Now entering its 26th Season, Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT) is holding its Summer Kids Camp, for the same number of years. Through the six-week camp, students learn an array of theatre essentials, including acting, dancing, singing, costuming, stage design, improvisation, makeup, stage combat, and more. Campers rehearse a multitude of songs, dances, and dramatic portrayals and perform them for families and friends each week. PCT believes that arts education should be available to everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, learning/physical disabilities or anything else that might otherwise preclude a young person from pursuing their interest in the dramatic arts. Scholarship funds for tuition assistance are benefiting a combination of full time and part time campers, who are looking for a real-world theatre experience. Families are grateful for a safe place for their kids to go – which allows them to be themselves and even stretches them to reach deeper into what they are capable of. When kids are in a creative environment with like-minded people – both peers and mentors – amazing things happen! PCT counselors and professional instructors see social skills emerge, family relationships improve, confidence gained, and leadership evolve. Making theatre camp more accessible to children results in much more than preparing students for live performances, it also builds self-esteem, fosters teamwork, develops creativity, promotes self-awareness, reveals interests and passions, encourages empathy and much, much more.

Contact: Se Layne, PCT Camp Director and Co-Artistic Director

Phone: 760-323-5123

Website: www.palmcanyontheatre.org

Now entering its 25th Season, Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT) is holding its Summer Kids Camp, for the same number of years. Through the six-week camp, students learn an array of theatre essentials, including acting, dancing, singing, costuming, stage design, improvisation, makeup, stage combat, and more. Campers rehearse a multitude of songs, dances, and dramatic portrayals and perform them for families and friends each week. With schools and many in-person camps and extra-curricular activities closed for nearly a year, kids are ready to get back to pursuing their passions and having more peer and mentor interactions. PCT believes that arts education should be available to everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, learning/physical disabilities or anything else that might otherwise preclude a young person from pursuing their interest in the dramatic arts. Scholarship funds for tuition assistance are benefiting a combination of full time and part time campers, who are looking for a real-world theatre experience. Families are grateful for a safe place for their kids to go – which allows them to be themselves and even stretches them to reach deeper into what they are capable of. When kids are in a creative environment with like-minded people – both peers and mentors – amazing things happen! PCT counselors and professional instructors see social skills emerge, family relationships improve, confidence gained, and leadership evolve. Making theatre camp more accessible to children results in much more than preparing students for live performances, it also builds self-esteem, fosters teamwork, develops creativity, promotes self-awareness, reveals interests and passions, encourages empathy and much, much more.

The Theatre Enrichment Program for Students enhances what the Palm Canyon Theatre has been doing for 22 years, producing quality entertainment that enriches the greater Palm Springs community. The 2018-2019 season will include eight musical productions and four classic plays. PCT will cast about 60 students, 5-18 years old, plus college-aged students, throughout its season. Four productions, in particular, will include many young people: Oklahoma!, Big River: The Huckleberry Finn Story, Hairspray, and The Diary of Anne Frank. Each of these includes an educational component beyond its entertainment value.

Through a partnership with Anderson Children's Foundation, PCT will offer 500 tickets to local middle school and high school student groups to attend these productions. As a nonprofit theatre, ticket sales pay for actual production costs including royalties and custom children's costumes. PCT will also provide bussing for groups that cannot otherwise travel to Palm Springs. After each performance, PCT will offer an opportunity for students to interact with actors, directors, etc.

In addition, because all of these shows will include 10-20 child performers, a portion of this grant will pay a youth-specific director and/or choreographer to specifically work with the kids in these productions. These additional child directors/choreographers will give additional performance instruction and/or teach the students the historical significance of the show.