Kids learn to create theater and film in Winter Break Camp

School's still out, but class starts Monday at Oklahoma Children's Theatre, 2501 N. Blackwelder.

Enrollment is open for Winter Break Camp, which starts Monday and runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thursday, Dec. 31. The camp is open to kids 5-12, and is based on the company's successful summer programs, said executive director Lyn Adams.

Campers will be divided by age for the four-day camp. Students 5-7 will focus on a theater program while 8- to 12-year-olds will be coached on the basics of filmmaking. Both groups will showcase final projects at the camp's conclusion, Adams said.

WORK TOGETHER
Theater students will work together to create characters, arrange and perform a stage play. Adams said instructors will help kids learn the basics of plot structure with an "improv-based" performance that doesn't hinge on memorizing long dialogue.

"The students come with all different levels of reading ability, so you can't just hand them a script," she said, "so we try to get away from tons and tons of lines."

By not forcing memorization, Adams said Oklahoma Children's Theatre is generally able to avoid "panic moments" onstage during the showcase performance for parents.

"We have very few flub-ups and everything flows nicely," she said.

Older students will be divided into small groups, which will create a short stop-motion film with the guidance of Bryan Cardinale-Powell, an assistant professor at Oklahoma City University. Students will come up with their own ideas, script the action and edit the mini-movie themselves using objects from home and their own music. According to Adams, Powell taught stop-motion basics at a OCT camp over the summer.

Tuition is $140 and campers must bring a sack lunch, two snacks and a drink each day. To register, call 606-7003.

"Joe Wertz

 

 

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