|
|
| |
STAGE DOOR CONSERVATORY
Offers four popular summer camp programs in musical theater and the performing arts to children in the 3rd through graduating 12th grade. Based in Berkeley, our programs are in close proximity to Albany, Richmond, Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda and other East Bay and Contra Costa communities. Acclaimed artistically, our day camps provide an enriched, supportive and often profoundly memorable experience for children interested in developing and expressing themselves as young actors and theater artists.
STAGE DOOR CONSERVATORY
ABOUT OUR THEATER PRODUCTIONS, REHEARSAL PROCESS AND SHOWS
An Orientation - 2013
OUR MISSION
Stage Door Conservatory nurtures the social, emotional and intellectual development of children using by the performing arts as a vehicle of learning. By supporting children to express themselves as theater artists and engage collaboratively with others in the creative process, we help them develop both confidence in themselves and their potential and greater acceptance, appreciation and respect for others.
OUR GOALS
- We will create experiences that nurture and support the creative lives of young persons, using musical theater as a vehicle for learning. Our programs will serve youth in grades 2 through 12 and will occasionally include older students depending on our production needs.
- Our programs will offer youth a rich conservatory experience, providing them with opportunities to develop their skills as singers, actors and dancers, learn the art of stage-craft and perform publically as an ensemble in high caliber productions.
- We will offer our programs to actors with all levels of prior experience and skill, providing opportunities for each participant to express themselves creatively and participate meaningfully in our productions.
- We will encourage our young actors to regard and support one another as equal members of a collaborative ensemble, where each person’s contributions are valued equally.
- We will encourage our audiences to become members of a special “circle of support” and celebrate our young performers, not only participate as bystanders.
- We will encourage our participants to reflect on their own lives, as well as the cultural, social, moral and spiritual themes represented in our productions, both to help them develop their understanding of theater and the contexts in which it was been created.
- We will help young performers to develop their capacities for empathy and respect for others, as they explore the human themes depicted in our plays.
- We will encourage our young actors to co-create a community of caring with one another, and to communicate with one another with respect.
CORE VALUES
Stage Door Conservatory supports the livelihood of children and youth in our community by engaging them in inspirational performing arts programs. These programs are based on the seven tenets. We believe:
- Theater provides powerful opportunities for learning – about oneself, others and the world.
- The performing arts provide youth with excellent opportunities to both express themselves and engage in an invaluable process of collaboration with others.
- A conservatory offers young actors the opportunity to immerse themselves in all aspects of theater.
- We will strive to ensure that every each young person in our program has a meaningful experience as a performer, whatever their prior experience and skill.
- Youth from different backgrounds benefit from the opportunity to collaborate creatively with one another.
- High quality theater is achieved through maintaining and understanding artistic discipline.
- Youth can create plays of exceptional quality.
CAMP LIFE
Many children regard Stage Door Conservatory a “home away from home” because we focus on creating a sense of community for everyone who join us. During our first week together, as in all subsequently weeks, we will focus on developing a strong sense of esprit d’corps among our campers ... encouraging the creation of new bonds between the children who are becoming newly acquainted as members of our ensemble, as well as the renewal of old bond among children who’ve spent prior summers together as members of our camp.
Both ON BROADWAY and TEENS ON STAGE include many alumni who participate in our program year after year. If your child is joining us for the first time, please let them know that are not alone and that they will be welcomed and cared for ... within a day he or she will feel as much a part of ON BROADWAY and TEENS ON STAGE as everyone else!
AN ENSEMBLE and CONSERVATORY PHILOSOPHY
Both ON BROADWAY and TEENS ON STAGE are ensemble-based programs. During our first weeks together, we will encourage our young actors to collaborate in the creative process together and to appreciate and support one another as persons and performers. We will emphasize the unique importance of each child who is a part of our production, whether they are performing in a lead role or as a member of our ensemble.
Because we are a conservatory, in addition to rehearsing and performing in a high caliber production, children participate in every aspect of our production, from costuming, to set-design, to props development.
