YPT Summer Camp 2020 – New Opportunities for a New Time
YPT’s Summer Camps 2020… Total Re-Designed!
YPT Camps: A new camp lineup, instructions for registering and refunds… Read on…
In light of Covid 19, we are offering many summer options virtually. It is the only way to do theater with social distancing! While we much prefer to be personally gathered with young people and up to our eyeballs in musical theater, we are going to try some new ways to connect and engage with young people around musical theater this summer.
There are a number of in-person options at YPT, but very small groups with social distancing and safety being a priority.
Thank you for your patience as we redesign and try new ways of doing musical theater with amazing young people.
Camper Ages
Grades required for campers in each camp are noted in the camp’s description.
Grades referred to are the grade your camper will be entering in the Fall of 2020.
Please note that completion of Kindergarten is a requirement for our camps.
CAMP FAQs
Are there still openings in the camp I am interested in?
- We are starting over today, June 8th! We will be registering campers in an entirely new line-up.
YPT’s website will specify when camps become full.
Can I pay with a credit card by phone or online?
- Payment for new camp registration is by mail only.
- Payment for re-registration is by application of previously paid registration fees.
May I drop my registration off?
- We are asking everyone registering for the first time to process registrations by mail. Due to Covid 19, YPT’s Studiois is currently closed and not staffed for a drop-off procedure.
- We are asking everyone re-registering to complete the online registration form.
Will I get a confirmation of my camp registration?
- Everyone will receive a confirmation via email. We are processing this all manually and appreciate your patience as we work through the incoming of registrations. We are targeting that confirmations are out within a week of receiving your registration. Save all attached receipts for your tax prep or childcare reimbursement next season.
YPT’s Summer 2020 Camp Line-up – Re-engineered!
Life is a Cabaret Series….
Sessions for Ages:
1st-3rd; 4th-6th; and 6th-8th
Directed by Kayleigh Jardine
Have you been missing out on the rush that comes from making music with your fellow performers and putting on a show? Well, look no further; our “Life is a Cabaret” camp series is perfect for you! In all 5 of these one week camps, we will work towards a goal of a group cabaret performance, all while having fun in the process. In all age groups, these performances will be a collaborative experience- everyone will earn the confidence to give creative ideas, contribute to choreography, and bring to life the show that THEY want to create! Younger camps will include plenty of time for crafts and games, including building your own costume.
The older campers will concentrate more on an intensive performance experience, with solo voice and dance opportunities for anyone who wishes to be featured. This is the optimal camp for anyone wishing to perform, but still a little nervous to audition for a full show.
“When You’ve Got It, Flaunt It”, will feature music designed to show off our talents in the most dramatic and spectacular way. “The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle” will feature music specifically choreographed by famous choreographer and director Bob Fosse, and we will learn some of the building blocks of Fosse’s most famous moves. We are offering three camps for 1st through 3rd grades, and any of these camps would be perfect for the young person who was looking forward to our “Once Upon A Time” camps. “Take Me Back to Manhattan” will involve music from the golden age of Broadway in New York, and will expose campers to music and dancing from that era. “When You Wish Upon A Star” will be all about stories of fantasy and make-believe, with songs that teach us that perseverance and teamwork can create magic. “Come Look at the Freaks” is for the young person that enjoys the “weirdness” of music theater- music and costumes that are wild and crazy, and celebrate being different.
To participate in these camps, you will only need a small space for dancing, maybe a few yards of space in your home to do small combinations. Most of our choreography will be from the waist up, we do not expect you to have a full dance studio in your home! These camps will all end with a recorded performance available to view via livestream link the after the camps’ conclusion.
Life is a Cabaret Virtual Sessions:
Life is a Cabaret: Take Me Back to Manhattan
Ages: 1st – 3rd Grades
Camp Dates: June 22-26, 2020
Times: 9:00-10:30am
Life is a Cabaret: When You’ve Got it, Flaunt It
Ages: 6th-8th Grades
Camp Dates: June 22-26, 2020
Times: 10:45am-12:15pm
Life is a Cabaret: The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle
Ages: 4th-6th
Camp Dates: July 6-10, 2020
Times: 10:45am-12:15pm
Life is a Cabaret: Come Look at the Freaks
Ages: 1st-3rd
Camp Dates: July 13-17, 2020
Times: 9:00-10:30am
Life is a Cabaret: When You Wish Upon a Star
Ages: 1st-3rd
Camp Dates: July 13-17, 2020
Times: 10:45am-12:15pm
Camp Sizes: 20 Campers
Instructor: Kayleigh Jardine
Tuition: $150 per camper
2nd through 6th Grades
Frozen
Two-Week Virtual Musical Production Camp!
Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Book by Jennifer Lee
Based on Disney Film Written by Jennifer Lee and Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Directed by Kayleigh Jardine and Jenn Monk-Reising
The enchanting modern classic from Disney is ready for our YPT stars! Frozen is based on the 2018 Broadway musical, and brings Elsa, Anna, and the magical land of Arendelle to life, onstage. The show features all of the memorable songs from the animated film, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, plus five new songs written for the Broadway production.
A story of true love and acceptance between sisters, Frozen expands upon the emotional relationship and journey between Princesses Anna and Elsa. When faced with danger, the two discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. With a cast of beloved characters and loaded with magic, adventure, and plenty of humor, Frozen is sure to thaw even the coldest heart!
Frozen is great fun for the everyone. Campers will learn the basics of theater, voice and movement through sessions and rehearsals. Costumes and props by YPT’s Tech Camp to delight Frozen campers. The camp culminates in live-stream theater performance of this magical production.
Camp Dates: July 27 – August 7, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 9:00am to Noon
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructors: Kayleigh Jardine and Jenn Monk-Reising
Tuition: $500 per camper
6th through 8th Grades
Raise Your Voice
Finding Your Place in the Musical World
In this week-long virtual camp, we will learn all about theater and how the singing voice fits into that. Starting with the basics, we’ll discover the roots of musical theater and the shows the built the genre, then we will move towards the types of songs that come together to make up a show, and we will learn the different types of voices required to cast the company of a musical. We will be encouraged to think about what style and type of voice we all have, and uncover which of those each of us feel the most comfortable with, and which ones we can drive ourselves to explore. Together as a group, we will work together to choose brand new music that we can use to wow a crowd in any performance space, and feel confident that it is a song that feels like it was written just for us, perfectly suited to each of our voices and personalities. This camp is perfect for anyone, at any level of experience- from the theater newcomer to the seasoned veteran, the only requirements are a desire to dig into what makes your voice unique to you and the hunger for more confidence and knowledge about performing in the theater! Each person will receive a recorded piano track for their personal song, to keep and use for your own use.
Camp Dates: August 3-7, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 1:00-4:00pm
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructor: Kayleigh Jardine
Tuition: $200 per camper
6th through 9th Grades
Character Development
What makes us fall in love with a story? 9 times out of 10 it’s that we find ourselves falling in love with the characters the story introduces us to. Whether they make us laugh, cry, or remember that there’s magic in the world, well-crafted characters can transport us through time and space. The ability to create a strong character is probably the most important skill an actor can have. In this one-week course, our young people will learn all the fundamentals to creating a nuanced and interesting character through physical and vocal work, text analysis, and observation. These skills will help give young actors the confidence to nail their next audition piece and bring some detailed work into a callback room as well as to the stage.
Camp Dates: June 22 – 26, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 9:00am to Noon
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructor: Paige Conway
Tuition: $200 per camper
6th through 9th Grades
Monologues
A monologue is possibly the most difficult acting feat there is. And yet, it’s the most standard way to measure an actor’s skill in an audition room. In this one week course, we’ll debunk the mystery of the monologue. We’ll discuss how to find a monologue that’s a great fit for you, how to cut a monologue together, the difference between an active and a passive monologue (and which is right for an audition), and that’s just the start. Each student will leave the week with a monologue, cut and crafted specifically for them, with experience workshopping and performing them in front of fellow classmates. If monologues and auditions freak you out, this class will help give you the tools to change the way you view auditions so you can go forth with confidence instead of fear.
Camp Dates: July 6-10, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 9:00am to Noon
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructor: Paige Conway
Tuition: $200 per camper
5th*/6th through 12th Grades
Shrek
Three-Week Virtual Musical Production Camp!
Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig
Directed by Kayleigh Jardine and Jenn Monk-Reising
Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, featuring all new songs from Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, or Change) and a sidesplitting book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there’s more to the story than meets the ears.
“Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek….” And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand… and his name is Shrek.
This camp will offer a unique theatrical opportunity to bring this fun and fabulous production to life virtually. Every day of camp presents a new opportunity to build skills in acting, music and voice, movement, stagecraft, song interpretation, and improvisation. Costumes and props by YPT’s Tech Camp to delight Shrek campers. The camp culminates in live-stream theater performance of this Broadway production.
Shrek proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre.
*Experienced 5th Graders may apply
Camp Dates: July 6 – 24, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 1:00 to 4:00pm
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Directors: Kayleigh Jardine and Jenn Monk-Reising
Tuition: $600 per camper
6th through 12th Grades
Theatrical Production Design Camps
Directed by Jenn Monk-Reising
Ever wonder what happens to make all the magic of a set, props, costumes, lighting and sound come to life for a main stage performance? Be it Taylor Swift’s latest World Tour or Ann Arbor’s own YPT, it all starts with a spark of an idea, some inspiration and a creative vision!
Have you ever sat in the audience of a Broadway show or a Disney production and wondered how they made that? Did that? Or thought of that!?! Come join us for a week of magic making and discover how to bring a theatrical production to life!
Explore the elements of technical theater combined with practical hands-on experience in designing for the stage, construction, scenic design and stage rigging. Each camper will learn script analysis techniques necessary to glean visual information required for design.
Design Intensive
In this one-week intensive design camp, while working in a socially-distanced collective studio, we will learn what a theatrical artist is, the designer’s function in the theatre, elements of design, and key design principles. Through exciting hands-on projects, we will explore understanding color, various design approaches and how to understand the space you are working in. The week culminates in a final presentation of each camper’s design for a show of their choosing. Final presentations will be shared with family and friends.
Session I Camp Dates: June 22-26, 2020
Session II Camp Dates: August 3-7, 2020
Camp Times: 9:00am-3:00pm
Instructor: Jenn Monk-Reising
Tuition: $400 per camper
Shrek Tech
Dare you imagine your future behind the curtain, backstage in a musical production? You can hone your theater experience learning tech with professional-level training in this two-week course, culminating in an actual virtual production onstage. The weeks are filled with core classes and electives, Q&A sessions and a rigorous schedule to put it all on the virtual stage in a YPT camp! Design, build and decorate the backdrops and Set! Costume the Cast! Prop it all up with PROPS! And we will have a virtual show!
Camp Dates: July 6 – 17, 2020
Camp Times: 9:00am-Noon
Instructor: Jenn Monk-Reising
Tuition: $500 per camper
Frozen Tech
Dare to imagine your future behind the curtain, backstage in a musical production. You can hone your theater experience learning tech with professional-level training in this two-week course, culminating in an actual virtual production onstage. The weeks are filled with core classes and electives, Q&A sessions and a rigorous schedule to put it all on the virtual stage in a YPT camp! Design, build and decorate the backdrops and set! Costume the cast! Prop it all up with PROPS! And we will have a virtual show!
Camp Dates: July 20 – 31,2020
Camp Times: Noon-4:00pm
Camp Size: 8-9 Campers
Instructor: Jenn Monk-Reising
Tuition: $500 per camper
9th*/10th through 12th Grades
Script Analysis
Whether you’re an actor, designer, director, or a playwright, your theatrical journey begins in one spot: the text. The playwright must create the content. The director, designer, and actor must interpret it. But none of that can happen until we understand it. Once we begin to dissect the text and illuminate the subtext, a world of opportunities opens up to us theatre-makers. We have to learn the rules in order to bend them. This one week course will do a deep dive into the unique forms and structures of live theatre. We’ll explore a number of plays from various eras, uncovering the many ways playwrights have adjusted the standard theatrical form to create something new and timely, and we’ll dig up a bit of history while we’re at it. The skills and knowledge gained in this class will give students the confidence to tackle difficult analytical tasks, making them a treat for a director to have in a rehearsal room or production meeting. Every good theatre practitioner knows: If you have a question with no answer, you must go back to the text.
