July 2018 was the first attempt for this program, and it went great. I started the camp because I have a background in performing arts, but all the theater-based programs I tried to start for teens didn't really take off. I tried a monthly improv games program, but the base attendance number was routinely low and it eventually got cancelled because of low attendance. I tried asking the teens themselves, teens I knew had an interest in theater and acting, what kind of programs they'd like to see. They didn't have a big frame of reference for things I could make happen, so their answers weren't very descriptive (my fault, not theirs; I didn't do a great job explaining potential programs).
Based on a day camp model one of our former supervisors shared with me, I came up with the idea for Theater Day Camp. Two weeks, 3.5 hours a day, and a show at the end where they perform what they made. Seems simple enough in theory. In practice, I learned so much and was able to adapt the program into two different camps for June and July 2019.
The June camp was called Monologues and Scenes, and that's exactly what we learned how to write and perform.
I won't get into a lot of the day-to-day happenings in this post, but all readers are free to inquire about the PowerPoints I use to teach daily concepts before the kids broke into their groups. For five of the eight camp days, I have specific lessons that help guide the participants in that day's activities.
- Day 1: Intro, orientation, what is a monologue?
- Day 2: What is a ten-minute play?
- Day 5: Blocking and stage directions
- Day 6: Projecting and using your voice
- Day 7: Slating
For some of the lessons, I show YouTube videos. For others, I or my super amazing volunteers lead group activities pertaining to the subject. In all of these lessons, I've found that the most important thing is being open to any and all questions, and not saving questions until the end of a lesson or presentation. I do sometimes lose my train of thought when I see a hand raised with a question, but I'd rather have that than a kid forgetting their question and not getting the clarification they need.
I'm pretty proud of how I've fine-tuned this camp to encompass as many real-life aspects of putting on a show as possible. It's a crash course in all of the above plus a tech rehearsal, dressed rehearsal, two loooong days of blocking, and even awards at the end. Here are this year's plays and monologues, along with the awards each show or individual won.
We even have a program for the audience members the day of the show! During week 2, I pass out bio sheets and have everyone fill out the relevant info. In the interest of privacy I won't post the entire program publicly, but here is the cover and first two pages (click to enlarge):
I love the Summer Reading Program, even though I also routinely refer to it as the Children's Librarian Olympics because of how grueling it is. This summer is no exception, in fact it might even be MORE exhausting so far, but I've been having a lot of fun with my teen programs. Not only that, but seeing a group of kids evolve from strangers or acquaintances into a cohesive team over two weeks is a magical thing to see. That's why I keep planning theater camp even though it takes me a week to recover from each one.
Also, I noticed an interesting technological evolution between last summer and this summer. Last year, we used laptops to write scripts, but everyone only worked on their scripts during camp time. This year, every group opened up a GoogleDoc without my suggesting it and shared it with each group member. On the second writing day, almost everyone reported that they had all signed on simultaneously, talking on a conference call or Minecraft chat while writing as a group. I'm really glad they they all utilized this tool to get more work done on their scripts! As a children's librarian, I've been discouraged several times from doing any programs that involve signing into a Google account such as blogging programs because you need to be a certain age to have that account. But, more and more schools are using Google Docs and similar programs during the school day, and kids now have personal email addresses through their school when they're as young as first or second grade. I'm happy to see this type of tech getting more utilized because it will open the door for me to do more tech-based programs at the level I'm able to do them (I am in no way a tech genius and routinely get confused by Outlook email).
The bottom line? I love this program! Not sure if I'll do two sessions again next year, but there will definitely be at least one. Please enjoy these pictures of my kiddos exploring the writing and rehearsing process.
Week 1, Day 3
Week 1, Day 4
Week 2, Day 1
Week 2, Day 3
Show Day
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| Cast of "Basketball Skirmish" |
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| Cast of "A Call for Help" |
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| Cast of "Uncle Robber" |
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| Cast of "Seeing Stars" |
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| Cast of "Dear Diary" |
Uncle Robber
Caleb as Mason
Mackenzie as Carmen
Brooke as Jaiden
Maia as Mom
David as Robber
Charlie as Uncle Joe
Basketball Skirmish
Ashlyn as Jasen
Anaya as Melody
Maddox as William
Savannah as Olive
Finding Grandma
Veyda as Grandma
Nina as Tony
Liberty as Barbara
Luke as Time Traveler
Malakieh as Dinosaur
Dear Diary
Nik as Noah and Skunk
Amore as Young Alice
Emilee as Alice
Jessica as Sadie
Seeing Stars
Petra as Tabitha D’Tree
Sierra as Carter
Charlize as Publicist
Opal as Dr. Killinger
Raquel as Jamie
A Call for Help
Rowan as Dr. Samuel Jackson
Olivia as Olivia
Cadee as Jenny
Kaci as Hannah
Loryn as River
Eliza as Jessie
Can I Tell You A Secret
Monologue written and performed by Loryn
Ty’s Scratch Creation
Project created by Ty, junior member of camp
The Time I Flushed My Sock Down the Toilet
Monologue written and performed by Alexis
Dr. Strange and Pizza
Monologue written and performed by Ashlyn
Awards
Best Play: Uncle Robber
Best Costumes: Seeing Stars and Finding Grandma
Best Book: A Call for Help and Dear Diary
Most Original Play: A Call for Help and Seeing Stars
Best Comedy Play: Uncle Robber
Best Drama: Basketball Skirmish
Best Director: Rowan for A Call for Help
Best Lead Actors:
David as Robber un Uncle Robber
Raquel as Jamie in Seeing Stars
Sierra as Carter in Seeing Stars
Best Supporting Actors:
Petra as Tabitha D’Tree in Seeing Stars
Nik as Noah and Skunk in Dear Diary
Brooke as Jaiden in Uncle Robber
Best Monologue: Charlize, “Allergies are Serious, Y’all”
Funniest Monologues:
Alexis, “The Time I Flushed My Sock Down the Toilet”
Ty, “Ty’s Scratch Creation”
Most Thoughtful Monologues:
Loryn, “Can I Tell You a Secret?”
Charlize, “Allergies are Serious, Y’all”
Most Interesting Monologues:
Alexis, “The Time I Flushed My Sock Down the Toilet”
Ashlyn, “Dr. Strange and Pizza”
Best Team Players:
Nina
Rowan
Charlize
Loryn
Veyda |
| Cast and Crew group photo! |
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