ABOUT THIS YEAR’S ON BROADWAY and TEENS ON STAGE
The dates for ON BROADWAY are June 24 – August 4, with our three shows on August 1, 2 and 3 or 2, 3 and 4. The dates for TEENS ON STAGE are July 8 – August 18, with three shows on August 16, 17 and 18.
Camp hours are 9:00 – 3:30 daily and will be held for the first five weeks of each camp at 1953 Hopkins Street, with the final week at our theater/s, to be announced. All shows are at 7:00 PM, except for the final show, which is a Sunday matinee beginning at 2:00 PM.
We will be enrolling 40 children in both ON BROADWAY and TEENS ON STAGE. If you have friends or family with children you think might like to join us, please let us know.
OUR SHOWS AND THEIR THEMES
All of our shows are fully staged and mounted with high production standards, giving our young actors an experience akin to community theater. This year we will be presenting The Phantom Tollbooth and Legally Blonde, The Musical.
The Phantom Tollbooth
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH is a children's adventure novel and modern fairy tale by Norton Juster. It was adapted for the stage by Sheldon Harnick and Arnold Black and premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC in 2007. The book was published in 1961 with illustrations by Jules Feiffer.
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH tells the story of a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth one afternoon and, having nothing better to do, decides to drive through it in his toy car. The tollbooth transports him to a land called the Kingdom of Wisdom. There he acquires two faithful companions, has many adventures, and goes on a quest to rescue the princesses of the kingdom—Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason—from the castle of air. The text is full of puns, and many events, such as Milo's jump to the Island of Conclusions, play on English language idioms. Juster claims his father's fondness for puns and The Marx Brothers' movies influenced the development of THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. Critics have compared its appeal to that of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Stage Door Conservatory’s production will be directed by Arlene Hood, with choreography by Russell Wright and musical direction by Theresa Ames. Performed by an ensemble of youth actors, THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH promises to offer fun to both children and adults alike.
Any young actors entering grades 5 – 9 is welcome to apply.
Legally Blonde, The Musical (TEENS ON STAGE)
Like The Phantom Tollbooth, Legally Blonde, The Musical offers many of the qualities we look for in a show: more than three-dozen roles for actors of both genders, upbeat music, hilarious lyrics, a large chorus, large-scale dance numbers and a message. Many of you may be surprised that the play has substance, but remember, don’t judge a book by its cover. Embedded in its pink, fluffy, comedic exterior, Legally Blonde, The Musical is ultimately about defying stereotypes. As one review aptly wrote: “it’s a guilty-pleasure production that, under the bleach-blond wigs and explosion of pink, playfully reminds audiences that being true to yourself “never goes out of style.”
Although at first glance, the play seems to lack the social consciousness to which most of us aspire, with its over-the-top and at moments edgy and raucous caricatures of blondes, sorority girls, lawyers and gay culture, Legally Blonde, The Musical has a deeper and more meaningful message based on the perils of judging and perceiving individuals based on their appearance, gender, sexual preference or social status. As we prepare for, rehearse and perform our play, our production will remind both our young actors and our audiences about the importance of acceptance and inclusion – central values that guide Stage Door Conservatory as an organization.
Most of us remember when Reese Witherspoon lit up the screen during MGM's Legally Blonde in 2001. Much like the movie, Legally Blonde, The Musical chronicles the comedic journey of Elle Woods as she goes from love-sick sorority princess to powerhouse lawyer. The show features a pop score by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, a book by Heather Hach and original choreography by Tony-winner Jerry Mitchell (The Full Monty, Hairspray and La Cage Aux Folles).
The show became a blockbuster on Broadway and inspired an MTV special that aired the musical in its entirety in 2007 with the reality show, Search for Elle Woods, to find the production's next lead. Several international productions have also enjoyed widely popular success, including in London's West End.
