Star Power

Let your kids be as dramatic as they want to be this summer — at Weathervane Playhouse’s Summer Theatre Academy.

With various one- to two-week sessions of camps from June 5 to Aug. 11, kids 3 to 17 are separated by age group. They can pick from camps with focuses including acting, dancing, tech, directing and more under the guidance of those who have experienced a camp.

“They learn by doing,” says director of education Tammie McKenzie. “We give them the opportunity to experience that hands on.”

Some camps allow kids to imagine storylines with prompts like, What if dinosaurs existed? and then craft and present a play. Musical theater camps have fun themes like dogs, villains, monsters and sea life, guiding youth through presenting a musical by breaking it down into exercises, including practicing the art of voice projection. Other camps focus specifically on dance with youth learning jazz numbers set to Disney tunes.

Teens can challenge themselves with intensives. For a two-week tech intensive, teens work with Weathervane’s technical staff to design lighting, sets, props and costumes for the acting campers’ production, practicing creativity and attention to detail. In a two-week intensive, acting campers work with a professional director to perform a full-scale production, rapidly running lines, rehearsing scenes and working with cast and crew members.

“One of the biggest things you learn in theater is how to collaborate,” says McKenzie. “Everybody has to work with one another to make it happen.”

All except the tech camp ends with a performance parents can attend. Whether your child prefers the spotlight or backstage, campers work through jitters to shine in their roles and build confidence through repetition, teamwork and close mentorship. McKenzie says children learn the fundamentals of not just theater, but life itself. On show night, they see how their hard work pays off as they watch the audience laugh and cheer.

“It’s a concept of these kids willingly coming in to do an art that they love,” says Elijah Chase, assistant director of education. “We put this on so they get their star moment.”

1301 Weathervane Lane, Akron, weathervaneplayhouse.com   SD