The Southwestern College theatre department and the Winfield Arts and Humanities Council are cooperating to offer four summer camps. The camps will focus on story theatre, music theatre performance, and improvisational acting.

All of these are a part of the Southwestern College Summer Theatre Festival and will be held on the SC campus in Winfield.

• Story theatre camp is for ages kindergarten through third grade and will run May 28-June 1 from 10 a.m.-noon in the Helen Graham Little Theatre in the lower level of the Christy Administration building on the campus of Southwestern College.  Using creative dramatics and traditional rehearsal techniques, children will work with Allyson Moon and students from the Southwestern College theatre department on development of acting, storytelling, and other performance skills.  They will share a review of their work on Saturday, June 1, at 11 a.m.

• Music theatre performance camp is intended for children in grades four through six and will be June 3-7, 10 a.m.-noon in the Helen Graham Little Theatre.  Musical theatre scenes, songs, and dances will be developed using creative dramatics and traditional rehearsal techniques.  Characters from the book and movies of “Tarzan” will come to life on stage.  Children will work with Moon and students from the Southwestern College theatre department on development of acting, singing, and dancing performance skills.  They will perform a musical theatre review of their work on Friday, June 7 at 11 a.m., in Messenger Recital Hall in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center.

• Improvisational acting camp is for students grade 6-12 and runs June 17-21, 10 a.m.-noon in Messenger Recital Hall in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center.  All levels of experience are welcome.  Theatre gaming will primarily be used in process and performance.  Original characters and scenes will be developed.   Actors will work with Moon and members of SC's improv troupe, 9 Lives.  The class will finish with an improvisational acting review on Friday, June 21 at 11 a.m. in Messenger Recital Hall.

• Improvisational acting camp is for adults age 18 and over and will run July 15-19, 10 a.m.-noon in Messenger Recital Hall in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center on the campus of Southwestern College.  All levels of experience are welcome.  Theatre gaming will primarily be used in process and performance.  Original characters and scenes will be developed.   Actors will work with Moon and members of SC's improv troupe, 9 Lives.  The class will finish with an improvisational acting review on Friday, July 19, at 8 p.m. in Messenger Recital Hall.

According to Moon, if participants and their parents accept the invitation, involvement in any of the camps automatically makes participants members of the cast of “Tarzan,” which will run July 12 -14 at Southwestern College.  Auditions for “Tarzan” will be on Friday, May 31, 6:30-8:30 p.m., and Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m., in Messenger Recital Hall. 

“All ages are welcome to audition,” Moon says.  “Just bring a prepared song, monologue, or tell a children’s story.”

Each camp costs $20.  To register or for more information, contact the Winfield Arts and Humanities Council at (620) 221-2161.