BWW Camp Guide - Everything You Need to Know About Acting Manitou Theater Camp in 2020

With 2020 officially here, we're looking ahead to this coming summer and getting an in-depth look at some of the country's most prestigious summer theatre camps! We're chatting with the camps' faculty to find out about everything from the day-to-day life of campers to the variety of activities they get to experience. Today we're looking at Acting Manitou Theater Camp and hearing all about its focus on community, lasting friendships, and more. Find out all of their answers below!

Acting Manitou, located in Oakland, Maine, is dedicated to cultivating a community of young artists that will support each other year round and throughout their lives. This mission is realized by creating theater with young artists in their summer programs and by continuing to support and inspire each other throughout the year. Over the years, Acting Manitou has maintained its commitment to creating an exceptionally tight familial environment for campers to take great artistic leaps and undergo personal transformations.

What is the day-to-day life like for campers who attend?

Campers at Acting Manitou spend their time in classes (ranging from theater to arts & crafts to mindfulness), rehearsals (for performance campers) and shop time (tech campers), and enjoying the beautiful foothills of Maine participating in traditional summer camp activities.

What makes your camp experience unique from others offering similar programs?

Our Mission is Community. While every camper and staff member at Acting Manitou is passionate about theater, our focus is on creating lasting relationships that will support campers beyond their time at Acting Manitou. High caliber training in theater is balanced with programming that instills core values of Joy, Creativity, Gratitude and Community and support our campers' radical self expression.

Is there an audition to attend? If so, what does it require?

No, there is not. We do have an audition at camp to cast our festival of shows each session.

What is the age range of the campers who attend?

9-11 year olds participate in our 10-day program called the Emerging Artists Program. 11-17 year olds are part of our core programs of either 3 or 6 weeks.

How many campers attend each summer?

We welcome between 100 and 150 campers each summer.

What skills do you teach campers while they're there?

Acting, movement and dance, voice and core tech classes support our campers wishing to grow as theater artists.

What kinds of activities are students able to take part in, both theatre and non-theatre related?

Stage Combat, Improv, A Cappella, Songwriting, Playwriting, Yoga, Mindfulness, Arts & Crafts, Hiking, Trips to Coastal Towns, Swimming, Ping-Pong, Gaga Ball, Gotcha and other camp activities.

What do you hope that campers take away from their time at your camp?

Campers at Acting Manitou leave with a true sense of who they are as an artist and how that artistry is important to true ensemble and community. We hear time and again that campers come home with a renewed or new found sense of self-worth and self-expression as well as a greater sense of empathy and kindness.

Be sure to apply to Acting Manitou Theater Camp here: https://www.actingmanitou.com