Drama and Theater Camps
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Reviews
Feb 2007
Last year my daughter attended a theater camp at the Julia
Morgan Center for the Arts which she really loved. Now the
theater camps at the Julia Morgan are run by a group called
Glitter and Razz. Does anyone have any experience with this
group and their camps in particular? Alternatively, does anyone
have any recommendations for theater camps for a kindergartner
and a second grader?
Drama Mama Wanna Be
No info about Glitter and Razz, but my daughter has had great
drama camp experiences with Bay Area Shakespeare Camp, Contra
Costa Civic Theater, and Stage Door Conservatory. All have 2-
week summer programs of very high quality. Unfortunately, all
begin at age 7 or so (summer before 3rd grade I believe); I
think you may have some trouble find a drama program that will
take your little one.
Mama of a drama queen
April 2006
Looks like Julia Morgan isn't offering summer theater classes.
My child is 6, will be between 1st and 2nd grade this summer.
Any other suggestions? I'm looking for a 2-week session.
I heard about the following theatre camp, but do not know
anything about it.
http://www.kidstakethestage.com/index.html
Also, Children's Fairyland in Oakland has a children's theatre
program in the summer.
Hope this helps
anonymous
Last summer, my 2 sons (ages 5 and 9 last year) went to the Drama camp (theme)
at
Monkey Business Camp. My older son did not want to go to Drama camp at all, but
the timing of the session was right for us. I emailed the director of the
program to
ask her what might work out for my son. She said there are children who attend
drama camp and decide to do behind-the-scenes stuff or who find a way that they
are comfortable performing. So my son agreed to go to camp, and there was no
pressure, and he ended up in a few skits and had a great time. My younger son
was
even less interested in performing, but was very active with creating the sets
and
being on stage crew, and did end up being in one skit. The excitement around
having a performance was very fun for the kids, and brought a nice sense of
community to the camp, with everyone working toward a common goal.
jc
Feb 2000
Does anyone have a recommendation for a dramatic arts camp for a 11 year old?
She is tired of Shakespeare camp, and I don't think the JCC is offering
theatre camp
this summer... East Bay locations only... Thanks, Judy
Last summer my son (8) was enrolled in a three week theatre camp through
the East Bay Regional Parks. He really enjoyed it. I do not see it listed
on the park's web site, but I am hoping they offer it again.
Kim
For the person asking about summer camp - try Black Pine circle in Berkeley.
They have a very extensive summer program including drama. For information
call 845-0876
Two suggestions: Theatre Bay Area in SF publishes a monthly magazine called
Callboard and they list dozens of opportunities for theatre classes and
camps for all levels, from kids to community players to
professionally-oriented performers. They also publish a youth theatre
directory biannually and I believe the next one is due out soon (you'd think
I know because I'm currently the Executive Director over there, but I'm home
on maternity leave and have forgotten everything that happens in the "other
world". ) Also, I am about to become the new Executive Director at the
Julia Morgan Center for the Arts in Berkeley (I guess if I'm making one
major transition I can make two at the same time!) and we're completing
revamping their summer "Theatre Rats" program and and hiring some of the
best Bay Area kid youth teachers for drama. Kids will enroll in 2 week
sessions that meet all day and take workshops in improvisation, core acting
skills, dance and/or musical theatre, mask, clowning and other classes,
depending upon the expertise of the teacher (some workshops will be required
of all participants and some will be elective depending upon your child's
interests). The focus is on process, so although there will be public
presentations at the end, there won't be the undue stresses of production
per se. Our curriculum is still being developed and our faculty being
hired, but we hope to roll out the new program by the end of March. If
you're interested in being on our mailing list for Theatre Rats, send me
your name and address and I'll make sure you receive a new brochure hot off
the presses.
Sabrina
Jan 2004
Could someone recommend a summer camp for a twelve years old
girl? Her interests are jazz dancing, and also drama and
singing.
Tikva
Contra Costa Civic Theater offers great drama camps each
summer. You can call them at (510) 524-9132 for information.
Also check out the resource
http://tlent.home.igc.org/Day_Camp.html
R.K.
The Kaleidoscope Program of the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts
offers three 2-week camps for students up to grade 6 who are
interested in drama and dance. This summer's camps run from July
5-August 13 and feature acting, improv, stage combat, dance,
music, playmaking and more. This might be just the fun arts
experience that your child is looking for. I'd love to chat with
you more about our programs, I can be reached at (510) 845-8542
x378.
Beth
March 2007
My daughter's (and my) favorite theater camp was the
Contra Costa Civic Theater summer camp ...