Camp Dates: June 22 – 26, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 1:00-4:00pm
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructor: Paige Conway
Tuition: $200 per camper
9th through 12th Grades
Raise Your Voice
Finding Your Place in the Musical World
In this week-long camp, we will learn all about theater and how the singing voice fits into that. Starting with the basics, we’ll discover the roots of musical theater and the shows the built the genre, then we will move towards the types of songs that come together to make up a show, and we will learn the different types of voices required to cast the company of a musical. We will be encouraged to think about what style and type of voice we all have, and uncover which of those each of us feel the most comfortable with, and which ones we can drive ourselves to explore. Together as a group, we will work together to choose brand new music that we can use to wow a crowd in any performance space, and feel confident that it is a song that feels like it was written just for us, perfectly suited to each of our voices and personalities. This camp is perfect for anyone, at any level of experience- from the theater newcomer to the seasoned veteran, the only requirements are a desire to dig into what makes your voice unique to you and the hunger for more confidence and knowledge about performing in the theater! Each person will receive a recorded piano track for their personal song, to keep and use for your own use.
Camp Dates: June 22-26, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 1:00-4:00pm
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructor: Kayleigh Jardine
Tuition: $200 per camper
9th*/10th through 12th Grades
Monologues
A monologue is possibly the most difficult acting feat there is. And yet, it’s the most standard way to measure an actor’s skill in an audition room. In this one week course, we’ll debunk the mystery of the monologue. We’ll discuss how to find a monologue that’s a great fit for you, how to cut a monologue together, the difference between an active and a passive monologue (and which is right for an audition), and that’s just the start. Each student will leave the week with a monologue, cut and crafted specifically for them, with experience workshopping and performing them in front of fellow classmates. If monologues and auditions freak you out, this class will help give you the tools to change the way you view auditions so you can go forth with confidence instead of fear.
Camp Dates: July 13-17, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 9:00am to Noon
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructor: Paige Conway
Tuition: $200 per camper
9th through 12th Grades
Broadway Bound -Advanced Vocal Master Class
Designed for the older vocalist who is serious about performing in a musical theater capacity, this masterclass series will encourage and assist singers in the exploration of strengthening their vocal techniques, bringing a character to life through music, and realizing what you are capable of bringing to a performance or audition as an artist, all within the context of a single song. Singing actors will choose a solo song to prepare before the camp begins, will perform for each other throughout the week, similar to an in-person vocal masterclass. Throughout the week, we will learn to how give and take critiques in a constructive and uplifting manner, how to apply techniques and tools learned to all of their repertoire, and how to define our “brand” as an artist- knowing who we are, and how to make our personalities shine on stage and in auditions. We will learn how to select music that is perfectly suited for us as an individual, and will receive both group and individual instruction in front of each other, so that no one misses an opportunity to learn and improve. At the end of the week, we will perform our songs for each other and each singer will receive a recorded piano track to perform with and will later receive an audition video of their song, to use and post however they would like!
Camp Dates: July 6-10, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 9:00-10:00am
Camp Size: 8 Campers
Instructor: Kaleigh Jardine
Tuition: $200 per camper
9th*/10th through 12th Grades
No Fear Shakespeare
Shakespeare has become a defeatist challenge, or a bore, for many students today when studying it in high school English classes. But Shakespeare was never meant to be read – it was meant to be spoken. Heard. Seen! In this one-week course, we will demystify history’s most prolific playwright by focusing on it the way he always meant for us to. We’ll tackle the language, the verse, and the meter, of course, but we’ll also explore how it should be spoken to eliminate the intimidation that frequently surrounds the work. We have the tendency today to think of Shakespeare as an elevated artform, meant for the highly educated and upper classes, but that’s not what he was about. He wrote for largely uneducated audiences in often poverty-stricken areas. His writing had to capture their attention and hold it, immediately. As a result, his stories are filled with adventure, fantasy, mischief, and hijinks. This is the real world of Shakespeare, and the world that I’d like to open our students up to. As the tragedies are often covered in schools, we’ll primarily focus our attention on a comedy. Hopefully students will leave the class with a new appreciation for Billy Shakes, excited to tackle the unique challenges his works present.
