Westport Country Playhouse Announces Summer Theater Camp For Middle School Students

Registration is now open for Westport Country Playhouse's CampWCP, a four-week theater camp for middle school students (6th through 8th grade), from June 27 through July 23, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the Playhouse campus. Now in its second year, CampWCP is licensed by the CT Office of Early Childhood (OEC).

"CampWCP is a summer theater intensive experience for kids who love putting on a show and inspiring others," said the Playhouse's Roz and Bud Siegel director of education Jenny Nelson, who oversees CampWCP. "No theater experience is required. CampWCP is for kids who either know they love theater, are curious about theater and the power of storytelling, or want to learn through theater how to have their voices heard. CampWCP offers four weeks with a focus, a goal, and the chance to meet artists and community leaders."

Nelson added, "We hope that CampWCP empowers young artists to activate their creative voice - so that they can ignite social change for their community and beyond."

CampWCP participants will explore the art of playwriting and devise their own play. Guided by a professional Theater for Young Audiences playwright, the young artists will collectively create stories together and perform their original play at the Playhouse for an invited audience of family and friends on Saturday, July 23. Upon graduation, campers will receive a bound copy of their theater piece.

Campers will also learn acting techniques from Nelson and how to be a student activist from local community activists. They will also have the opportunity to participate in workshops with Playhouse staff and invited guests. Past workshops have covered movement and language, character building, and theatrical poster design.

Jenny Nelson hails from Arizona where she received her bachelor's degree in theater and master's degree in theater from the University of Arizona. She earned a second master's degree in education from Fairfield University. She is the associate artistic director of Collective Consciousness Theatre, a social justice theater in New Haven. She has taught at universities, including City College of New York in the graduate program for theater professionals and educators. She has also worked as an artist and educator at theaters, including Long Wharf Theatre, Shubert Theatre, and Yale Repertory Theatre. Nelson was a nominee for the Tony Teaching Award of Excellence.

Fee for the four-week summer camp is $900. To ensure that all young artists have equal access, scholarships and payment plans are available. To register, visit: https://campscui.active.com/orgs/WestportCountryPlayhouse?orglink=camps-registration

All campers are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination prior to the start of camp. Physical distancing measures, health protocols, and masking may be required based on current CT Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and local guidelines.

Support for the 2022 Education and Community Engagement Program comes from the Eunice and David Bigelow Foundation; Stephen Corman; Anna Czekaj-Farber; The David and Geri Epstein Foundation; George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation; Judy and Scott Phares; Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation, Inc.; and Roz and Bud Siegel.

CampWCP is sponsored by Aquarion Water Company; special thanks to Linda Rost for 2022 scholarship support.

For more information about CampWCP, contact: education@westportplayhouse.org

For Westport Country Playhouse tickets and information, visit westportplayhouse.org, call (203) 227-4177, or email at boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

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