Summer is the time for storytelling! The George Daily Community Auditorium in Oskaloosa hosts 10 weeks of summer theatre camps for students every year. These camps range from learning technical skills and writing to singing and dancing with musical theatre. Kids get to hone their performance skills and develop teamwork, communication, and confidence.

Each day starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. During those hours students can expect to play theatre games, create characters, practice lines and blocking, and tell stories. Some campers have been spending extra time at the George Daily Auditorium by also being involved with The Hobbit, which is being put on August 1-4 to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the George Daily Youth Theatre.

Theatre games can build a wide variety of skills for campers and are a “big hit” among kids. “These are games that kids have definitely not played before”, says camp teacher, Hailey Smith. Another teacher, Lindy Slocum, points out how the games “give a very good physical explanation of why teamwork is important and why it’s okay to rely on your friends.”

These summer camps also give students a space to be their authentic selves. “They don’t consciously view it as a ‘safe space,’ but they feel it.” Says Lindy. Campers don’t make fun of each other for being silly, they just do silly things. Speaking directly with some of the kids gave more insight on how they felt about theatre camp:

 “I feel like I can be myself because everyone else is doing it.” – Jayda

“It’s like this world where you can express your feelings, express what you wanna do, perform for people, and be yourself.” – Emelia

“I’d describe it as extremely fun and you’re never bored…You can just show who you are.” -Laurel

When asked to describe theatre camp, students used words such as, “exciting”, “detailed”, “fun”, and “brainy”. Kids involve themselves in theatre for a variety of reasons. For many it’s an important outlet for self-expression. Others put emphasis on their appreciation for a space to socialize other than school and home. They enjoy spending more time moving and less time on their screens. The skills that students develop in theatre camp transfer further than the stage – they can also be implemented in other aspects of students’ lives:

“I think in a lot of the games and things that we do, it can teach you really good life lessons that you can use in the future” – Jayda

“It makes you more creative, to use your imagination more, and it helps you find new friends” -Emelia

“You have to speak really loud when you’re talking (on stage) and I don’t talk very loud, so that’s been helping me.” -Emma

“It widens your mind” -Laurel

As someone who personally grew up doing summer and after school theatre camps, I’m grateful for the skills I developed, friends I made, and opportunities that came my way. The environment at the George Daily Auditorium is supportive, collaborative, inclusive, and motivating. I’m excited to watch these students continue to grow as performers, and to see how the George Daily Youth Theatre program grows with them.