Alley Theatre Play Makers Summer Camp Registration Now Open

The Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre has announced registration for Alley Play Makers Summer Camp is now open. Alley Play Makers offers children a container of creativity to explore their awesome selves to be their own artists.

"Our camp is about learning to question the world around oneself, putting concepts together in unique ways, and learning to get along. Our work is about persisting, stretching, honoring ideas, and learning to step up to the play - all things that practicing an art form can teach," says Chief Education and Community Engagement Officer, Mary Sutton.

"Honestly, wow, is the simplest word that comes to mind," shares Alley Play Makers Camp Parent Heather Connorton. "I never understood the depth of the verbiage 'play makers' until this summer. The children truly self-created their own play! What stood out to me is that each child was attended to. Shy children were not ever left behind but encouraged. Oneness and group encouragement was promoted in every activity, and even down times. They gained confidence, a voice, made friends, found encouragement, learned to truly act, and sing, they tried things they never would before, and most of all it brought them happiness and joy."

Each camp session explores big ideas and questions connected to award-winning children's books through three class rotations: acting/storytelling, movement, and maker space. Alley Play Makers culminates in a joyous, celebratory performance that demonstrates our campers' learning for parents and friends. For each session, the children are divided into class groups by the following grade levels, Kinder and 1st Grade, 2nd and 3rd grade, 4th and 5th grade, and 6th through 8th grade.

During Acting/Storytelling, Teaching Artists support campers to collaborate and build their own performance piece through their responses to the children's book that corresponds with their age group. In addition, the children gain acting skills to develop their character. Campers also explore the components (beginning, middle, and end) needed to successfully tell a story through tableau work. During Movement, campers go through a series of movement games and activities to help them build confidence on stage. Maker space is an opportunity for campers to collaborate and create props, costume pieces, and set pieces needed for their open workshop piece.

Alley Theatre believes in equitable access to our programs by reserving slots in every camp and age group for scholarships.

For more information, please visit https://www.alleytheatre.org/education/for-youth/alley-play-makers.

Alley Theatre, one of America's leading nonprofit theatres, is a nationally recognized performing arts company led by Artistic Director Rob Melrose and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden. The Alley is committed to developing and producing theatre that is as diverse as the Houston community. The Alley produces up to 11 plays and nearly 400 performances each season, ranging from the best current work and classic plays to new plays by contemporary writers. Home to a full-time resident company of actors and expert artisans in all theatre crafts, the Alley engages theatre artists of every discipline - actors, directors, designers, composers, playwrights - who work on individual productions throughout each season as visiting artists.

Alley Theatre performs at the Meredith J. Long Theatre Center which is comprised of two state-of-the-art theatres: the 774-seat Hubbard Theatre and the 296-seat Neuhaus Theatre. The Alley reaches over 200,000 people each year through its performance, education, and community engagement programs.

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