The 2017 Princess Theatre Camp Kicked Off Today

Fifteen area high school students helped kick off the first, but not the last, theatre camp at the Princess Theatre in Harriman today.

Roane County, Oakdale, Cumberland County, Rockwood, Oliver Springs, and Midway High Schools were represented, and one "home schooled" student were among the inaugural class.  Clarissa Feldt, the theatre camp organizer, and instructor Bill Landry, were on hand this morning to begin the students indoctrination into "theatre"!

After introductions, and some word association and improvisation, performed by each student, the group gathered for lunch.  There were Subway sandwiches for everyone in the "green room", where the student actors met Bill Landry for the first time.

After the lunch break, everyone gathered in the auditorium, where Bill started the "boot camp".  He had them running around the stage, up in the balcony, and all around the theater!  The session I listened to involved projecting their voices and personalities.  Bill is good at this, and the students will learn a lot from this veteran.

Later they broke off into small groups to come up with an improvisational skit, which had to be presented to the whole group from "center stage".

This is "The Dream" folks; something we have been dreaming of for 20 years - our youth learning about theatre; the arts!  The Princess has long yearned for the youth of this area, to come and learn the arts on her stage.  Who knows what talent may be born from these youth theatre camps at the Princess.

I urge you to come Saturday, either at 2 or 3:30PM, and see "How To Succeed In High School Without Really Trying".  This is the play this group will have learned to perform in just a week at the Princess Theatre Camp. 

I also urge you support this camp every year.  We need this...we need this dream to come true!