Open Forum

Hi Russel,

I teach at many camps over the summer and always start with my own at my own school.  When I conduct my own, I always have about a dozen of my own theatre students (rising Juniors and Seniors) function as counselors and mentors.  Here are two approaches that have worked out well:

A) Produce a short or Junior version of a musical.  Of course, this may be subject to royalties.
- Time Frame: minimum of two weeks and meet for at least 4 hours a day

1. Start by teaching all the kids the biggest number featuring the most dance/movement.  Of course, adapt the choreography to the skill level of your kids.  If you have a mix where some kids are stronger dancers, try to feature them.  This also functions as your big Audition Day.  By seeing which kids catch on the fastest and have the most focus, you can begin assigning roles.
2. If necessary, have kids read or perform short clippings of songs to finish up the auditions.  However, it is ESSENTIAL that every kid have a featured line, part in a song, or is otherwise showcased.
3. The counselor/mentors play key roles or narrate the action so the younger kids don't stress about missing lines or cues.  If you have younger kids that are sharp enough to handle larger roles.
4. We focus on performance and don't stress over the costumes/set/tech.  If, of course you're into all of that stuff and have the resources, your kids could have fun painting, crafting, and creating these elements.  We usually do "Blue Jean Theatre" in which the kids wear their own comfortable clothes and then have simple costume pieces (hats, jackets, umbrellas, sunglasses, etc.) to evoke character
5. Above all, we stress that the process is the key to the camp.  As long as all of the kids are engaged, shown-off, and have fun, that's what it's all about.

B) A Comprehensive, skills-based program.
- Time Frame: As short as one week, but can last for several.

1. Decide what types of skills or acting styles you would like to cover.  For example, when I do these types of camps we feature: Improvisation, Dance, Musical Theatre, Stage Combat & Shakespeare
2. For the first 90 minutes, start with dance each day.  Pick a song (maybe two) from a Broadway show that tell a compelling story.  It gets the kids motivated and if the song and choreography is sufficiently fun and challenging, they will BEG you to let them rehearse it each day.  We also use this number as the central theme of the camp.  Here are some we've done in the past: "Don't Break the Rules" from "Catch Me if You Can", "Revolting Children" from "Matilda" and "Be Our Guest" from "Beauty and the Beast."  We allow the kids to sing along if they are so inclined, or I let my counselors take the vocal lead.
3. After a short break, spend an 45 minutes to an hour on improvisation games.
4. The next hour is where you can segue into Shakespeare.  I give each kid a short series of lines, or edited monologue/soliloquy.  We focus on very "over the top" presentational style acting.  By covering this short script each day, the kids usually have it memorized in a day or two.
5. Finish the day by reviewing the musical number(s).
6. This entire schedule is repeated each day, and we get more detailed with the musical number, Shakespeare, etc. each day.  We also begin introducing simple, comedic combat techniques for about an hour at the end of each session.
7. Around the third day, I sit down with my counselors and we begin writing a short sketch for the Stage Combat scene.  All of the campers will have dialogue and perform two or three combat techniques.  Usually, this takes the form of some kind of "gang fight" between two disparate groups: Old People vs. Teens at a mall, Rowdy Movie Goers vs. Movie Theatre Workers, Star Trek Fans vs. Star Wars Fans at Comicon.  Very safe, very exaggerated, very fun.  My counselors finish that script and we spend more time on this scene as the camp progresses.
8. The final day, we spend the first several hours reviewing all the performance pieces: the musical number, the combat scene, and the Shakespeare Speeches.  If time allows, we include some improv scenes in our own "Who's Line..." segment.  For the last hour on that last day, we perform for parents and families.

I hope this gives some insight.  Break a leg with it!

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Josh Ruben
Fine Arts Head, Northwest Whitfield
Tunnel Hill, GA
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-06-2017 01:09
From: Russell Saxton
Subject: Summer Youth Theatre Camp

I need some help.  I'm teaching, for he first time, a Summer Youth Theatre Camp (ages 8-18).  I'm hoping to avoid inventing a new wheel.  For those of you who have taught a Summer Camp will you please share ideas and or documentation for lesson plans/curriculum, what works and what doesn't, and any suggestions for a successful camp.  Your collective help is much appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Russ

Russ Saxton

Dixie State University

Theatre Education Department

225 South 700 East

Saint George, UT 84770

cell 435-632-9241