REGISTRATION AVAILABLE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29th!
Summer Riverside Playmaker Camp Description
Riverside Theatre is thrilled to offer this incredible playwriting experience over the summer in a one week camp. Over the week, kids will work with local playwrights and teaching artists to develop their very own plays. Once each student has written their own play, they will then hand that play off to professional theatre artists who will take their words and bring them to life on stage. The finished plays will enjoy a two-day run on the Riverside Theatre mainstage.
Where
- Camp each day will be held at Riverside Theatre in the lobby and the theatre
When – Summer 2025
- Camp Dates: July 21-25th
- Time: 9:00am – 4:30pm
- This summer we are also offering an extension opportunity for families that need a little more time. Morning extension starts at 7:45am. Afternoon extension lasts until 5:15pm.
- Performance Dates: August 1st at 6:30pm and August 2nd at 10am
- Performances: The official performance of student plays by professional actors will take place a week after camp closes. Each performance date will include ALL student plays! Tickets will be available to anyone in the community and cost $10 for adults and $2 for students.
Who:
- Campers: The program will be open to students entering 3rd grade through those entering 6th.
- Food: Riverside will provide two snacks each day. Students will be responsible for bringing their own lunch.
- Accessibility: Riverside Theatre is fully accessible with elevator access to 3rd Floor
Tuition & Scholarships:
- Cost: Tuition for the week is $375. Each student will receive a Riverside t-shirt and 2 complimentary tickets to be used at either performance. Tuition must be paid in full by the start of camp. Families are welcome to pay in full when registering or pay a deposit and finalize tuition closer to camp. Scholarships are also available.
- Scholarships: Riverside is committed to making opportunities available to all students. Please follow the link below to complete a scholarship form. You can also contact Kathleen@riversidetheatre.org with any questions. Thanks to the generous support of Hills Bank, we are able to offer a variety of scholarship options.
- Summer 2025 SCHOLARSHIP LINK
Riverside’s Playmaking Project is inspired by the 52nd Street Project from Hell’s Kitchen in NYC. Founded in 1981, The Project brings children together with adult theatre-makers and is designed (in fact, it is encouraged) to be replicated in other communities across the country. The goal of our project is best summed up by the original founders:
“the project is about making children proud of themselves. The project is not about teaching children to act, although they will learn to. It is not about teaching them to write plays, although they will learn that as well. What it is about is giving a kid an experience of success. It is about giving a kid an opportunity to prove that he or she has something of value to offer, something that comes from within that they alone possess, something that cannot be taken away.”
About the Lead Instructor
Kathleen Johnson is Riverside’s Director of Outreach & Education. She has been teaching improv, theatre arts, and communication throughout the midwest for the past 15 years. She attended Notre Dame University and earned her BA in Theatre and English. She went on to earn her Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of Iowa. She studied improv from performers at Second City Improv, Improv Olympic, and Huge Improv Theatre, has performed on short form and long form improv troupes, coached adult improv teams, and has led dozens of improv classes and corporate improv workshops.