Summer Camp: Teen Ensemble (Ages 13-18)

July 8-19, 2024
Mondays-Fridays, 1-5p (with a performance for friends/families Friday, July 19 @ 7pm)
$375*
Ages 13-18

REGISTER HERE!
Early Bird Registration (10% discount) begins February 15th and ends April 15th.

Self-Expression in a Safe Space: Acting – Singing – Improv – Song Writing – Poetry – Dancing – Spoken Word. Whatever you want, it’s yours to create!

Have a teen looking for a place where they can express themselves and be creative in an inclusive, diverse space? You’ve found it! Touchstone’s Teen Ensemble gives creative autonomy to the campers to bring to life their own material – scenes, monologues, songs, spoken word, dance, whatever their passion might be – as they strengthen their unique voice. Working alongside some of Touchstone’s finest, our campers will learn techniques and exercises to sharpen their creative talents and push the boundaries of their imagination. Over the two weeks, working solo and in small and large ensembles, campers write and perform their own original material, which will be presented in a final sharing for family and friends. Funny or sad, poignant or pointed, musical or mayhem… anything goes!

A Day in the Life of Teen Ensemble:

1st hour: Warm Ups and Games

  • We begin each day with our check in, providing our campers a chance to practice emotional expression and empathy.
  • Objectives of our theatre games include: increasing focus, communicating ideas, using the body to express characters, building connections and trust, and most importantly having fun!

2nd hour: Creation and Devising Techniques

  • Each day is a different deep dive into an aspect of performance creation led by one of our teaching partners/ensemble members.
  • Subjects can range from embodying animals to explore specific characters, to all things clowning and mime, to designing and creating shadow puppets, to anything in between!
  • Each subject is hand selected based on the expertise of the teacher, as well as the campers personal interests.

3rd hour: Improv Hour

  • Campers are led in improvisation games and exercises to apply what they have just learned while also exploring techniques to express themselves and think on their feet.
  • Using improvisation, campers will develop specific characters, understand world creation, devise dialogue and monologues, and again, most importantly, have a fun and silly time!

4th hour: Original Creation and Sharing

  • Splitting up into small/large groups, the campers are given free rein to collaboratively explore and create however they wish.
  • Our teachers will guide the campers, encourage them when they get stuck, and help shape the creations to prepare them to be presented to their peers.
  • Using the process of delighted listening, the campers give feedback to each other about what excited them in their peers’ work.
  • Once the campers have decided what creations they are most passionate about, the last few sessions are spent rehearsing those scenes and getting them ready for their world debut!

*Limited financial aid is available for families with demonstrated financial need. Contact Education Director, Mary Wright, for more info: mary@touchstone.org