Camp Dates: July 20-24, 2020 Virtual
Camp Times: 9:00am to Noon
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructor: Paige Conway
Tuition: $200 per camper
9th*/10th through 12th Grades
Playwriting
Theatre is the most collaborative of all the arts. So it’s only right that we give some much needed space for the vision of the ultimate creative artist: The Playwright. In these three weeks, we’ll work on forming an artistic collective of collaborators. We’ll explore a variety of scripts, each of them differing in genre, style, form, and tone. Students will receive time in class each day to explore writing in these various forms, developing their skills with plot, setting, dialogue, and silent action. Each student will learn to share their pieces with fellow classmates in live workshop sessions, receiving constructive criticism that will improve their work. This class will culminate with each student writing a 10-15 minute short play in their chosen style. This class will give students the comfort and confidence to share their written work and begin the work of becoming true collaborators.
Camp Dates: July 20-August 7, 2020 Three-Week Virtual Course
Camp Times: 1:00-4:00pm
Camp Size: 16 Campers
Instructor: Paige Conway
Tuition: $500 per camper
10th through 12th Grades
Advanced Acting
So you’ve done a few shows. Maybe you’ve taken some classes. You’re an actor! Now it’s time to take the next step. This two-week course will dive into various advanced acting techniques, including eastern and western European conventions, and of course the techniques that have come to form the American standard. Our aim here is beginning to fully connect the breath, body, and mind to story and character in a nuanced way. Students will explore the fundamentals of techniques developed by Sanford Meisner, Konstantin Stanislavski, Jerzy Grotowski, Mary Overlie and Rudolf Laban. These techniques will then be immediately applied to scene work with a partner within our ensemble. Developing these techniques will leave students equipped with a vast range of tools to use in their future work, whether it be in a rehearsal room or in preparation for an audition, leaving them with the confidence to tackle their next task, whatever it may be.
Camp Dates: July 6-17, 2020 Two-week Virtual Course
Camp Times: 1:00-4:00pm
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructor: Paige Conway
Tuition: $350 per camper
10th through 12th Grades
College Audition Master Class
So you’ve decided you want to go to acting school. What schools have great programs? What should I be looking for in a theatre program? How do I choose the right monologue or song? How much material should I have prepared? How do I create and cultivate my book? What does a collegiate dance call look like? How do I make a theatrical resume? What is a theatrical resume? What can I be doing now to prep for these auditions? How do I make a good self-tape? If you have these questions, this is the class for you. Collegiate auditions are different from any other audition you’ve ever had, and you’ll never have another set of auditions like it. They take special preparation and care to execute successfully. Collegiate theatre programs are getting more competitive each year. We want to give you a leg up in the game by demystifying the uncertainty that surrounds college theatre auditions. This two-week course aims to give you the tools, and answers, to make yourself more competitive in this unique arena.
Camp Dates: July 27-August 7, 2020 Two-Week Virtual Course
Camp Times: 9:00am-Noon
Camp Size: 20 Campers
Instructor: Paige Conway
Tuition: $350 per camper
What Young People Learn in Summer Theater Camps!
Learn About Yourself
Grow in Self Confidence
Make New Friends
Enjoy Old Friends
Develop Self-Discipline
Hone Listening Abilities
Read and Improve
Conquer Nervousness/Learn to Speak Up
Take Responsibility
Be a Team Player
Camp Locations
Virtual Camps: Online
Camps held at YPT’s Studio Location:
331 Metty Drive, Suite 4
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ages for Campers: Grade Camper will be entering in Fall 2020
*9th – 9th Graders with experiences in 2 productions (Cast or Crew) eligible
Plan to register quickly to reserve your space in the camps of your choice!
Young People’s Theater
Studio Address and Business Mailing Address: 331 Metty Drive Suite 3, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Website: www.youngpeoplestheater.com
Email: ypt@youngpeoplestheater.com
Phone: 734-222-4006
Please visit the YPT Gallery for all the highlights and photos capturing the magic of past summers!
