By Kevin Greer
Lakeside Communications Manager
Lakeside and the historic Croswell Opera House in Adrian, Michigan, are excited to team up for a new children’s program this summer.
“Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon” is a theater camp experience geared toward rising second graders through rising eighth graders from June 26-30. The week concludes with a performance for the Lakeside community at 1 p.m. Friday, June 30 in South Auditorium.
For several years, Croswell has hosted popular and successful theater camps for kids. Lakesider Brenda Baker, who is a former Croswell board member and still active with the theater, pitched the idea to Vice President of Programming Jeannie Fleming-Gifford of having a similar event in Lakeside. Croswell Executive Director Jere Righter and the Box Office and Educational Director Kylie McElrath were also involved in the conversations.
“I just appreciate all that Jeannie has done to help this Croswell connection happen,” Baker said. “Once we got everybody connected and talking, Jeannie, Kylie and Jere just took the ball and made it happen.”
Fleming-Gifford has theater experience and is excited to partner with Croswell for a new experience for younger Lakesiders.
“As a Chautauqua that celebrates, encourages and promotes the exploration of the arts, we are thrilled to collaborate with Croswell to expand our performing arts opportunities for youth,” Fleming-Gifford said. “This interactive, educational and fun one-week day camp will provide the youth of Lakeside an opportunity to work with this outstanding theater company and expand Lakeside’s commitment to partnerships and mission-driven programming.”
Three instructors from Croswell will be in Lakeside to work with the children throughout the week, including a music director, stage director and choreographer.
Auditions will be held Monday and during the camp, students will learn choreography, stage direction and music. They will focus on the 3 B’s of acting: Big expressive bodies, bold voices and being a bright light onstage.
Using different acting exercises and improv games such as dinner plate and environments, the campers will explore how to become their characters to tell the story of the Magic Tree House between rehearsal periods. On Wednesday, actors will start adding costumes, props and other pieces to help them bring the story to life.
“It won’t just be acting,” Baker said. “A lot of kids, not just the ones who like to perform on stage, are able to be involved.”
The camp takes students from auditions to the stage to tell the story of two siblings, Jack and Ann, who get lost in the 1800s. A time filled with pirates and buried treasure, students journey through this tropical adventure with quirky characters like Stella the Starfish and Teeki the Seagull to discover the power of friendship and the simple pleasures in everyday life.
Baker said when discussing the theme, everyone involved wanted it to have a relation to Lakeside.
“There were some connections with the Lakeside Wooden Boat Society because they give pirate boat rides with Bret Johnson,” Baker said. “It was sort of an opportunity to pick up on that.”
Baker says this is a great opportunity for kids. Most students don’t have the opportunity to participate in theater until they get to high school. This will allow them to work in all parts at a younger age. Some former Croswell campers went on to work in large theaters in New York, San Francisco and Chicago.
“It gives kids a chance to get attached to it at a young age and just be a part of it,” Baker said. “I think it also helps with confidence and expands skill levels, especially the ones who are on stage. I’ve seen that with a lot of the kids who have been involved in theater.”
Registration is already open and is limited to only 40 participants. The camp runs from 12-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday. Campers may not need to attend all hours the camp meets, for example, rehearsals for specific songs and choreography.
Thanks to generous donor support, the cost for camp is $35 per child, which includes a script, basic costuming and a camp T-shirt. Campers are encouraged to pack their own snacks throughout the week and lunch on Friday.
“I think it has so much potential,” Baker said. “It’s going to be a fun time and for any kid who thinks they might like to do this, or parents who think it’s a good fit. I think it’s going to be great.”
[button link=”https://lakesideohio.com/events/magic-tree-house-pirates-past-noon-childrens-theatre-camp/?occurrence=2023-06-26&time=1687780800″] Learn More & Register Today![/button]