During its first year on Broadway in 2007, Legally Blonde, The Musical earned seven Tony Award nominations, 10 Drama Desk Award nominations and an Outer Critics Circle Award. The show also ranked in the top 10 for the most requested Ticketmaster Arts and Theatre Events for 2007. In 2011, it won the Olivier Award’s coveted designation as Best Musical.
We are very excited to be featuring it this summer under the directorship of popular East Bay Director, Russell Wright. Any young actor entering grade 8 through their freshman year in college is welcome to join us.
CASTING – GENERAL PHILOSOPHY
We do no hold auditions for enrollment. Any child can join us, whether they are an experienced actor with finely honed skill, a child new to performing. In our casting process, we attempt to identify a role for each child that is attuned to his or her stage of development as an actor and as a person, and that will provide him or her with the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to our production.
In considering the topic of casting, we always seek to meet our goals:
- To provide opportunities for the personal development and growth of our participants as performers and as people.
- To present exemplary shows that everyone can enjoy and be proud of.
Since many children return to our program year after year, we are often aware of their particular skills and talents. In some cases, actors that have flourished in one or more leading roles in the past may benefit from an ensemble experience. In other cases, we may feel that a particular child would benefit from the challenge of a more substantial role than he or she has been accustomed to performing.
Even a child who is participating in our program for the first time may be featured in a leading role if their experience and enthusiasm indicate a desire, willingness and readiness for such a responsibility.
As part of the casting process, we consider:
- A child’s general aptitude and skill as a performer.
- A child’s ability to focus on his or her role.
- A child’s enthusiasm for performing.
- A child’s developmental needs, as assessed through observation and careful review of his or her performing experience.
- A child’s availability to attend all/most necessary rehearsals.
- The need to create a balanced and successful cast.
The following guidelines are also followed:
- No roles are pre-cast.
- All roles are open to all members of our ensemble (and we traditionally invite each child to let us know which roles they are especially interested in).
- Participants are expected to accept whichever roles they are assigned.
- Where possible and sensible, we strive to be flexible and progressive in casting as far as gender, race and “type,” are concerned.
- The only time casting may be adjusted is if an actor withdraws from the cast or if circumstances (like absence or misbehavior) lead us to change his or her role assignment(s).
- If we are asked, we will offer constructive feedback to a child on his or her audition.
If you ask, many actors once had a mentor, who encouraged and supported them as performers. Someone believed in them and dared to give them a chance. At Stage Door, we strive to provide that opportunity to as many children as we reasonably can, while also ensuring that we cast a sufficient number of demonstrably accomplished and competent actors to keep the overall quality at the kind of high level that is educationally rewarding in itself.
Auditions - ON BROADWAY
During the first two days of ON BROADWAY, we will teach your child the songs and dance he or she will use during their audition on Wednesday. Each camper will sing by themselves for a panel of our staff and then dance with a group of other children.
As any of our alumni can tell you, our audition process is very supportive. However, even with our repeated encouragement to “relax and have fun,” your child may still be anxious about the process.
Although the day can be trying logistically, as the campers await their turn to audition and then also await the turn of other campers, we’ve found the most difficult part of the day is at the end – when we announce our casting decisions.
Unfortunately, it is inevitable that some children will be disappointed – because as much as we try and support each child as a performer, some children will not be cast in the roles they most wanted.
We wish to assure you that no role has been or will be pre-cast. Just because someone was cast in a lead role in 2011, does not guarantee they’ll be cast in a comparable role this year. As Simon says, “We cast the right person for the right role, period.”
If your child is upset when they come home on Wednesday, we would like to suggest you remind them:
- We appreciate them – as a person and performer.
- Whatever role they play, they are an important part of the Fiddler cast.
- Sometimes members of our ensemble are on stage and performing more than our lead actors – if they are cast as a member of the ensemble, they’ll be performing a very important and visible role in our production – and we promise it will be FUN!
- They might be surprised ... sometimes actors are cast in the roles they want and sometimes they are cast in roles they had not considered and are happier than they could have ever imagined.
