It can sometimes be difficult to know whether a camp might be the right fit for your child, so we have provided this in-depth look at how our camp works and what your child can expect when attending Camp Rep. We encourage you to read through this page and the Parent Handbook and reach out to Brian Coats, Camp Rep Director, at bcoats@repstl.org if you have any further questions. 

 

Camp Rep is a 10-day exploration into many aspects of theatre, allowing campers the opportunity to not only rehearse and perform, but also collaborate and create. Over the course of the camp session, campers will take daily core classes in Acting and Storytelling, Vocal Music, and Broadway dance. In these classes, they will collaborate with their teachers and fellow campers to create performance pieces that will then be showcased during the final performance on the last day of camp.  

 

Camp Rep may be ideal for children who are comfortable transitioning into different environments with various speeds of instruction and activity. 

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Here’s a guide to what a session of Camp Rep looks like: 

Each day of camp includes a morning meeting at the start of the day, where we review our behavior agreements and share positive affirmations about ourselves and our fellow campers. The Camp Rep Director will also review the schedule of the day before classes begin. After our first class of the day, we have a morning snack break. At lunchtime, we take a break and gather together to eat and have some free time. This may include outdoor playtime, if the weather permits. Our lunch break ends with a daily talent show called Lunchtime Let’s See!, where campers can demonstrate or perform some of their talents, or even bring items from home to show-and-tell. Campers must sign up for the Lunchtime Let’s See! during the daily morning meeting in order to participate. This encourages campers to prepare their presentations in advance.  

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On the first day of camp, campers can expect to meet the camp leadership team and their counselors, and their core teachers. All campers will play ensemble building games and share their goals for camp. Together, we will establish behavior agreements that will become vital to the success of our camp session. These agreements include things like safety, respect, and participation. While we acknowledge that not every activity may be of interest to all our campers, we ask that every camper give everything a try and do so in a safe and respectful environment.  

As the first day continues, campers will be introduced to our Camp Rep theme and, in groups, brainstorm what that theme means to them. Our campers will then use these ideas in their classes for the rest of the week to guide their work. The first day will also include workshops in music, movement, and imaginative play.  

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On the second day of camp, campers will be split into smaller groups to attend their classes. These classes will be anywhere from 15-18 campers and each group will have 2 counselors. Starting on this day, campers will begin learning and creating in their core classes: Acting and Storytelling, Vocal Music, and Broadway Dance. These classes will encourage campers to express their own ideas using their voice, movement, and imagination. 

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In Acting and Storytelling, campers will be asked to create their own characters and determine the plot of their own original short play. Once the story is created, they’ll cast the play and rehearse the script. In Vocal Music, campers will sing and explore their voices while also writing original lyrics related to the camp theme. In Broadway Dance, campers will learn choreography and also have opportunities to create their own choreography and explore different song selections. 

 

After the completion of their core classes, campers will participate in a special daily workshop to explore other aspects of theatre, like design and tech. In past years, these workshops have included prop and costume design, lighting design, puppetry, stage combat, stage management, film, directing, circus arts, and more. Workshops may include a combination of presentation, guided instruction, and hands-on craft activities. Each day will be a different workshop. 

 

This is the structure of the camp session for days 2-7. For these camp days, classes will take place in a controlled classroom environment. We encourage a relaxed and open space where campers feel at ease to participate and explore. Each class has a goal and teachers will structure their lessons for campers to meet those expectations. It is important that campers attend each day of the camp, as lessons and activities build on what was created the previous day.  

 

On the eighth and ninth day of camp, campers will experience a transition as we enter the tech rehearsal process. We move from the classroom spaces into the theatre and begin to work on the mainstage. While we construct this as an exciting learning experience, it can be stressful for some campers, as the theatre space is very different from our classroom spaces.  As we introduce sound and lights to build our showcase performance, the environment can be bright and loud. With only a limited time onstage to work our pieces and build our show, campers are expected to bring a respectful focus to the stage, which helps to keep everyone safe. Our main stage has been home to many incredible professional actors, and we challenge our campers to bring a similar sense of pride and maturity to the work that they will perform as well. Our goal is that campers will feel confident and ready to perform their showcase by the final day of the session. 

 

On the final day of camp, campers will complete two final run-throughs of their showcase performance. We will also gather for our final camp reflection before our showcase performance. Then, we will change into our Camp Rep t-shirts and prepare to take the stage. Following the performance, campers will reunite with their families and celebrate their success.