Summer camp overview

One-Week Camp

Welcome!

A PDF version of this page is available here!

Thank you for being part of Tacoma Youth Theatre’s one week camp! We look forward to collaborating with all of you on this week-long, theatrical adventure – ultimately culminating in two public performances!

Parents are welcome to observe rehearsals at ANY time, but we ask that you do so from the audience. (All those adults working directly with the young actors must pass a Washington State Patrol background check.) Throughout this process, should a question or concern arise – or if you’d simply like to chat about your young actor – please feel free to stop in, phone or text me any afternoon after theatre camp.

Artistic Director, Maggie Knott: (253) 226 – 6962

Rehearsals: Monday through Friday, from 9am-4pm. Daily reminders/checklists included!

Each day, please bring:

• Your script (We will be sending each actor home with a script and assigned roles on TUESDAY.) 
• A re-sealable water bottle
• A large sack lunch, which can serve as both a lunch and an afternoon snack. 

2 Performances: Saturday & Sunday at 2pm. 

• Actors arrive at Noon, (please plan to eat before arriving.)  
• Doors will open for seating approximately 20 minutes before each performance.
• Performances are typically 30-50 minutes long. 

Parents/Grown-up People:

• Please plan to have your actor(s) present for the entirety of each theatre camp day. Illnesses and emergencies are understandable, but please let us know, asap, in such an event. If your actor has any planned conflicts with theatre camp, please let us know PRIOR to the week beginning. Theatre is a collaborative art, and each absence impacts all other participants. Even one brief appointment, when multiplied by the number of actors participating, puts a great strain on an already busy week. Please help us to ensure this cast’s success. 
• We’d love you to help us spread the word about public performances and participate in our ticket sales fundraiser. (All seats are by donation.) Tuition alone does not support programming, and your collection of donations from those able to attend is key to Tacoma Youth Theatre’s mission – allowing us to keep camps and programming affordable and accessible to all. 

• Daily Clothing – Actors will be most comfortable in clothes in which they can move freely (i.e. shorts or loose-fitting jeans.) Footwear that slips off easily (sandals or flip-flops) and dresses/skirts are discouraged, as they tend to hinder movement. Please, NO FLIP-FLOPS and NO GLITTER (in a black box theatre, glitter creates a larger problem than one might imagine.) 

• Forms – Please make sure to complete the Emergency Contact Form, and Standard Photo/Video release form. These forms will be kept on file from June to June, so we’ll only ask you to complete them once each year. 

• Line Memorization – Actors will be expected to do their best to learn their lines by Thursday..  Please plan to set aside at least 30 minutes each day, outside of the rehearsal, to work on this process. Young actors can memorize very quickly and learning their lines as early as possible will give them time to explore and discover their characters and develop their on-stage confidence. Please feel free to ask us if you’d like some suggestions for helping your young actor with their memorization. 

• Refund Policy – In our casting decisions and rehearsal/performance process, we do our very best to provide an enjoyable, nurturing experience for each actor. If, however, after the first day of class, this program or production feels like a poor match for an actor or their parents, please let us know. Refunds are available after the first day of class but will no longer be given if an actor attends the second rehearsal. In addition, we do our best to support the needs of every actor. After the first day, actors will be well aware of Tacoma Youth Theatre expectations. In an effort to maintain a positive learning environment, any actor that continually exhibits disruptive, unkind or unsafe behavior will be asked to leave the program. In this instance of “instructor withdrawal” of a student, tuition is refundable. 

• Performances  – Performances are open to the public, and tickets are Pay-What-You-Can. Actors will have the chance to pre-order tickets for friends & family. Help us to spread the word! It’s exciting for young artists to have a full audience, and this is an important fundraiser for Tacoma Youth Theatre. Early this week, we’ll send home pre-order forms. Assuming availability, tickets may also be obtained at the door by pay-what-you-can donation.  

Daily Reminders & Checklists

Costume Guidelines: Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions. 

• During fittings, dress rehearsals and performances, actors should ALWAYS plan on wearing underclothes (tank tops, shorts, swimsuits, leotards, etc.) or clothing over which they can try/put on costumes without becoming completely undressed. 

• Actors will change in the dressing room of the gender with which they identify. If actors would like a place to change privately, we can facilitate that, as well. 

Actors sign-in for rehearsals & performances

Signing in is common practice at most theatres. It tells the director and stage manager that you are present. It is also a good time for each actor to prepare by reminding themselves of Tacoma Youth Theatre’s expectations for a successful process.