- In a long life as a performer, he or she may have another opportunity to perform in FIDDLER in the role they envisioned for themselves.
If this doesn’t satisfy them, please ask them to participate in the program for at least a week to see how they feel. To this date, no one has ever left Stage Door because of casting. Usually when they find what they’ll be doing during the show, even the formerly disappointed become excited again.
Auditions – Legally Blonde, The Musical
As young actors gain more experience, they sometimes want more of an audition experience. For the past two year we have held early auditions for casting for TEENS ON STAGE, providing our participants with the opportunity to on March 9 and 16. If your child is content to be in the play’s large chorus, he or she does not need to audition
Auditions for Legally Blonde, The Musical will be held on Saturdays, March 9 and 16 at Epworth Community Methodist Church at 1953 Hopkins Street in Berkeley.
Singing and monologue auditions will occur privately, but movement auditions will occur in groups.
To schedule an audition, please either call us at 510-521-6250 or email us at stagedoorconservatory@yahoo.com and indicate (1) which time you prefer to join us (please provide two options), (2) your name and grade and (3) your phone and email address and you will receive a confirmation message indicating what time has been reserved for you. TIME OPTIONS are: 10:00 – 11:30 AM, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM, 1:30 – 3:00 PM on both March 9 and 16 and an added time of 3:00 – 4:30 PM on March 16. Once you schedule an audition you will be sent preparation instructions for the audition via email.
Each actor should complete an AUDITION PREPARATION FORM (See Audition Instructions provided at the meeting) and prepare two song and monologue, approximately 1 minute in length. Our Vocal Director will be present to provide accompaniment. Song selections are notes in the Audition Instructions.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES TO ADD TWO MORE CAMP WEEK IF THEIR CHILD IS ENTERING GRADES 8 or 9
If your child is entering grades 8 or 9 next fall, he or she can extend their Stage Door Conservatory camp experience a 7th and 8th week and join the cast of Legally Blonde, The Musical as an ensemble member if he or she wants more of a summer performing arts experience.
If he or she enrolls for this extension program, he or she will attend a once weekly singing class on Wednesday (3:30 – 5:30) at the Epworth Community Church where camp is held, beginning the week of July 8. On August 4, he or she will attend camp at the Epworth Community Church and also participate in our evening and possibly weekend rehearsals with the orchestra.
The cost of the extension program is $500. For more information, please speak to Rawna by calling 510-521-7504.
REGISTRATION AND ENROLLMENT
Enrollment
We are just beginning our enrollment process, but expect to fill both programs within the next two to three months. If you plan to enroll, we suggest acting soon.
If you have a friend you wish to refer to the program, you will receive a $50 discount. We also offer sibling discounts for the enrollment of two children from one family.
This year we are accepting approximately 40 children for each program.
Financial Aid
We will still be offering approximately $25,000 in scholarships, however due to budgetary constraints, we cannot offer as much as we have in the past.
We are in the process of re-establishing our guidelines for aid in order to assist the maximum number of persons within our reduced allotment. We are also compiling a list of other resources which may be helpful to families seeking funds to augment their scholarship allotment.
Please note that unless impacted by extraordinary circumstances, we are not planning to give any child a full scholarship award.
As a standard, we will ask families to contribute at least 50% of the full tuition and if that is not feasible, to consider a payment plan or one of the other tuition payment options we will be offering. If you cannot afford 50% tuition, we will also offer work-trade opportunities.
Please complete a financial aid form and let us know when you complete it the absolute MAXIMUM you can pay.
Payment
Unless you have made other arrangements, payment must be paid by May 1. If you cannot pay in full by May 1 due to an unexpected hardship, you can arrange a two-week extension, but we will need you to provide us with a pre-dated check in the amount of the balance due when your child arrives for camp the first day.
If you have received financial aid, you should have received a Financial Aid Agreement. If you have any questions about your agreement, please call Rawna at 510-521-6250.
