Champaign County Summer Arts Camp to be offered in June

Organizers of the Summer Theater Camp in Champaign County will offer their third annual camp in June for area students ages 12-19 with a performance at the Gloria Theatre to show the participants' skills at camp's end. The group got a boost with a $10,120 grant to help with costs.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Organizers of the Summer Theater Camp in Champaign County will offer their third annual camp in June for area students ages 12-19 with a performance at the Gloria Theatre to show the participants' skills at camp's end. The group got a boost with a $10,120 grant to help with costs.

Youth interested in theater arts during their school break will have another opportunity in Champaign County with the third Summer Theater Camp. A grant from a local organization is helping enhance the two-week camp in June.

Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Services of Champaign and Logan Counties awarded a grant of $10,120 to the nonprofit STC, which is open to students ages 12 to 19. Camp auditions will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 14 at the Urbana Youth Center, 160 W. Market St. in Urbana.

Daily classes will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 16-20 and 23-25 and noon to 5 p.m. June 21. All registered campers will perform in the musical comedy “Night at the Wax Museum,” which will be on the stage of the Gloria Theatre, June 26-28.

Lynn Adell Mirtes, STC founder and co-producer, is excited for what could be the camp’s biggest year yet now that word-of-mouth has built.

“Our audiences and our enrollment are growing every year and some of our third-year performers have younger siblings who are now old enough to attend our camp. They’ve been anxiously waiting while hearing their brothers and sisters rave about how much fun camp is and watching them perform at the Gloria Theatre,” she said.

The grant will allow even more opportunity as part of it will go toward scholarships.

In addition to being a hobby and outlet for some students, Mirtes said theater skills can help participants improve communication, teamwork skills and help gain self-confidence.

“Camp also increases their creative thinking and helps them have greater focus and memory which, as an educator for 30 years, I know those skills will benefit them throughout their lifetimes,” she said.

STC co-producer and assistant director Wendee Fosnaugh has also witnessed a ripple effect of camp.

“These young performers inspire their peers and uplift our audiences,” she said. “It’s exciting to see impressive growth every year. Last year, we had students from 14 schools in four counties, Clark, Champaign, Logan and Madison.”

A portion of the grant will also be used to purchase much-needed equipment including cordless body microphones to be worn by the cast as renting mics proved costly and owning costs less than renting.

Registration for the camp is $250 by May 31 and $270 after; registration closes June 7. A limited number of the partial scholarships are also available.

The musical “Night at the Wax Museum” will present a comedy/adventure of high schoolers who encounter character from throughout history who all hunt for a hidden treasure in the museum.


MORE DETAILS

To register or for more information, go to SummerTheaterCamp.org. Sponsorships by individuals and businesses are also available.

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