youth, was born. Within one year, Encore became a nonprofit corporation with tax-exempt status, and funding was sufficient for Eliza to quit her "day-job" and become a full-time employee.

Since that time Encore has grown miraculously under her leadership, far surpassing the original dream (and what she thought she could do). Creating, directing, and producing original shows about seniors, which are then toured to youth of all ages and in all locales, has expanded into inter-generational personal theatre workshops, and even inter-generational performances with at-risk youth (see Projects). Encore's program continues to develop, with performances and troupes now beyond Oregon.

The ripples of connection are spreading, and Eliza is living her dream.