If you have any questions about registration or enrollment, please also call her at the number above.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Costumes and Make-Up
Every camper will need to purchase make-up and some basic costume items for the show and our rehearsals. A list of what is needed is attached.
This year, we are asking each family to contribute $20 towards their child’s costume as well as provide some simple base-costume items – all these items are noted on the attached page. Please plan to bring this $20 costume fee with you on the first day of camp.
Photo Shoot and DVD
A photo shoot will be held at camp on July 1 for ON BROADWAY and July 11 for TEENS ON STAGE. Photos from this shoot (professionally shot by Dana Davis, who generously donates his services to our organization) will be available for sale throughout the summer. We will tape one or more shows to produce a DVD for family members and friends of our cast. If you are or know a professional videographer or film-maker, and are available to donate your time to help with this process, please email us at stagedoorconservatory@yahoo.com.
Set Building
We will be building sets off site during evening and weekend hours. Please email us at stagedoorconservatory@yahoo.conm if you plan to join us for a work day. Please leave your phone number on your email so we can contact you in the event a work day is cancelled or re-scheduled.
COMMUNICATION
Sunday evening, you will receive an email with NEWS OF THE WEEK and any attachments that you may need. Pertinent announcements for Mondays will be sent a week in advance.
On Mondays we will distribute hard copies of items we wish you or your child to have.
On Fridays, from 8:45 – 10:00 AM, you can drop off anything you need to give us (raffle ticket purchases, tickets sales for shows, costume repairs, etc.) as well as pick up items you may need.
Please call us at 5I0-52I-6250 for non-urgent business matters. This is our phone and message
line and is based in Alameda, where our offices are located. Messages at this number will be checked ONCE a day, generally in the afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
Weeks 2 – 5
During weeks 2-5, we spend most of our time becoming acquainted with and rehearsing the show as well as forming our ensemble. This year we have three electives as well, including (1) Costume Creation, (2) Prop Creation and (3) Songs and Skits. It is hoped that all children will have an opportunity to participate in at least two of these electives.
We will no longer be building sets on site for a variety of reasons, but will offer opportunities to both campers and their parents to help as volunteers during weekend set-building days if they want to become involved in this aspect of our production. (Please see “Volunteering” for more information!)
The new elective (Songs and Skits) will provide opportunities for campers who do not have large roles in the show to rehearse and perform in songs or skits both for other campers and attendees of our annual benefit.
The Last Week of Camp
The last week of camp is not held at the Epworth Community Church – but at our theater. We’ll confirm the instructions for this sixth week by the first week of camp.
During the sixth week of camp, we will hold our programs during irregular hours, both during day and evening hours. You will also be informed of these dates no later than the first day of camp.
Please help support your child to rest as much as possible during the last week of camp. Technical week (our last week of rehearsals) is very exciting, but it can also be stressful.
Because of this your child will be attending camp from 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM on both Thursday and Friday of the final week of camp; we will coordinate parent sponsored pizza parties/potlucks both days. We will also try and hold an open dress rehearsal on Thursday and a musical revue on Friday for other camps to watch.
The show schedule will be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. Campers need to be at the theatre two and a half hours before performance. At this time, we are not sure of the performance schedule for ON BROADWAY. It may be Thursday, Friday and Saturday or Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is contingent on our choice of theaters which should be ascertained within the next several weeks.
There will be a cast party after the Sunday strike of the set for Legally Blonde. There will also be a cast party for ON BROADWAY on Sunday, even if we do not have a performance that day. We are seeking a family to host each party – which will be a 6:30 – 7:00 PM potluck!
Our Theaters
We will be announcing the final selection of our theater imminently, but we are hoping to hold FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at the theater at the Oakland Temple and LEGALLY BLONDE, THE MUSICAL at the Florence Schwimley Little Theater in Berkeley
FAMILY PARTICIPATION VOLUNTEER PROGRAM for Families with Children in ON BROADWAY or TEENS ON STAGE
This year, we have MANY volunteer needs.
