Whirlwind camp and production brings Treasure Island to life this weekend

*Standing from left: Student Director Raegan Langdon, Hannah Vollmer and Kate Letterman Conway give the students some direction at the beginning of camp on Tuesday.*

“We can both be first mates,” Steven Dunn hollered playfully at Kate Letterman Conway from the stage at the Jasper Arts Center.

He, along with Kate, is part of a group of volunteers associated with Actors Community Theatre’s Rising Stars Children’s Theatre, a camp put on by the nonprofit for third through eighth grade students interested in performing arts.

Dunn’s reference was to the fun nametags he and all the student actors, crew and staff are wearing that include their pirate names. It’s a fun reference to their production, Treasure Island For Kids, but the students are learning skills they’ll hopefully carry with them into the future.

Kirsten “Hexwater” Neukam is the producer for the camp. She’s helping to organize and lead 28 kids through five days of work in preparation for the show this Saturday. Roles were chosen on Monday after a cold read through, but though the show is the goal, the students will also spend the week building foundational theater skills including vocal projection, character development, and stage presence. Through improvisation games and ensemble exercises, they are learning to work together as a cast while building confidence in front of an audience.

“It gives you a lot of confidence,” Kirsten said about the camp.

Kate, who is also the first mate and camp director, agreed.

“There are so many transferable skills,” she said.

*Iris Jones, who plays Captain Billy Bones, pantomimed telling leering and sneering at the villagers who were practicing their fearful reactions under Raegan’s direction.*

But the camp’s reach extends beyond the younger performers. Though the adults are leading the camp, much of the show’s backbone — directing, producing, lighting, props and marketing — are being handled by a group of high schoolers, several of whom said the experience has become as formative for them as it is for the younger performers they’re mentoring.

Student Director Raegan Langdon is in her second year helping with the camp. She said watching from the outside, rather than performing, has taught her a lot because it has required her to understand how all the moving pieces of a production fit together.

“I’ve probably learned just as much from the kids this year and last year,” she said.

For many of the teens involved, the appeal goes beyond the production itself. Several described the program as a chance to build confidence and pick up skills — collaboration, communication, problem-solving — that carry over well beyond the stage.

The adult and teen volunteers alike said they’ve noticed real growth in the younger performers over just the first couple days of camp.

“The new kids are nervous and they keep to themselves at first,” said Zoey Yates, a sophomore who’s helping with props and costumes. “But the second they get their scripts and they start running their lines with each other, something clicks.”

“They get more comfortable and confident,” added Raegan. “And they get more excited for the approaching show to show everyone.”

Several of the students said their biggest hope heading into Saturday is that the community turns out to see the results of the week’s work.

*From left: Ava Sendelweck, Amelia Cambron, Evie Lampert, and Aela Nicholson practiced their scripts while waiting for headshots Tuesday.*

“They should really take into consideration how hard these children work,” said Kiona Neukam, student producer.

Treasure Island For Kids is free to the public this Saturday, July 11, with the curtain opening at 2 p.m. at the Jasper Arts Center. The show runs approximately 30 minutes.

Cast and crew list after images.