{"id":3905,"date":"2015-09-03T02:07:46","date_gmt":"2015-09-03T07:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com\/blog\/?p=3905"},"modified":"2021-02-09T21:57:12","modified_gmt":"2021-02-10T05:57:12","slug":"why-kids-love-and-hate-theatre-camps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahblog.activityhero.com\/why-kids-love-and-hate-theatre-camps\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Kids Love and Hate Theatre Camps"},"content":{"rendered":"

What makes theatre camps, acting camps, and performing arts camps applauded in some cities — and scoffed in others? Our author explores what happened in two nearby towns, and what theatre programs can learn from the kids\u2019 reactions.<\/h2>\n

By Katherine Teel<\/h4>\n

For as long as anyone can remember, Mt. Vernon Community Theatre (MVCT) in Mount Vernon, Mo., has always done a summer musical. What\u2019s more, they took great care to choose shows that could make use of a large cast of local young people \u00a0— \u00a0especially teenagers. Since Mt. Vernon is nearly an hour from any other theatre program, the teens looked forward to the summer musical all year. However, recently MVCT\u2019s contract for its theatre space came into question, and it looked like the summer musical might not happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

MVCT\u2019s board of directors knew that many local teens were looking forward to being in the show; if the show wasn\u2019t going to happen, MVCT wanted to do something else for the kids. \u201cWhat about a theatre camp?\u201d they wondered. Other acting programs for kids offered a week\u2019s worth of lessons and rehearsals that culminated in a show for parents at the end of the week. Could they do something like that?<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Some Kids Hate the Idea of Theatre Camp<\/b><\/h3>\n

To the board\u2019s surprise, the teen response to this proposal was lukewarm at best.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I\u2019d go,\u201d said high-school junior Whitney VanderGrift. \u201cI mean, all my friends are in theatre. I wouldn\u2019t want to be the only one not involved.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Other students were more outspoken \u00a0— \u00a0and negative. \u201cNo way,\u201d said senior Sabra Teel. \u201cI\u2019m finally out of school, I don\u2019t want to take any more classes. I just want to do shows. I just want to be onstage with my friends. I know where to go if I want to take classes. I don\u2019t want to spend my summer doing that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Needless to say, the MVCT board scrapped the idea of doing summer theatre camps for teens. But it was puzzling \u00a0— \u00a0in the closest city of Springfield, Mo., about 45 minutes away, the community theatre held <\/span>multiple <\/span><\/i>sessions of theatre camps each summer, serving all age groups and skill sets. Media coverage of those programs quote students who are thrilled to be there, and wouldn\u2019t spend their summers any other way. The question is, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"theater-camps-for-kids-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Other Kids Love the Theatre Camp Experience<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cI go three or four times,\u201d sophomore Wesley Andrews said about theatre camps in Springfield. \u201cThere\u2019s just so much to learn, and the directors really make it a great time. Our group is like a family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sophomore Jessica Barlow agreed. \u201cEvery time I go to theatre camp, I learn more techniques and skills that I can use in my auditions. I don\u2019t think I\u2019d have gotten any parts without all these classes and camp sessions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Even when presented with these perks, the MVCT performers aren\u2019t impressed \u00a0— \u00a0and they aren\u2019t convinced that summer theatre camps offer any benefit. \u201cPeople in these camps think you have to do them to succeed in theatre, and they don\u2019t really believe that anyone from a small town can be as good as they are anyway,\u201d asserted Elise Jarvis, a singer\/actor who has held significant roles in several local productions. \u201cBut we\u2019re here putting on shows that are every bit as good as theirs. That\u2019s how you really learn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning What Needs to be Learned<\/h3>\n

Today, the MVCT board members can see both sides of \u00a0this issue. \u201cWe all have a lot to learn,\u201d says MVCT vice-president David Kloppenborg. \u201cNobody should think that they already know everything \u00a0— \u00a0especially teens. But teens are very involved in our program, so we teach what they need to know as we rehearse a show. And we have some teens who are extremely good already.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Obviously there are pros and cons to summer camps, and some kids will get more out of them than others. If you\u2019re looking for summer theatre camps because your child is interested in performing, make sure your child sees theatre camp as an opportunity to develop his or her talent \u00a0— \u00a0not as just more classes in a life already full of classes. Anyone can get something from a theatre camp, but the camper\u2019s attitude going in can make all the difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

ActivityHero.com can help you \u201caudition\u201d the <\/span>local theatre camps, theatre classes, and other acting and performing arts experiences in your area<\/span><\/a>.<\/a> For a list of 20 questions to ask when seeking the best theatre camp or theatre program for your child, <\/span>read \u201cLooking for the Right Theatre Classes for Your Child? Read This Before You Act!\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What makes theatre camps, acting camps, and performing arts camps applauded in some cities — and scoffed in others? Our author explores what happened in two nearby towns, and what theatre programs can learn from the kids\u2019 reactions. By Katherine Teel For as long as anyone can remember, Mt. Vernon Community Theatre (MVCT) in Mount […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3907,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/template-cover.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[712,717,711],"tags":[771],"class_list":["post-3905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acting","category-drama-theater","category-performing-arts","tag-theater-camp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3905"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9463,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3905\/revisions\/9463"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}