Ghostlight Theater Camp- A Summer Filled with Theater, Joy, and Opportunity

What every theater lover longs for more than anything this year is to be back onstage, or backstage, making theater and sharing it with an audience. For campers at Ghostlight Theater Camp in Oakland, Maine, this summer will give them that opportunity and more!

Each year, Ghostlight Theater Camp produces two festivals of classic plays, musicals, and new and devised works. This summer, they are so excited to be producing the premiere of Keaton and The Whale by Emily Chiu (Book, Music) and Molly Reisman (Book, Lyrics).

In this new musical, a lonely artist named Keaton meets the loneliest whale in the world, who sings at 52-hertz, a frequency no other whale can hear. The Whale has been swimming alone and singing to only his shadow for who knows how long until one day he hears a mysterious voice reply. Unfortunately for The Whale, this voice is actually the terrible sound installation of tortured graduate student, Keaton. Keaton and the Whale is a story about loneliness and the beauty of communication in all of its many forms.

"We are so excited to share this story with our camp community. The heart of the piece is about how we communicate, how we connect across space and time. Our program centers on ensemble theater practices that ask this very question in classes and all our productions. We have been so pleased with the new work we have produced over our 19 years of running camp and are thrilled to give this year's campers the chance to work with young writers on a piece that will resonate with them and the times we are all living in."

Ghostlight's focus on ensemble theater practices is what sets them apart from other theater programs. Whether developing and producing new work or rediscovering existing plays through a new lens, each camper is part of a show that works to celebrate individual artistry within the context of collaboration. The productions that families and friends see at Ghostlight show campers that their presence is an essential aspect of theater-making.

"I like being in shows here," said one camper, "because I'm not told what to do. They ask you what you think and encourage you to try things in rehearsal to see what works."

This summer's full production line-up won't be announced until later this spring. Still, the collaboration between Keaton's director, Benji Goldsmith, and Chiu and Reisman is already underway, with the writers fine-tuning their work for Ghostlight's production.

"We are simply thrilled to be bringing campers to Maine this summer. It will look different than camp looked two years ago, but the most important thing is that our campers will be creating theater in the most beautiful place imaginable."

Learn more about Ghostlight Theater Camp here. You can also learn more about Keaton and the Whale here.

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