Who can attend StageCrafters?
StageCrafters is open to any resident of the Tipp City Exempted Village School District currently in grades 2 through 8. Campers are not required to attend Tipp City Schools. After May 1st, students from outside of the district currently in grades 2 through 8 are also invited to register for the camp. Previous campers may be grandfathered in from this delayed registration requirement.

When does registration open?
The registration time line varies each year as we work to make adjustments and improvements to the camp. You can expect it to occur in May. When registration information is available, it will be posted on the website and social media. Follow @THSTheatre on Twitter and tippdrama on Instagram.

How much does the camp cost?
The cost for the camp for Summer 2021 is $200 per camper. Families sending multiple campers to the same session will have a $25 discount for additional children. Make checks payable to THS Theatre Program.

What happens if I am on the waiting list?
If a spot opens up due to another camper no longer attending the camp, members of the waiting list will be contacted in the order in which they signed up. Registration forms and fees will be handled on an individual basis. No deposit or additional registration information is required to maintain a spot on the waiting list. Placing your name on the waiting list is important to us as we seek to gauge the number of interested students each year so we can meet the needs of the community.

Can my camper miss part of the camp day?
Campers are strongly encouraged to attend every camp day, all day. Not only are we playing a wide variety of theatre games and workshops, but we are also working very hard to put together a full musical in the two week period. A student who does not attend camp daily will be limited in the roles they can be cast in and will miss important rehearsals. Please be sure to notify the program director in advance if your camper will be missing part of the camp day. 

Are there scholarships or deferred payment programs available for StageCrafters?

We want all Tipp City children who want to be a part of StageCrafters to be able to be part of the program! Thanks to the support from community organizations like the Tippecanoe Foundation, we are able to provide scholarships for attending the camp to those families who have financial need. For information on financial support or deferred payment programs, please contact the program director at Cjasinski@TippCity.k12.oh.us.

What is the daily schedule?
While the specific schedule varies daily, camp is held daily from 9am to 3pm. At 9am, daily, we bring the campers together and introduce them to the events of the day. We then break them up into groups (typically 6 or so) and begin rehearsals. Most rehearsals last about 45 minutes and groups are in different classrooms around the high school. After a couple of rehearsal sessions, we bring the campers back together and play large group theatre games.

Lunch is eaten daily from 11:30 am until noon as a large group in the HS Commons area. After lunch, we hold another set of short rehearsals and then again play more theatre games. Most of our theatre games are held indoors, but we do occasionally take the students outside for some large group games (weather permitting).

What does my child need to bring to camp?
Campers will receive a production script on the first day of camp. It is important that they bring it with them daily as it is actively used in rehearsal.

Students should pack their lunch daily, including a drink. A microwave is not available - the simpler the better. Lunches/lunchboxes are stored in a hallway for easy student access.

Tennis shoes. It is important for their own safety that students do not wear sandals or any other open-shoe. We are actively building scenery during the two weeks of the camp, and while we do keep the stage very clear, for safety reasons, we do not want to take any risks.

What influences the decision on the production that is produced each year?
Choosing the show each year is a very tedious task. The program director has a very limited selection of musicals to choose from. We typically use Music Theatre International's Broadway Jr. productions. They are rewritten to match elementary student vocals and their staging is designed to support large, rotating casts.

Careful attention is paid to productions that also meet the following requirements:

• Great music & story - The kids and counselors (and parents) will have to love the show since we will hear it nonstop for a month!

• Principal characters - we look for shows with large numbers of principal characters or featured roles so we can provide as many students their moment in the spot light as possible.

• Good chorus - The more songs there are that put a focus on the ensemble, the better! Broadway Jr. shows do a nice job at providing musicals where some of the "best songs" are performed by the ensemble.

• Achievable tech - We do all of the set construction, lighting, and props in the two weeks as well. With counselors spending so much time with the campers in rehearsals, time is very limited to focus on set construction.

• Costuming - Camp shirts have to be able to serve as the central costuming piece for both financial and logistical reasons.

Needless to say, finding a show that fits this formula year after year is a very tricky project - but we feel confident in our choices. 

How are casting decisions made?
The first two days of camp we break the campers up into small groups and rotate them through audition sessions that focus on singing, dancing, and acting. We are trying to find each students' strengths and interests as well as identify those students who are capable of handling the pressure of being center-stage as a principal character.

During the afternoon of the second day, while most of the campers are playing games, students identified by counselors as potential "leads" are pulled out individually for a callback audition with a small group of counselors and program directors who make the final decision on casting principal characters.

Counselors take careful notes over the students' strengths and then compile their notes in a large counselor meeting held after the second day of camp. Each counselor has the notes about the members of their own small-group of campers and is responsible for seeing that they are cast in scenes that can showcase their talents.

Don't see your question here? Contact program director, Bryan Wallingford, at BWallingford@TippCity.k12.oh.us