Middle and high school students to experience staging live theatre at summer theatre camp

Summer Musical Theatre - The Jungle Book

Middle school- and high school-age actors ages 11 to 18 are invited to stage a live theatre performance at Hesston College’s annual summer theatre camp on weekdays June 7 to 18.

Led by Hesston College Theatre director and professor, Rachel Jantzi, the summer theatre camp, now in its seventh year, will keep the same format as 2019’s camp. This year’s event will combine middle and high school-age students for a two-week camp in which participants will prepare and produce the musical “The Jungle Book.”

Acting and technical roles will be available for the show, with auditions held during camp. Participants will also have the opportunity to experience every aspect of staging a performance from set construction to working backstage and performing. Many rehearsals and the performance of “The Jungle Book” may be staged outdoors, fitting the natural setting of the play and allowing for a safer space to do theatre. Social distancing and masking guidelines will be established according to recommendations from the Harvey County Health Department.

Based on the collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling and the beloved animated Disney musical, “The Jungle Book” tells the story of Mowgli, an orphan raised by wolves in the Indian jungle whose world is threatened by the dangerous tiger, Shere Khan. The musical features such recognizable songs as “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You.”

Theatre camp registration is $110 per person. Families registering more than one student will pay full price for the first student and receive a $20 discount for each additional student of the same immediate family. To register, download and mail in the form at hesston.edu/theatre-camp or contact Rachel Jantzi at 620-327-8142 or rachelj@hesston.edu. Registration is due June 1.

Daily workshops and rehearsals will be from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Hesston College’s Keim Center. A live public performance will follow.