Play Your Part in Theater Production

Funny skits performed at overnight campfires, family days and assemblies are among the highlights of summer sleepaway camp.

Whether you’re writing the script, directing, acting or setting up the stage, theatrical performances are among the most treasured of camp traditions.

From dramatic performances to comedies and musicals, skits can really knit a group of campers together and are also an amazing way to gain confidence, overcome shyness and maybe discover a love of the theater.

Favorite times to put on skits vary at different camps, often held at campfires, parents’ nights, talent shows and after dinner.

Usually humorous, skits can poke fun at anything from camp traditions to current events, monsters and historic figures, and many camp favorites put a funny twist on camp events or local legends.

Older campers often put on plays for the younger kids, discovering the amazing rewards of earning loads of laughs and applause from an enthralled audience.

Campers love to let their creative spirits rock, and writing and acting in skits is the perfect way to have some fun and learn about the performing arts.

Often campers get to write, direct and act in their own skits, excellent opportunities for figuring out dialogue, humor and how to encourage audience participation.

Kids who love to wield a paintbrush or build things will love creating sets, while musicians have a blast providing background music, anything from wild guitar licks to just a few ominous notes signaling the arrival of the villain.

Putting on a performance is a great way to get to know your fellow campers better; it’s a project that promotes team work and really helps a group bond.

The give and take of putting even a very short show together requires lots of cooperation, ingenuity, patience and humor …

… everyone has to work together for a successful performance, from memorizing lines to showing up for rehearsals.

Of course, all plays don’t have to be funny; some can even have a moral message or deal with a difficult subject like overcoming being scared of the water or dealing with homesickness.

Directing and writing scripted theater is also a great way to develop leadership skills; it’s no small talent to get people to follow your vision while allowing them to incorporate ideas of their own.

Acting in a skit or play can give you an exciting chance to be someone else, even for a few minutes.

For example, if you’re really shy, it can be fun to play the life of the party.

Part of the fun of doing theater is creating a character, stepping into the shoes of a completely different person and figuring out how they would act in a given situation.

Plays give kids a chance to and learn all the different facets that go into creating a character, from props and costumes to makeup and voice.

You’ll notice right away how much a wig, a goofy pair of overalls, a different way of speaking or a cane can make a character more real.

Plays and skits are a big, funny part of super summers at overnight summer camp.

So whether you prefer to be the star, the director or just an active audience participant…

… step into the spotlight and enjoy making magical, theatrical memories with your camp pals.

Let your child have the summer camp experience at Camp Walt Whitman, located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

www.campwalt.com

Camp Walt WhitmanCamp Walt Whitman

1000 Cape Moonshine RdPiermont, NH 03779

603-764-5521cww@campwalt.com