(http://www.ccct.org/summer_camps.html). This camp had a fun,
more professional production and counselors that were nice and
helpful. All kids, whether they've ever set foot on a stage or
not, have fun there and learn a lot. You will not believe what a
great production they put on after only 2 weeks. (If they're full
get on the waitlist, as spaces do open up.) My daughter learned
many acting skills, and went back for three years until she aged
out. I would recommend it to someone who wants to learn the
basics of theater in an exciting and supportive atmosphere. Good
luck!
Drama Mama
Feb 2007
Re: Summer Day Camp for 11-year-old
If you haven't found the small community of the Contra Costa
Civic Theatre in El Cerrito yet, you should! Their summer drama
camps are GREAT! There are sessions for 7-12 year-olds and
sessions for 12-16 year-olds. They have lovely instructors who
encourage the kids to cooperate and support each other. Contra
Costa Civic Theatre, 951 Pomona Avenue (at Moeser), El Cerrito,
CA 94530. 510-524-9132. www.ccct.org
Cathlin
Re: Any Summer Programs end of August? (March 2003)
The drama camp at the Contra Costa Civic Theater has a session
which runs pretty late in August - this is a great camp which
fills up fast, but this session often seems to have openings
since a lot of kids are back in school then. Their phone number
is 524-9132.
March 2007
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the Narnia
Playhouse theater camp as I couldn't find any reviews in the
archives. How are the days structured? Were you happy with the
overall quality of the experience. How much rehearsing/memorizing
did you have to do at home? Would you do the camp again?
Thanks a lot! Andrea
My daughter went to this camp two summers ago.
She is very interested in acting, and has been in several
theater summer camps. There was no
real acting training, just memorizing the script. Many of the
kids did not seem to want to be there and spent much of the day
just running around. The director talked on his cell phone
during rehersals. I wouldn't send my daughter back to this camp,
or recommend it to anyone whose child really wants to learn about
theater. My daughter's (and my) favorite theater camp was the
Contra Costa Civic Theater summer camp ...
Hi-
I am the director of the Narnia Playhouse Drama Camp and noticed
your question about my program. I wanted to give you a little
more info and I'd be happy to give you some names and numbers of
folks to call if you would like some references.
I have a program for kids entering grades 1-2 and a program for
kids entering grades 3-6. The younger kids are doing a play this
year called ''Lucy and the Magic Drops'' which is based on a story
that I wrote. It involves a group of children and animals who go
on an quest for some magical drops that will heal them of
various injuries they have. There will be some memorization for
this group, though I try to gauge how much they can handle. The
older kids in this group usually get a bit more to memorize, but
it's all kept pretty manageable. We also do theater games,
storytelling and work on sets, costumes, props, lighting etc.
The 3-6 group is doing a Greek legend called ''Damon and Pythias''
which is a wonderful story and play with lot's of adventure,
comedy and fun.
p
I have been running theater camps for 18 years and I teach
theater at a number of elementary schools in Oakland, Alameda
and Orinda. I am a former 4th grade teacher at St. Paul's School
in Oakland and Black Pine Circle in Berkeley.
Feel free to email me or call me if you want to know more (531-
5546)
Thanks-
Doug Cole
narniaph[at]sbcglobal.net
My son and daughter (ages 11 and 9) have attended the Narnia
Playhouse Theater Camp for the past two summers, and they have
also participated in Doug Cole's after-school drama classes at
Redwood Heights School for numerous sessions. They have always
enjoyed the camps, classes, and plays and have asked me to make
sure to sign them up again (except my son is now over the upper
age limit). My impression has been quite the opposite of the
previous reviewer -- my kids and their friends have had a lot of
fun in the classes and plays. The emphasis is on everyone having
a good time and participating, so parents looking for lots of
professional actor training and super-polished productions may
not find it their cup of tea, but I am certainly planning to sign
my daughter up again this summer -- and I know she'll keep
reminding me until I do so.
kjohlson
My son has gone to the Narnia Playhouse Drama Camp twice and
has loved it. He also takes classes from Doug Cole during the
school year and enjoys these a lot. The plays Doug does are
wonderful- funny, creative and meaningful. The bottom line is
the kids seem to really have fun and the productions are quite
together.
I noticed one posting from a dissatisfied parent. Doesn't even
sound like the same camp my son attended! After the
performance, I heard many parents saying how much they enjoyed
the production and how much their child enjoyed the camp.
dre89
Mr. Cole, the director of the camp, is a wonderful, creative,
gifted, and very kind teacher. We only have wonderful things to
say about him and his camp.
