Summer Camp 2008:
“IN MY BACKYARD”

Camp sessions this year will be centered around the theme “In my backyard” and campers will create plays around stories (either real or imagined!) that could happen when a group of kids get together in someone’s backyard!  See below for more details...

Ages 5-7: July 7-11, Aug 11-15 & Aug 18-22

Ages 8-12: July 14-18, July 21-25, July 28-Aug 1 & Aug 4-8

Ages 12-18: June 30- July 11 (no camp July 4th) & Aug 4-15

one week camps: $150
two week teen camps $250

5-7 Year Olds:

July 7-11, August 11-15, & August 18-22 – Each week is a different story!

Summer is a great time for young imaginations to run wild!  Our youngest campers will see what happens when a group of kids get together in someone’s backyard on a summer afternoon and decide to “put on a play” to pass the time!  The 5-7 year old campers will explore the worlds of fairytales, myths, fables and legends and will present a story that they helped create using movement, music, artwork, creativity and their imaginations.  Some examples might be “The Ugly Duckling”, “Peter and the Wolf”, “Rapunzel”, “Cinderella”, “The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and “Rumplestiltskin”.  The campers will be introduced to theatre basics, including lots of theatre games, and learn the tools they have at their disposal (voice, body, and imagination!) to create a character.

8-12 Year Olds:

Utilizing their imaginations, voices and bodies, campers will create their own plays under the guidance of the camp directors.  Each week will be a new story (see below).  The week will focus on building a story, creating characters, and exploring theatre basics including theatre games, improvisation, and basic theatre skills.

July 14-18:  “Back in time” – What happens when a group of kids finds a time machine in someone’s backyard?  Where will the kids go and what adventure will they have? – or will they decide to tell the grown-ups and not use it at all?!

July 21-25: “Campfire Tales: The greatest stories never told” – To pass the time on a summer evening a group of friends try to show each other up by creating and acting out the most amazing “Tall Tales” they can come up with.  An opportunity for those with wild imaginations to let them run loose!

July 28-August 1: “Fantastical World” – In the spirit of Bridge to Terabithia and The Spiderwick Chronicles, a group of kids discover an amazing world in their own backyard.  Is it real or just someone’s imagination?  It’s up to the campers to decide.

August 4-8: “Ghost Stories” – On a cold winter night, a group of friends is locked out of the house and takes refuge in the backyard until a parent comes home.  To pass the time, and take their mind off the cold, they begin to tell spooky tales.  What kinds of twists and surprises will the campers come up with, and why aren’t the parents home anyway…?

12-18 Year Olds:

These two week sessions offer our Teen campers a chance to develop a fully fledged short one-act play!  Work on the production will be enhanced by theatre games, improvisation, and brainstorming and offer the teens an opportunity to shape all facets of a theatre production.  Under the guidance of the director, the campers will learn to use all of their theatre “tools” (voice, body, and mind!) to develop unique and entertaining characters for their play.

June 30 – July 11 (no camp July 4): DEVISING!  Create an Original Play in only two weeks…
The campers and director will start with the idea that a group of kids have found an UNEXPECTED ITEM in their backyard.  What is the item, what does it do, and what do the characters decide to do with it?  That’s for the teens to decide as they create their own play using a combination of brainstorming and improvisation that is fun and challenging for teens.  After two weeks they’ll present their original play for family and friends! 

August 4-15:
Campers will rehearse and perform a scripted piece about a strange young girl discovered by a group of students in a backyard during a snow day.  The piece will be performed using the winter themed set of the Playhouse’s professional mainstage production of Almost, Maine. Campers will help with costume and lighting design and experience what it is like to pull together a scripted show in only two weeks!  Of course, the camp will culminate with a final performance for family and friends!