Venus Theatre
The Venus Theatre Play Shack
21 C Street
Laurel, MD 20707
ph: 202.236.4078
TheatreCamp!
Have a teen with passion for the stage in need of a five week workshop this summer?
Venus Theatre is offering 200 hours led by their Founder Deb Randall in this unique TheatreCamp!.
Starting on July 21st until August 22, running Monday through Friday from 9 - 5 Venus Theatre Founder Deb Randall runs TheatreCamp!, welcoming teens and pre-teens who are SERIOUS about the theatre.
Students will begin with introductory work, find themselves sitting in the audience of professional performances, and spend more than half of their 200 camp hours working together to create their own show.
Week one will consist of an overview of theatre at the Play Shack. Week two will get everyone out to see shows at the Fringe Festival with critical artistic conversation to follow where STUDENTS will write the review. The group will meet at the Play Shack at 9am and take the Marc Train (3 blocks from Play Shack) into Union Station where they will then see shows at various Fringe venues and return on the Marc for 5pm pick-up. Week three is all about exploration as the student ensemble decides what to stage. And weeks four and five consist of intensive rehearsal and team building. At Venus Theatre's Play Shack, students will build and create their own set, costume, props, light design, sound design, and well...SHOW...
At 8pm on Friday August 22nd the end result will be open to the public and the students will determine where the ticket proceeds will go.
Theatrecamp! evolution
Upon moving into the new space in 2006 the concept of GirlCamp was launched. In 2007, Venus ran two one-week GirlCamp sessions with students as young as four on the waterfront in Annapolis. Each camp was a tremendous success with students waking up early and asking when they could go to camp.
In 2008, Venus combines the initial vision with the practical experience and offers a more intensive camp geared toward teens and pre-teens and including all genders. With Deb Randall at the helm the goal of TheatreCamp! is to apply and share her knowledge and experience while embracing, nurturing, and cultivating an already-existing passion for theatre in youth.
Each phase of this process is a precious one not just artistically but also in the way of teaching young people how to communicate and share artistic vision. Last year the students were SO PROUD of their work.
Students will be exposed first-hand to the artistic elements of theatre and they will also be asked to think in entrepreneurial terms. This teaches that there is a value to artistic work and that there is power in even small financial choices. Last year $200 was donated to the SPCA and $220 to the Audubon's Society. Those passionate about an organizations mission make their case and "soapbox" for that cause, then vote. As a Company committed to setting flight to the voices of women and children with theatre for a lifetime, it seems only proper to emphasize the great power of the Democratic vote as part of this process.
So Venus' TheatreCamp! is a comprehensive team building camp sure to have a powerfully positive impact on youth!Please join us at TheatreCamp!
On a personal note, I'd like to add that the benefit of theatre for young people is tremendous. I have seen first hand social skills develop to amazing degrees, aggressive emotions become empathetic ones, not to mention the power for audiences when literary works are given unique fresh life in the process. It's my best hope to nurture the talent of young people so that when they step out in the world they have an even greater sense of who they are and how valuable that is.
-deb
Quotes from satisified customers to follow.
Contact Deb for further registration information or with any questions.
The Venus Theatre Play Shack
21 C Street
Laurel, MD 20707
ph: 202.236.4078