Over the years my step-children have attended his camp or
taken after school classes. They rave about him and his camp.
They've also developed passion for both theater and story
telling, thanks to Mr. C, as the children call him. We highly
recommend it.
rivovo
Website for SF Shakes: http://www.sfshakes.org/
April 2004
Has anyone had experience with the SF Shakespeare
Camp (for teens, at John Hinkel Park)?
I think that this is the first year that the Shakespeare
Camp is holding a teen program in Berkeley, so I cannot
give any specific feedback about the teen program.
However, my son did participate in the program for the
younger children and loved it. He went for 3 summers (4th,
5th, and 6th grades, I think). I confess that initally I
was most worried that there were too many girls and not
enough boys. The numbers were rather lopsided, but somehow
it never really turned out to be a problem. The boys
learned sword-fighting and all sorts of ''stage combat.''
(So did the girls, but I was the mother of a boy, so that
was where my worries lay at the time...) They actually
learned quite a bit about Shakespeare, but they were having
too much fun to realze it. The end-of-camp production was
quite wonderful. The counselors were all very ''cool'' young
adults, and my son loved them. He made friends, got to
wear great costumes, made scenery, learned some memorable
lines, and all-in-all had a wonderful time. Even though I
cannot say how these experiences will translate into the
teen camp, I suspect that it would be just as good!
March 2004
Re: Summer drama for teens
Check out San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. They have a
separate camp for teens. Both my daughters have enjoyed
these camps, at all ages.
Rosalie
April 2006
Re: Art Camp or Workshop for my 14 year old
A GREAT Camp for Young Artists Interested in the
Performing Arts is www.youngactorstheatrecamp.com
A berkeley founded company 8 years ago, they boast amazing
teachers and a 90% return rate. Summer is usually full by
the end of April.
(925)858-3548 is their registration number and the camp is
80% High School Students and 20% middle...good older ratio.
recommend
Re: Looking for suggestions for summer camps (April 2004)
This is the info for the camp that my 15 year old daughter has
attended for the last five years. We absolutely love it and the
people who run it are AMAZING! -Marian
The Young Actor's Summer Theatre Overnight Camp
June 26 - June 30, 2004
This 5 day, 4 night intensive summer training congress
is specially designed for young actors between the ages
of 10-17 who are interested in the performing arts. An
accomplished group of staff, remarkable guest teachers,
and some of the brightest Bay Area students all come
together for an unforgettable theatre experience.
On the evening of Saturday, June 26th we will commence
at the beautiful Camp Arroyo in Livermore, California
where for the next few days students will be take part
in intensive workshops with some of the Industry's top
talent! Classes to include:
-Cold Reading Technique
-Actor's Scene Study
-Dance (Hip Hop, Jazz, and Theatre)
-Singing for
the Actor
-Musical Theatre Auditioning
-Monologue Workshops
-Headshots, Resumes, and all That Jazz!
-Master Classes (TBA)
-Nightly Talent Showcases for Fellow Students (Indoor
and Outdoor Stages)
In addition to Daily Classes students will also have
the opportunity to participate in Outdoor Camp
Activities such as:
-Swimming in the 7500 sq.ft. Pool with large wading
areas.
-Nature Hikes/ Walks
-Arts and Crafts Center
-Basketball, Volleyball, baseball, and touch football.
-Relaxation, Meditation, and morning Yoga/ Stretching
classes.
2004 Camp Staff
Shawn Ryan, Program Director will lead an All Star
Staff of 10 Teachers, 12 Counselors, and The Camp
Arroyo Staff to create an amazing learning experience
in the performing arts for each and every student.
Along with the Bay Area's leading theatre
professionals, we will also be including our Master
Class Series this year (Speakers TBA)
For additional information please call YATC (925)
858-3548
Marian
April 2004
YMTC Announces its Summer Musical Theater Workshops. Youth Musical Theater Company, which recently produced "WEST SIDE STORY", is holding musical theater workshops this summer for students entering grades 7-12. During these one week intensives, WSS director, JENNIFER BOESING, will help students develop their skills as singer/actors through improvisation, exercises, theater games, and scenes from a variety of musicals. From vocal technique and movement for actors, to character development and relationship-building onstage, the very particular challenges that face a performer when acting through the medium of song will be addressed. There will be an informal performance for family and friends on the last day of each workshop (Saturday).
Accompaniment will be provided by pianist, Skye Atman. Workshops will be held at a private home in north Berkeley; sessions are limited to 15
students.
