Playful People Productions announces 2026 Summer Camps and Shows

Playful People Productions of San Jose announced its summer camps, activities, and theatrical productions for kids and kids at heart. Programs will run during June and July of 2026.

Registration for all programs is currently open; to register, or for more information, families can visit www.PlayfulPeople.org or call (408) 878-5362.

Older teens and adults can experience the joys of performing live on stage together with You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. With charm, wit and heart, this musical explores life through the eyes of Charlie Brown and his friends in the Peanuts gang. Based on the beloved Charles Schulz comic strip, this revue of songs and vignettes is an ideal first show for those new to musicals. Casts meet three evenings per week plus one Sunday June 22 through July 15, with performances on July 17 and 18. Open to ages 16 and up, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown is directed and choreographed by Emily Pennington and is $550 per participant.

Kids ages four to seven can enjoy one-week Junior Theater camps: Magical Pet Shop Camp (with kids designing their own magical pet character), or Heroes and Villains! Camp (where kids explore what makes a hero or villain, and choose superpowers). Both camps include summer camp crafts, dress-up opportunities, games, and fun, with a show written and performed by campers and crew at the end of each week. Junior Theater camps run Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. June 22-26, and June 29-July 3. Participation is $525 per week, students may attend one or both weeks.

Children ages 6 to 10 can explore a magical world with Aladdin KIDS. When the street urchin Aladdin vies for the attention of the beautiful princess, Jasmine, he uses a genie's magic power to become a prince. Kids can play one of the roles in the classic Disney film, or be one of the Djinn — a group of unique stage magicians who execute the magical moments of the show. All participants will explore all aspects of a theater production, learning to create props, sets, and costume pieces, and end the camp with a full production on the Hoover Theater stage. Aladdin KIDS runs June 29-July 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $850.

If being an entirely different species is your thing, Madagascar JR offers kids and teens the opportunity to break out their inner animal. Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo and the penguin crew escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. All participants will explore all aspects of a theater production, learning to create props, sets, and costume pieces, and end the camp with a full production on the Hoover Theater stage. Madagascar JR runs July 13-26, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., for ages 6—10 ($850); and July 6-26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for ages 11-15 ($1,250). Both groups will perform July 24-26.

Design and Build Camp, for ages 12-16, allows participants to help design and build sets, props, and costume pieces for the summer productions (Aladdin, Madagascar, and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown), working with local artists and designers to bring their ideas to life. Week One will be spent dissecting scripts and drafting/designing costumes, props, or set pieces. Week Two, students will building set pieces for all shows, and finishing props for Aladdin. Week Three is finishing sets for Aladdin, finishing Madagascar props, and beginning Madagascar costume pieces. Week Four, sets for Charlie Brown are installed, and work on Madagascar costumes and props continues. In the final week, Madagascar sets are installed and costumes are finished. Students may participate in Weeks 1-2 ($800), Weeks 3-5 ($1,200), or all five Weeks ($1,800), and have their work featured on stage.

And because play is NOT just for children, Playful People Productions is once again offering its popular Adult Summer Camp — a suite of á la carte classes, weeknights between 6:30 and 9:30 PM, ranging from dance and music classes to an original short play and more. Designed for ages 16 and up, these classes range from $150 to $300 per class and vary in length. Participants can choose to attend between one and five evenings per week, from June 22 through July 18 (some classes will have final performances on July 19).

Playful People Productions was first founded in 2010 as a positive, inclusive, family-focused theatre company, and has operated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit since 2017. While initially providing classes, camps, and shows for kids, the company has grown to offer similar classes for adults, and stages multi-generational performances where family members can perform together.

Playful People Productions aims to create an environment where all feel welcome, and where creative impulses are encouraged by experienced Bay Area artists. The organization follows Positive Discipline guidelines as well as proven child education techniques; continually works to maximize the inclusion of all participants, volunteers, and staff; and regularly gives families the opportunity to share the exhilarating experience of performing together. During the nonprofit's tenure, they have enjoyed frequent instances of children performing on stage with siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents — and have also welcomed adults who wish to perform but find local theater auditions and rehearsals do not fit their needs.