The Southwestern College theatre department and the Winfield Arts and Humanities Council are cooperating to offer summer camps for youth.

According to Allyson Moon, director of the Summer Theatre Festival at Southwestern College, one of the offerings this summer will be “The Magic School Bus.”  Two camps are being offered for performers in the June 9 and 10 production:

•       Story Theatre Camp is geared for kindergarten through third grade students.  The camp will focus on creative dramatics and traditional rehearsal techniques.  
•       Youth Theatre camp is for fourth through eighth graders.  During this camp, participants will develop their acting skills while being exposed to all aspects of technical theatre.   

Both camps will be two weeks long, from May 30 to June 2 and June 5 to 10, from 10 a.m. to noon., in the Helen Graham Little Theatre located on the lower level of the Christy Administration Building on the campus of Southwestern College. The cost for the camp is $30

Other summer theatre camps include:
•       Musical Theatre Performance, June 12-16, 10 a.m. to noon.  Musical theatre scenes, songs, and dances will be developed using creative dramatics and traditional rehearsal techniques.  Characters from contemporary musical productions 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 16, at 11 a.m. in Messenger Recital Hall in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center on the Southwestern College Campus.  The cost for the camp is $25.
•       Improvisational Acting, July 10-14, 10 a.m. to noon.  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 meet in Messenger Recital Hall in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center to work with Moon and members of SC's improv troupe, 9 LIVES.  The class will finish with an improvisational acting review on Friday, July 14 at 11 a.m. in the Messenger Recital Hall.
•       Playwrighting, July 10-14, 1-3 p.m. Original scenes and short plays will be developed using a variety of playwrighting exercises and writing techniques.  Writers will meet in Darbeth 105 and work with Roger Moon and SC’s summer theatre interns on the development of ideas, action, conflict, scenes, characters, and dialogue.  The class will finish with a staged reading of scenes on Friday, July 14, at 11 a.m. in Messenger Recital Hall in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center on the Southwestern College Campus.   The cost for the camp is $25.

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