Ballet Instructor Alison Cressey guides campers through dance steps. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

PARKERSBURG — Monday marked the start of The Smoot Theatre’s 2025 Camp Vaudeville, which has been happening annually for 34 years.

Each year in July, kids ages third grade to twelfth grade come together at The Smoot for a week to learn about the art of Vaudeville theatre and participate as actors in an original Vaudeville show. The classes start each day at 8:30 a.m. and last until 12:30 p.m. through the week.

Vaudeville is a type of theatre production that was popular at the turn of the 20th century, and it is known for its catchy musical numbers and novelty acts. The Smoot was originally a vaudeville theatre when it was built in 1926.

On Monday, campers are taught lessons on the history of vaudeville theatre to prepare them for the rest of the week’s activities. During the week, campers are instructed on music, lyricism, and dance, and they practice performing that year’s show, which is written and planned by the camp’s volunteers months in advance.

This year’s “The Camp Vaudeville Show” will be performed at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Smoot. The children will present the history of various vaudeville composers through jokes and songs. Some of the famous composers whose songs will be reworked with new lyrics for the show include Duke Ellington, George M. Cohan, and Cole Porter.

Forty-seven campers attend this year’s Camp Vaudeville, and they each have a role in the camp’s production. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

Tickets for the Saturday show are $10 each, and can be purchased online at smoottheatre.com.

The volunteers at Camp Vaudeville also bring in guest speakers throughout the week to present topics related to vaudeville and history to the children. One of this year’s guest speakers is a tap dancer who taught the children about tap dance’s contribution to vaudeville. Another is a piano player who demonstrates different styles of piano playing for the children.

Felice Jorgeson, Head Volunteer at The Smooth Theatre, said it’s important to introduce children early on to vaudeville and other types of theatre to keep the art form alive and inspire kids to become performers and viewers in the future.

“If we won’t do these things for the children today, there won’t be an audience tomorrow,” she said.

After the camp concludes, a survey is sent out to the campers and their parents to ask what they liked about the show, as well as aspects they would like to change.

Volunteer and former camper Daisy Lawrence talks to the campers about her experience as a camper and a vocalist. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

“I love to hear what the kids have to say. I think that’s the most important part,” said Jorgeson.

This is the first year 9-year-old Laurel Ware and her mom have participated in Camp Vaudeville. She said dancing and singing is her favorite part of the camp, and she wants to attend the camp next year.

“I’ve been in two plays,” said Ware. “It’s very interesting.”

Lyla Davis is a high school sophomore who lives in Pittsburgh but comes back to Parkersburg every year to attend the camp. She enjoys working with her friends during the camp, and she likes performing theatre as a hobby.

“It puts all my interests together. I’m super into music. I’m super into acting, dancing, and I get to do all of those things,” said Davis. “Over the years, I’ve found my friends that feel like family here, and I love seeing them every year because I’m not from here.”

Head Volunteer Felice Jorgeson, left, and Ballet Instructor Alison Cressey talk to the campers at Camp Vaudeville about dance techniques. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

Alyssa Daugherty is a senior at Parkersburg High School. She is involved in both the PHS A Capella and Women’s Ensemble, and she still enjoys being able to sing at Camp Vaudeville after attending since she was a child.

“It is just very nostalgic for me, and I’ve been with Vaudeville for a decade,” said Daugherty. “I love singing and singing with groups, and we do a lot of that in the show.”

Daisy Lawrence started attending Camp Vaudeville in 2007 when she was in second grade. Now, she’s a volunteer who just completed her Master’s degree in Opera, and she said she enjoys coming back each year to help the children learn about the subjects she was taught at the camp.

“I really love working with kids because they’re sponges…When I used to attend, I was like ‘oh, we’re all nerds.’ And now I come back to volunteer and I’m like ‘here are all my fellow nerds who love learning about the 1920s and Vaudeville,'” said Lawrence. “Just hearing Felice making the same speech I’ve heard for 15 years, the kids asking the same questions that we asked when we were here. It’s kind of awesome.”

The Smoot regularly hosts musical performers as part of its Performing Art Series, and showcases three separate youth vocal ensembles. Jorgeson said she hopes the camp will also act as a stepping stone for the campers interested in singing to become involved in the theatre’s vocal ensembles during other parts of the year.

“A lot of these kids, we hope, will get involved in these singing groups, and it will be a natural progression. In the school year, we see about 100 kids a week in these different singing groups,” she said.

Since 2026 will be The Smoot Theatre’s 100-year anniversary, Jorgeson said next year’s show will be themed around the celebration. However, the theme has not been completely set.

For more information about Camp Vaudeville or registering a child, visit smoottheatre.com or call 304-422-7529. The cost of the camp is $175 per child, which covers all expenses, including the Thursday evening field trip.

Matty Lamp can be reached at intern@newsandsentinel.com.