Session I: June 14 - June 19
Session II: July 12 - July 17
Session III: July 26 - July 31
Tuition: $300; limited scholarships available; inquire with registration.
For more information, call 525-3012, or download a copy of the application from the YMTC website: www.busduse.org
Pam
Re: Summer camps for 12-13 year old
If the daughter is interested in theatre AT ALL, look into the Young Actors'
Workshop (YAW) at Contra Costa College. It is an excellent program and very
inexpensive. She is a perfect age for it.
My daughter is enrolled in the Elementary School of Arts and Sciences on
Broadway. Although it is an Elementary School K-3, they do have a summer
program for musical theater and an after school which starts in mid April for
musical theater as well. I know Carol Smith (the director of the school) for
five years now and I believe that it is the best program in theater, singing,
performing for very young age. Also, you make want to consider the school
itself for your daughter since their curiculum includes at least three
theatrical performances per year. Their phone number is: 658-5443
California Shakespeare Festival offers training and performance
opportunities for youth ages 8 to 18.
See
Young Performers Workshop
Last summer my son (8) was enrolled in a three week theatre camp through
the East Bay Regional Parks. He really enjoyed it. I do not see it listed
on the park's web site, but I am hoping they offer it again.
--Kim (2/00)
For the person asking about summer camp - try Black Pine Circle in Berkeley.
They have a very extensive summer program including drama. For information
call 845-0876
(2/00)
Two suggestions: Theatre Bay Area in SF publishes a monthly magazine called
Callboard and they list dozens of opportunities for theatre classes and
camps for all levels, from kids to community players to
professionally-oriented performers. They also publish a youth theatre
directory biannually and I believe the next one is due out soon (you'd think
I know because I'm currently the Executive Director over there, but I'm home
on maternity leave and have forgotten everything that happens in the "other
world". )
Also, I am about to become the new Executive Director at the
Julia Morgan Center for the Arts in Berkeley (I guess if I'm making one
major transition I can make two at the same time!) and we're completing
revamping their summer Theatre Rats program and and hiring some of the
best Bay Area kid youth teachers for drama. Kids will enroll in 2 week
sessions that meet all day and take workshops in improvisation, core acting
skills, dance and/or musical theatre, mask, clowning and other classes,
depending upon the expertise of the teacher (some workshops will be required
of all participants and some will be elective depending upon your child's
interests). The focus is on process, so although there will be public
presentations at the end, there won't be the undue stresses of production
per se. Our curriculum is still being developed and our faculty being
hired, but we hope to roll out the new program by the end of March. If
you're interested in being on our mailing list for Theatre Rats, send me
your name and address and I'll make sure you receive a new brochure hot off
the presses.
Sabrina
My daughter attended the California Acting Workshop during the
summer of 1999. This was following her freshman year. She
had a great time, and the drama instruction was quite intense
and serious. What I found pretty remarkable about the camp was
that the entire group, which included high school and junior high
school kids, became very close over the few weeks they were
together. It is expensive, but you can enroll as a "commuter,"
which sacrifices some of the fun for substantial savings.
Nancy
This is to recommend JCC Theater Camp for kids in
grades 3-5. Sessions are 2 weeks each, starting
June 28th, $325/session ($260 for JCC members).
Theater director Simon Kaplan is terrific. He's
funny, energetic, and directs wonderful plays
(last year my kids did "How to Eat Like a Child"
by Delia Ephron) with choreography, lines,
costumes, backdrops. Kids are boys & girls, some
ethnic mix, all shapes & sizes. My kids (now 8 &
11) have had a great time in theater workshop. For
more info call Simon Kaplan at 848-0237.
-- Merry (5/99)
If your child has any interest in performing, I have heard other parents rave about the
Young People's Theatre Group program held at the Julia Morgan Center in Berkeley-it runs from 7-19/8-22 for ages 10-16, and they put on a full musical play at the end of the session. They also do field
trips, swimming, sports, crafts and a camping overnight.
-- Dianne (5/99)
Feb 2005
There is a wonderful program that takes place in a small town
(Pontlevoy) 2 hours from Paris.
Check out the web site at www.loiretheatre.com.
My daughter went there last summer and had a magical time. She
did ''A Midsummer's Night Dream'' in French and English. Your
teen doesn't need to know French, but will have the chance to be
with students from France and England. Miranda Barry is the
producer, and is a wonderful person who loves acting and teens,
and treats all with respect and kindness . My husband and I went
to see the play, and were thrilled to see the quality of work and the
beauty of the town and the people.
Rona
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