'Camp Vaudeville' program teaches theatrical arts
By BRETT DUNLAP, bdunlap@newsandsentinel.comArticle Photos
PARKERSBURG - Children will be putting on a show as part of the Smoot Theatre's 20th annual "Camp Vaudeville."
"Camp Vaudeville" is a summertime apprenticeship in theater arts, as the theater was seen in the days of vaudeville during the late 19th and early 20th century. About 70 children from across the country are participating in this year's program, July 20-28.
The theme of this year's show, "Vaudeville Visions," centers on the works of George M. Cohan, who wrote such classic American songs as "Over There," "Give My Regards To Broadway" and "You're A Grand Old Flag."
''Every song we are doing is a Cohan song,'' Smoot Executive Director Felice Jorgeson said. ''We will have singing, dancing and acting.''
Culminating in a real vaudeville show, the camp is designed for children who will have completed first grade through eighth grade. Students are instructed in acting, theater history, dance, music and technical theater.
''We have good kids and a good staff,'' Jorgeson said.
Most of the children are from the Mid-Ohio Valley, but some have come from places such as Morgantown, Spring, Texas, Aiken, S.C., and Louisville, Ky.
Thursday, participants worked on a stage show dance, practiced singing and worked on set design, such as painting signs and a representation of Cohan that will grace the stage during the performance at 7 p.m. July 28.
Students get a taste of the art and craft of putting together a stage production, Jorgeson said.
''It is just a little introduction,'' she said. ''It is designed to give them a look at it. In many schools across the country these are things the kids are not getting.''
Annie Woofter of Parkersburg, who is in her third year of the camp, said she always enjoys herself when she is at "Camp Vaudeville."
''It is fun,'' she said. ''I like doing it. I like the skits and stuff. I like auditioning and having a part in it and all of the singing and dancing.''
Audrey Byrne of Aiken, S.C., who is in her first year of the program, said the entire program is a lot of fun.
''I didn't know it would be this much fun,'' she said. ''I like doing all of the dances and everything. I really like our dance and the stuff we are doing with it.''
Children who start with "Camp Vaudeville" have moved up to other programs such as "Camp Broadway" and the "Missoula Children's Theatre" programs as they have gotten older.
''From this over the last 20 years, a lot of kids are now out there doing it,'' Jorgeson said. ''For many, that started right here.''
