Playmakers Teaches Campers All Aspects of Production

by Erik Weasenforth, Marketing Associate VISTA

This week’s theme for Theatre Action Project (TAP) Summer Camp is Playmakers at both our Trinity United Methodist Church and Lakeway locations. During Playmakers, campers work together to put on a short, original play. Campers will learn about teamwork by experiencing all aspects of the production, from the set to the costumes to the performance. The magic of the theatre comes alive in Friday afternoon’s performance!

From the set to the costumes to the performance, campers learn all aspects of production at Playmakers.
Photo on far right by Carol Acurso

TAP Summer Camps: Fun and Active Learning

Adventures in Art camp runs June 11 – 15.

Theatre Action Project is offering sizzling summer camps this year and we are so excited. Each week of camp has a theme to keep the kids active and learning. It all starts June 11th and it runs through August 10th. Here’s the best part–we’re at 4 satellite locations around Austin including Trinity United Methodist Church, The University of Texas, Lakeway, and Circle C. 

Choose your week and choose your adventure! At TAP camps this summer, kids will put on a play, write a musical, star in a movie, create puppets, and learn a drum and dance routine, just to name a few of the creative activities in store,

Choose a camp location nearest you. Locations include:

Trinity United Methodist Church
June 11 – August 10, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Ages 5 – 12.

University of Texas at Austin
June 18 – 22, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Ages 6-10.

Lakeway Activities Center
July 16 – 20 & July 30-August. 3, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Ages 5-12.

Circle C HOA Community Center
July 9 – 13, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Ages 5-11.

Cost: $235-250. To register online visit: www.theatreactionproject.org. 
For more information call: (512) 442-8773. or email: camp@theatreactionproject.org.

Blue Bird uniform

PS: My favorite camp memory–okay my only camp memory–is a day camp in Corpus Christi when I was a Blue Bird, the younger version of a Camp Fire Girl. I was so looking forward to learning how to fish, until I found out you had to thread a worm on your hook first. Sadly, the only thing I caught that day was a turtle that I quickly unhooked and threw back in the pond.

TAP Summer Camps 2012

by Brian C. Fahey, TAP in the Classroom Program Director

Theatre Action Project is offering Summer Camps in 4 different locations for the summer of 2012. Our camps are student centered and led by a dynamic team of professional teaching artists. There are many themes to choose from exploring art, dance, film, puppetry, acting, drumming, playmaking, and musical theatre!

TAP summer camp will be at the following locations:

CENTRAL AUSTIN
Trinity United Methodist Church | 4001 Speedway Austin,
TX 78751 | For ages 5–12 | 9:00am – 4:30am | Cost: $235
Extended care available from 8:00am – 5:30pm at an additional cost of $50 per week.

June 11 – 15: Adventures in Art
June 18 – 22: Dance! Dance! Dance!
June 25 – 29: Lights, Camera, Action!
July 9 – 13: Puppet-Palooza
July 16 – 20: Acting Up
July 23 – 27: Rhythm and Drums
July 30 – August 3: Playmakers
August 6 – 10: Songs for the Stage
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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
Winship Drama Building | 300 East 23rd Street Austin,
TX 78712 | For ages 6-10 | 9:00am – 4:00pm | Cost: $235 
(10% off with UT affiliation)

June 18 – 22: World Adventures
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LAKEWAY
Lakeway Activities Center | 105 Cross Creek Lakeway,
TX 78734 | For ages 5-12 | 9:00am – 4:30pm | Cost: $250

July 16 – 20: Lights, Camera, Action!
July 30 – August 3: Playmakers
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CIRCLE C
HOA Community Center | 7817 La Crosse Avenue Austin,
TX 78739 | For ages 5-11 | 9:30am – 4:30pm | Cost: $250

July 9 – 13: All the World’s a Stage
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For descriptions of each week’s theme and to register, go to:

http://www.theatreactionproject.org/prog_com_camps.html

For more info call: 512.442.8773 ext. 107,

or email: camp@theatreactionproject.org.

New Summer Camp Opportunities

by Chelsea Gilman, Business Manager

Having spent 7 summers of my adult life working at a summer camp, I get pretty excited to talk about summer camp. I started as a counselor, the following summer taught drama, then was in charge of all camp activities, and eventually worked as an assistant director year round. That’s right; I spent all year preparing for an awesome summer!

While my summer camp days were spent at a residential camp outside of Austin, there are many options for those seeking camp experiences right here in the Austin area. Theatre Action Project has been steadily expanding its summer camp schedule each year, and this year we have grown once again.

There will be eight 1-week day camps, with rotating themes, at the Trinity United Methodist Church. In addition, there is a 1-week camp at The University of Texas at Austin, a 1-week camp at the Circle C HOA Community Center, and two 1-week camps at the Lakeway Activities Center. There is even potential for more camps to form before summer starts, so be sure to keep an eye out on our website: http://theatreactionproject.org/prog_com_camps.html#CENTRAL

These camps provide opportunities for youth to create art and puppets, film a movie, sing, act in a play, drum, and dance, with a performance for the families at the end of every week. Campers get to meet children from other schools and neighborhoods and make new friends: camp friends. In my day, I hand wrote letters to my camp friends during the school year on paper, with a pencil.  These days, they’re probably sending texts or Facebook messages. However, regardless of the social medium, lasting friendships are forged. See you this summer!

TAP Summer Camps: Creative Learning all over Austin

by Brian C. Fahey, TAP in the Classroom Program Director

After a wildly successful spring break camp which focused on the launching of TAP TV, we’re thrilled to be returning to Trinity United Methodist Church this summer. In addition to the eight weeks of camp we’re hosting in Central Austin at Trinity United Methodist Church we will be hosting satellite camps in Lakeway, Circle C, and the University of Texas at Austin. All the details and registration can be found on our camp webpage. No matter where you live in Austin, we have a camp nearby. Demand is so high we may still be adding more locations so keep checking with us.

At Trinity United Methodist Church we’ll be offering new camps such as Adventures in Art and Acting Up! as well as old favorites, Playmakers and Songs for the Stage. Don’t forget the hugely popular Lights, Camera, Action – always the first camp to sell out. Circle C will host a new camp called All the World’s a Stage, and in Lakeway we’ll have Lights, Camera, Action and Playmakers. At UT we’ll team up with the Department of Theatre and Dance to offer one of our favorite camps, World Adventures. It’s going to be a great summer and we can’t wait to help your children discover their creative spark.

Parents from past camps said:

“Our child loves this camp; we have never seen him so excited about anything else!”

“My child loves the staff, the friends she made, all of it!! She doesn’t want to come home!”

“I loved the low staff/student ration and commitment to real learning.”

We hope to see you this summer! For more information on our camps, visit: http://www.theatreactionproject.org/prog_com_camps.html