Sleepaway Camp: The Musical Amongst Sacramento’s varied, thriving, and disparate art scenes are large and passionate audiences for both live theater and the trashiest of trash films. Finally, those two audiences can co-exist, and pairs of significant others with significantly different tastes can find a mutually satisfactory outlet in Sleepaway Camp: The Musical. Officially entry #62 (or rather LXII) in the hit midtown cabaret series Graham-A-Rama, this is a new and original musical adaptation for the stage of the campy and bloody 1983 film that spawned five sequels, Sleepaway Camp. I had the opportunity to sit in on one of the final rehearsals (OMG: ROTFLMAO!) and to bounce a few impro

All the world’s a stage at the Sacramento Theatre Company’s 2010 summer camp. STC is currently hosting its eighth annual program for children in first through ninth grades. From improvisation to audition techniques, scene study to puppetry, students are able to learn about theater life from all angles. Jeremy Gray first attended the camp in 2005. “I was a nervous, prepubescent boy,” Gray said, explaining his initial apprehension with the stage. “But the camp really introduces you to theater and focuses on stage presence.” Now Gray is a dedicated actor in STC’s Young Professionals Conservatory, a rigorous theater training program for middle and high school students. Gray is also an inte

I, like you, have been inundated with the word, Green. For me, I'm not tired of it, in fact, I find it interesting how many 'main-stream' companies are embracing the concept but I worry many will tire of the barrage. Some tuned out long before this recent surge began and they're probably untouchable when it comes to converting them to Green champions. Others are in the wait and see mode of learning and then there are those of us who are interested and dabble in Green exploration and of course, the complete Green geeks. I'll stop right there, for this isn't a call to arms, a political piece or a lambasting of the corporate structure in the US. This is a short tip-sheet to help those that w

In part one, we looked at some of the courses taken out of our school and why it's important to find a supplementary program for our children. We learned there were many benefits to experiential education but focused on just 5-benefits: Experiential outdoor education programs help in a great many ways, here are a few main points of impact this type of education will have on a student: 1. An environmental / ecological awareness. 2. Physical challenge and accomplishment positive for both the physical and emotional well-being. 3. Self-awareness / empowerment 4. Interpersonal relations, communication and leadership skills. 5. Socialization and community development. Through real life camp ex

To say folks are frustrated with much of the US education system is an understatement, many people are fighting angry, spitting mad. For many of us part of the US's founding intentions were to provide the best education in the world and evolved into a bragging right for the US. While there are many quality teachers to be had and good classroom programs, the diversity in our childrens' education is virtually gone. Will stories of the good old days of school begin with, once upon a time there was driver's education? The argument rages as to how this happened or why but we're not going to develop that argument here. How we can help our children, what we can do for them is our focus. The appr

It' s because you care, you're reading this article. Chances are you've explored the options and are getting close to sending your child or children to a residential camp. It doesn't matter whether this is the first camp experience or whether you're an old pro, it's a near certainty a couple of things have crossed your mind. First, there are a lot of camps. Second, many appear to offer the same program. Third, they're not necessarily cheap. Finally, for the money spent, isn't it fair that I expect a little enrichment? You're exactly correct in each thought. The volume of camps is overwhelming. They do cost a fair amount of money, there are similar programs and yes you should be able to h

Trying to find just the right "summer camp" can be a frustrating journey. The internet will return hundreds of pages, sorted for their terms, not yours. Undoubtedly at or near the top of the search results will be camp focused directories. While no directory can pick a camp for you, they can help you form a good idea of what you're looking for in a summer camp. Then, you can do some additional research to help insure your summer camp experience is the best it can be. In the search results there will be web links that relate to one specific camp. You may chose to look at some of these as well as the directories but going camp page to camp page will take too long, limiting your exposure to