Theater Camp Recommendations?

[Anonymous]

I have had great experiences with Columbia Center For Theatrical Arts (connected with Toby's Dinner Theater). This summer my kid has started Adventure Theater Musical Theater Academy. Just started it, but so far learning a lot and loving it!

[Anonymous]

We did imagination Stage for years and I kind of regret it. The school year classes and short camps on specific skills are great, but the performance camps are looking for a kind of confident, extroverted kid, and if you're not that kind of kid you aren't going to get noticed by the director no matter how many camps you do or how hard you try. And they're really expensive.

[Anonymous]

^^ not my kid's experience with IStage performance summer camp, just to share another experience. From watching the older, better kids do it and being treated seriously in the 3-week production timeline, she grew from ensemble player (aka "nameless extra") in the summer to someone who could handle an actual part in the school-year ensemble. I don't know if it's useful to think of those camps as an opportunity for being 'noticed' as much as a chance to be in a production with a more serious level of skill and commitment than you'd find in a school show.

I think they're expensive because there's a director, choreographer, music director, and tech director, with a high level of expertise and have to be compensated to be attracted to the opportunity, plus rent for the classrooms and--more importantly--stage space. You can choose what you spend your money on, but I don't think the money is going to padding the pockets of the executives.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for YAA! Sleepaway, on UMD campus, in 12 days, they put on an incredible show. I was worried that it would be cliquey for my kids, with jerky talented kids, and my daughter came home glowing about how great the 'community' was (her words.) Expensive, but their materials talk about their goal of making it affordable for everyone. Both years, I've gotten moved by the values-driven focus of the director there. A gem here in our hometown.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any insight on the Adventure Theatre’s Pre-Professional program for grades 4-6?

[Anonymous]

Hey Hey Stagedoor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did imagination Stage for years and I kind of regret it. The school year classes and short camps on specific skills are great, but the performance camps are looking for a kind of confident, extroverted kid, and if you're not that kind of kid you aren't going to get noticed by the director no matter how many camps you do or how hard you try. And they're really expensive.

I don't necessarily view this as a bad thing. Kids who are talented and confident will get lead roles over nervous, inhibited kids. The ensemble is a great place for those more nervous or inhibited kids to gain confidence! As a kid, I did theater and was a hard worker, but was just not that talented or confident. Being in the ensemble over and over again did sting, but I still loved doing it and wouldn't have given it up. By high school, I knew I wasn't as talented as the kids who got lead roles and that was okay with me - I still loved doing it and gained a lot from it (including gaining confidence).

[Anonymous]

My 13 y/o daughter is looking into YAA and French Woods. We were thinking 2 weeks YAA and 3 weeks French Woods, but has anyone gone to these before? What is the community like? (My 13 y/o daughter is quite good at musical theater and is looking for something that puts on a full scale musical, and is intensive.)

[Anonymous]

My son went to Stagedoor last summer, and the quality of performances was incredible. Can’t recommend it enough for pure musical theater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 13 y/o daughter is looking into YAA and French Woods. We were thinking 2 weeks YAA and 3 weeks French Woods, but has anyone gone to these before? What is the community like? (My 13 y/o daughter is quite good at musical theater and is looking for something that puts on a full scale musical, and is intensive.)

The training is good at YAA, especially for dancers, and the kids work hard, long hours so you need to love theater to get the most out of it. But it is hard to break in on the casting front, especially as a girl (there are always more girls). Some of the kids have been going since a young age and have relationships with the teachers who have been there for years as well. There is a lot of expectation about who will rise to the top and it seems to be predictable. Just go in prepared.