Going with the Flow and Teamwork
As an actor you are constantly in motion, whether it’s taking direction, moving to a specific spot on stage, delivering your lines, or singing. We are so proud of our camper’s ability to go with the flow this summer. Teamwork has been essential and the bond each group has created is the cornerstone of their ability to rise and work together!
Here’s the Inside Scoop
The third week of camp is a complete “get grounded” week! Our campers worked on growing their characters while memorizing their lines, blocking, and overall direction. Along with their hard work, we had tons of fun! We had Camper/Counselor Day, Pajama Day, Counselor talent show, and let’s not forget the tie-dye extravaganza! Oh and….. we also had our first costume fitting and our set design is almost complete! What a busy and fulfilling week we have had!
Acting
- We learned the third rule of improvisation
- We focused on character and physicalization by acting in extended improvisations
- We performed our monologues and duologues onstage
Dance
- We learned choreography and filmed “This Is Me” (our last music video)
- We took a jazz class where we learned how to do a ball change, grande battement (big kick), and pirouettes (spin on one leg)
- We learned the original Broadway choreography of “My Shot” from Alexander Hamilton
Voice
- The Directors and Producers continued working on “You Will Be Found”
- We discussed (and then put into practice) the importance of creating a sound that conveys the mood and meaning of the text and how it completely shapes a song
- The Directors performed the song (with help on the choruses from the Producers) for the camp talent show on Wednesday
- The Writers finished working on “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and learned a fun medley from Mary Poppins
- All of our groups continued exploring proper breathing, clear diction, and how these concepts should be woven into everything they sing.
Rehearsals
Blocking, blocking, blocking. In preparation for next week’s performance, this is when our campers are off-book and can really begin flowing through the show. All three shows are staged and blocking is complete! We began our stumble through for each of the final performances. We worked on building confidence and connecting with others. We discussed “what you see (the actor) is what we see” ahh… imagination!
We also spent this week solidifying memorization and discussing how to time our dialogue and singing off of musical cues. We continued our practice of using good diction and projecting our voice in a large space. We learned that having a healthy, strong singing voice takes consistent, proper technique and lots of purposeful, mindful practice! Performing is about continually fine-tuning your instrument by creating and practicing good habits!
Conversation Starter
Ask your children about our compliment wall, and if they have given anyone a compliment. Which counselor’s performance did they enjoy the most during our Counselor Talent Show Contest? Ask them about Camper/Counselor Day. Ask them about our mindful moments and ask them to wear their tie-dyed t-shirts on Monday.
Final Performances
Our final performances are on Wednesday, June 30. This summer, due to COVID, we will not have a live audience. Instead, we will have a professional video recording of our actors’ performances. We will send out the link after post-production is complete. Please share this with family and friends. We are excited for you to see all their amazing work come to life!
Tech Schedule
- Monday, June 28 (all day)
- Tuesday, June 29 (all day)
- Wednesday, June 30 (Final Performance)
Tech rehearsals are mandatory rehearsals for the entire cast.
Appreciation Circle
Like all Fridays at Camp StarQuest, we ended our day with our traditional Friday appreciation circle. It’s amazing to see the bonds that have formed and the loving, fun community Camp StarQuest has created. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to spend the last few weeks with your awesome children. We are grateful and I speak for all of our fantastic StarQuest staff when I say we don’t want it to end! We have one more week left and we are beyond excited to make it AMAZING! Your children are shining brightly each and every day! Can’t wait for the adventure of week 4!
This is How We Do It at Camp StarQuest
To see more pictures of our campers and continue to get updates please download the J camp app from the app store, become a friend of our JPAS Facebook page and follow us on Instagram.
Can’t wait to see what happens next week at StarQuest!
Alise Robinson
Director Camp StarQuest