Theater Arts at Summer Camp

From sing-alongs to skits, sleepaway camp is full of activities that help kids grow creatively. 

In fact, many of today's actors and singers first got bitten by the entertainment bug at overnight summer camp. 

Whether you like to sing, dance, write, create costumes or build scenery, theater arts has a part for you to play.

Traditional sleepaway camps blend theater into the daily routine of camp. 

After all, evenings around the campfire are best when a little entertainment is thrown in, often songs or skits created and performed by campers. If you’re on the shy side, you may prefer to be the writer or director, coming up with funny dialogue or figuring out how your actors can best present a send-up on a facet of camp life, current event or historical figure.

A skit may just be a short scene, but a lot can be involved. Campers may get to design costumes, ferret out props or use construction skills to come up with a set. If dancing is involved, the scene will need some basic chorography. Skits are the perfect venue for letting campers work as a creative unit, with each piece contributing to the whole.

While often comedic, camp productions may also involve learning or may have a moral message. They may deal with issues like homesickness, fear of the water or bullying. Whatever the theme of the production, actors get to experience the joy of entertaining an audience and hearing the happy sound of applause.

Many camps have a special theater arts program as an elective activity. If you’ve ever wondered if you’d be good at acting, singing or even directing, it may be a life-changing experience to take this chance to get involved in an actual production. You’ll learn about how to write, direct and act in a play, and perhaps even a bit about auditions and how to proceed if you decide to try out for parts in local or school theatrical productions after you get home from camp.

Theater arts productions may also be interconnected with other camp programs. Camp music participants may play an instrument or sing in a skit, while kids in the camp workshop may get to help design and build sets. It’s a great way to try out a whole new experience in a place where you’ll have the support of trained counselors and a whole new group of friends.

Putting on a skit or mini-production is a great team builder and kids really get to learn how to work with others, honing cooperative and leadership skills and building self-esteem. 

You’ll get to experience the organization required to pull off a successful performance and learn the importance of all the different facets from memorizing lines to being on-time for rehearsals. 

Kids trying out directing a skit will have the sometimes challenging and always interesting experience of working cooperatively with actors to best present the material.

Being involved in theatrical performances builds confidence, and camp is the perfect place to try out this new endeavor. You may be surprised to find you have a real flair for comedy, can write quick-witted dialogue or know just how to pace a scene to get the most laughs.

If you're considering sending your child to an overnight summer camp, be sure to visit our site to learn about Camp Walt Whitman. Located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Camp Walt Whitman offers a safe, nurturing environment in a beautiful mountain setting. Our camp is a coed sleepaway camp, with separate areas for boys and girls. The kids have a blast, and make friendships that can last a lifetime. http://www.campwalt.com.