Newnan Theatre Company's NTC KidsCamp and NTC Backstage Returning This Summer

Newnan Theatre Company is pleased to announce the return of its summer program, NTC KidsCamp and NTC Backstage. These programs, designed for elementary school students and middle school students, are intensive camps where the subject is, of course, theatre. For six weeks, Newnan Theatre Company opens their doors and welcome students to the world of the theatre and performing arts.

NTC KidsCamp is focused on elementary school students. In six one-week sessions, campers are introduced to a theme for each week, and in the week, the campers are given a script, and they design their set, make their costumes, create their make-up, and learn their lines. On Friday of the week, they perform their script for an audience. "It is amazing to watch these kids," says Mary Caroline Moore, managing director of NTC and an instructor for NTC's Academy of Theatre Arts. "We see kids who have the desire to 'put on shows,' but that classic fear of being in front of an audience creeps in, and they have to get past that fear. By the end of the camp, though, those same kids are jumping in and wanting to have a larger part in every stage of the productions."

The newer, more intensive program, NTC BackStage, is designed for middle school students. In Backstage, the sessions are three weeks long, and the campers take their training a step further by actually writing their own script. "We give them the basic theme of their session, and we spend a lot of time during that first week, campers and counselors, taking their ideas and creating a workable script," says Samantha Thoreson, KidsCamp director. "They do everything the elementary students do, but our BackStage campers create their show from the ground up."

KidsCamp sessions can be half-day or full day, and BackStage sessions begin at 1 pm and run to 5 pm. While it might sound like a lot of work for youngsters, KidsCamp counselors make sure there is plenty of fun as well. Sara Demlow has been a KidsCamp counselor for four years, and she is delighted to be returning for one last time before she starts college. "I love working with these kids," she says. "We teach them dance, movement, costuming, make-up, and set building, but we also play a lot of games that target theatrical skills. We do basic improvisation games, we do movement games, and everyone finds the time to laugh and play. After all, theatre is about playing, whether it be playing a role, or just enjoying a moment in the spotlight."

NTC KidsCamp and NTC BackStage start June 6, and runs through the end of July. There will be no camp scheduled for the week of the Fourth of July. Campers' performances are each Friday of camp for KidsCamp students, and the third and sixth Friday of camp for the BackStage campers. You may register online by clicking "Tickets" at www.newnantheatre.org or you can register by calling Newnan Theatre Company at 770-683-6282.