Students learn to act up
The thought of a summer camp usually inspires images of children playing soccer or hiking and canoeing. However, one of the camps under way at Central Valley goes in a different direction. The Summer Theatre Camp, held in the afternoons through Wednesday, caters to young theater enthusiasts who want to spruce up their acting talents.
The cost of the camp is $125, and anyone between grades three and 12 is able to participate.
This is the fourth year of the program, which grows in size every year, says program director Sue Goodrich. More than 30 students are participating in the program this summer.
“The kids are working on three different shows simultaneously,” Goodrich said. The shows, “Absolutely Awesome Giant,” “If the Shoe Fits” and “The Mad Adventures of Mr. Toad,” will be performed in the final production, set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Central Valley Theatre.
Goodrich got the idea for the program when she saw a need for a place where children can develop their basic skills. “There is no real theater in elementary school,” she said.
“We work on costume ideas … build concentration, develop characters,” in order to improve overall performance, Goodrich said. “We work on them to build their volume and slow down.”
Participants play theater games to enhance their onstage presence and skills, as well as rehearse their roles in front of the rest of the group.
The camp develops the “ability to listen to one another and have a sense of space” onstage, Goodrich said.
Chester Elementary School student Gabrielle Orndorff, 9, is participating in the camp for the first time this year.
“My brother did the camp two years ago and said it was really fun, so I wanted to try it,” she said. Orndorff plays Polly in “The Mad Adventures of Mr. Toad,” and also Zelda in “If the Shoe Fits.”
“My favorite part (of the camp) is the rehearsals,” particularly the dress rehearsals, she said.
Jesse Sheldon, 12, a student at Evergreen Middle School, participated in the camp last year.
“I loved it,” Sheldon said. So much so that he wanted to come back this year.
In addition to the theater camp, Sheldon plans on participating in other camps this summer, including a cooking camp in Seattle and camps at WSU and UW.
Sheldon plays Mr. Toad in “The Mad Adventures of Mr. Toad,” and also has a small role in “If the Shoe Fits.”
Sheldon likes playing Mr. Toad because he can relate to the character, and likes “having a lot of lines and being the lead.”
Jesse’s mother, Julie Sheldon, enjoys seeing her son participate in the camp. She likes the program’s affordability, and the fact that it revolves around something other than sports.
“It helps the children build confidence, try new things they might not otherwise try,” she said.
Goodrich sees the benefit of the program in the improvement of the children’s acting skills.
“Most come with an innate talent to do this. Where I see the real growth is if they come back the following year,” she said.
Jesse has seen the improvement in himself over the past two years of his participation in the camp.
“I don’t get the butterflies as often … I can express myself onstage and be myself,” he said. “Acting is something that I want to pursue.”
According to Goodrich, about 25 percent of camp participants return to the camp in a later year. However, she expects that number to increase as the camp returns next summer.
“I would encourage more children to join,” said Julie Sheldon.