The future of the Tioga ISD theater department turned out for the fourth theatre camp Monday through Wednesday.
The students, who range in age from incoming third graders to incoming eighth graders, dipped their toes into several aspects of theater arts: acting, prop design, costuming and tech.
'There was just such a closeness to the group last year that I really am hoping we get to maintain this year,' Tioga High School theater director Haley Hertel said. 'And little things like this, I think, help, especially because the [high school] kids run this.'
In October, the work the participants put into the camp will play out on stage when the Tioga Theatre Department puts on 'Cinderella.' Junior Grace Lewter landed what she called her 'dream role' of becoming Cinderella.
'But also to be trusted to be in the lead role for this theater company is really amazing,' she said.
She was one of several Tioga High School theater students who volunteered their time to make the camp magical for the younger kids.
'It's really nice to see the future of the theater company, because [most] of these kids have been here for the past camps,' Lewter said. 'They're really excited to be in theater, and it's really awesome to be part of shaping them for theater.'
Her best friend, Stephanie Ngene, was right beside her to help make the magic happen.
'I don't want them to look up to me; I want them to look up to theater, the arts, because we need to keep the arts alive,' Ngene said.
She, too, was overjoyed with the role she will play in October: the fairy godmother.
'I'm happy to have this role, and I worked hard for it,' Ngene said.
The duo shared their appreciation for the way their directors, Haley Hertel and Cyndi Shelton, make the theater program a special experience for them and their fellow thespians.
That environment is intentional for both Hertel and Cyndi.
'It's about the art and the community and all of that,' Hertel said. 'And so, if they can see it and they can filter that down to the littles, think of how strong of a program it will be if that's the goal.'
A huge part of the value of theater, the teachers said, is giving students a place to thrive and be comfortable being themselves.
'I ask some crazy things of my children,' Hertel said. 'State One Act Play, I had six of them running around, all white, rolling on the floor, and, yeah, they feel insane, but look at what it got them.'
Being able to step into those roles helps them learn confidence, she added.
So far, 'Cinderella' will feature 26 high schoolers, 22 elementary kids, and a combination of teachers and teachers' kids.
'We might hit 60 people in this show,' Hertel said.
She also spoke about how grateful she is to have Cyndi's help with the district's theater program.
Cyndi, too, spoke of how much getting to work with Hertel and the kids means to her, especially when district budget constraints made it so she had to step away from the theater department for a while after teaching it at Tioga for several years.
'It's really incredible to watch them grow, not only as students but as actors in their skill set and most importantly their love of theater,' she said. 'It's incredible to see them perform at the middle school level and then watch them grow into even more, and you're just in awe.'
Her own children, Allee Shelton and Jolee Shelton, have participated in the summer camp since the first year it began.
'It's really neat to see them step into these tiny roles and take on these new dances and these new characters,' Cyndi said.
It's great training, too, she said, for the younger students to have opportunities to perform in front of community- wide audiences.
'Theater really transforms people,' Cyndi said.
It's also important for the younger kids to mix 'with the bigs,' she added.
'They want to be them,' she said. 'It's a lot like other camps, like cheer camp and stuff,' Cyndi said. '... They want to be a varsity cheerleader. They want to be a varsity theater player. ... And this camp is a great way to expose them to multiple aspects of theater.'
From the shows, which will run Oct. 10-12, the money generated goes back into the program.
'All the proceeds benefit our One Acts, both junior high and high school one acts, and the high school film program and the high school theatrical design program, all of which went to state last year and so very thriving programs that we are pouring into,' Hertel said.
That keeps the program free for the kids.
'Theater is not always accessible, and I think it should be, especially educational theater,' she said. 'We have a very generous community that allows us to feed into these kids.'
