By Jeff Ault
posted Jun 6, 2008 - 10:10:28am
With school out and the heat and humidity rising, Sands Theater Center is once again gearing up for a kid-friendly summer filled with theater and media camps, as well as full stage productions presented on the main stage.
More and more, our youth live in a world dominated by iPods, text messages and the non-cultural cyberworlds of Facebook and MySpace. Summer theater camps fight that trend, not only providing an excellent opportunity for a child to develop performance skills but also to gain real-life social-interaction skills, build self-esteem, and encourage collaboration.
Rehearsing and performing theater teaches the participants about commitment and teamwork. Music and dance introduce basic vocal and movement skills. The design and creation of sets, costumes and props integrate the hands-on visual arts; memorizing and performing dialogue develops language skills. The use of technology is added with sound and lights. You put all those elements together, and one really realizes the teamwork that goes into producing even a simple play.
The summer camps are all day programs, beginning at 9 a.m. and concluding at 4 p.m. Throughout the day, campers will be found participating in theater games designed to promote imaginative thinking, or rehearsing four to five hours a day for a production they will put on for parents at the end of the session.
Some of the highlights for the summer include camp productions of Alice in Wonderland and High School Musical , dance classes designed specifically for musical-theater production, and media camps where kids can put themselves in front of the camera or learn how to do basic editing on a computer.
“The summer theater programs are a wonderful and positive experience for the kids,” said Summer Camp Director Darlene Stewart. “The kids have a lot of fun learning and create memories they will take with them for years to come.”
The summer youth program also extends beyond the daytime camps with two large-scale productions performed on the main stage. The musical Narnia performs June 13-15 and The Little Mermaid runs July
11-19. These two shows are cast by auditions and rehearse in the evening hours after the daytime programs are over.
Camps begin June 9 and will continue through Aug. 15. Space is still available for several of the sessions. For more information, call Darlene Stewart at (386) 738-7156 or visit www.sandstheatercenter.com.
Highlights for June
Narnia the Musical
In this musical, based on The Chronicles of Narnia, we find a unique, enchanted world filled with creatures and spirits of myth and fable, both good and evil, demonic and transcendent. This story of love, faith, courage and giving, with its triumph of good over evil, is a true celebration of life.
Alice in Wonderland
When: Monday-Friday, June 16-27
Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ages: 7-10
This two-week drama experience focuses on theater games, movement, voice, and rehearsal for the popular children’s classic Alice in Wonderland. There are performances for parents at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 26, and at 2 p.m. Friday, June 27.
Romeo and Winifred
When: Monday-Friday, June 16-27
Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ages: 11-13
This two-week drama experience focuses on theater movement, voice, and rehearsal for a one-act play. The hilarious Shakespearean spoof Romeo and Winifred takes place in modern-day New York, where Montague’s Department Store is in direct competition with Capulet’s Discount Mart. There are performances for parents at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 26, and at 3 p.m. Friday, June 27.
— Jeffrey Ault is the executive director for Sands Theater Center. His career spans radio, TV, film, theater, and corporate production in 28 states, Europe, Canada, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. He can be reached at JDAult@aol.com
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