We are attempting to recruit volunteers for the positions of Volunteer Coordinator, Carpool Coordinator, Concession Coordinator and Strike Coordinator. We will also be utilizing volunteers as mentioned, with the design and construction of our sets and also with the creation of our costumes.
Currently, we are in the process of assigning up to 120 volunteers in a variety of roles and assignments – a gargantuan size task. At present, we know we will need:
MONDAY, June 24 and July 8
8:00 AM – 10 AM
Help with registration
Epworth Community Church
TUESDAY, June 24 and 25 and July 8 and 9
9:00 AM – Noon
Help record measurements for costumes
Epworth Community Church
THURSDAY, June 27 and July 11
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Meet Anida Weyl our costumer for a costume-related meeting and assignments
Epworth Community Church
SATURDAY/SUNDAY, June 29 and 30 and July 13 and 14
Your timing and home
Help prepare costumes for our photo shoot
MONDAY, July 1 and July 15
11 AM – 4:00 PM
Help with preparations for and costuming during PHOTO SHOOT
Epworth Community Church
As a volunteer, you will be asked to pledge to help in one or more areas. Possibilities include: helping with costuming and set and prop development, promoting our plays, selling ticket, assisting without annual raffle, fundraising benefit or cast appreciation party or with backstage, ushering, box office or load-in or strike duties during our production weekends. To indicate how you would like to help, please complete and turn in the Volunteer Pledge Form included with this announcement if you have not already completed and returned one. Special Skills Inventory and Availability Forms are also available for persons interested in helping with costumes and set and prop construction.
FUND-RAISING and TICKET SALES
This year, considerable effort will be directed to the solicitation of donations – both for our administrative and production needs, as well as for our raffle.
So far, we’ve had considerable success in enlisting performing arts organizations to support our raffle, and will have at least two performing arts packages with ticket samplers from four or more theaters or arts programs in each prize.
We will also be seeking donations to help with costuming and other production needs.
If you own or work for a business, or have a special talent and can donate a prize, or wish to sponsor a show as a financial donor, please let complete one of the attached sheets.
We will also be relying on families to help sell raffle and show tickets in the coming weeks.
Raffle tickets will be $5 a piece or $25 for a book of 6, or 14 tickets for $50. Show tickets will be $125 and $20.
Show tickets will be $15 for children under 18 and seniors 65 and older and $20 for adults. Reserved seating will be available for $35 and tickets for Sponsors are available for $75.
SPRING FIDDLER ON THE ROOF SING-A-LONG
We will be holding our first ever SING-A-LONG sometime in May as a kick-off for our summer season.
You will learn more about the event in future email correspondence, but we are hoping to generate $4,000 from the event, with 200 persons in attendance at a ticket price of $20 per person. We’ll sing beloved songs from FIDDLER, hear from Klezmer music and serve delicious treats. If you would like to help on this event, please let us know.
ANNUAL BENEFIT
Our annual benefit will be held at the Epworth Community Church. Like last year, we will feature songs and dances performed by the youth in our programs with inspirational songs that reiterate the themes of acceptance, belonging and friendship included as part of the programming.
Staff will continue to perform – but with choices in performance pieces that cohesively
communicate our evening’s message of welcome and appreciation. We’ll also serve ice cream, as is our tradition.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
LOGISTICS
Camper Forms
Your child cannot join us the first day of camp unless you have completed and given us copies of our Camper Forms, as they contain vital information about your child’s care. Copies of the forms are will be available for completion on the first days of camp. If you are preparing to complete the forms on the first day of camp, please be sure to bring:
- The name and phone number of one or more emergency contacts other than you or your partner or spouse.
- The names and phone numbers of family and friends with permission to sign your child in or out of camp (if your child is not signing him or herself in and out independently).
- The name and phone number of your child’s physician.
- The name and phone number of the hospital that you prefer your child to be taken to in case of an emergency.
- Your child’s allergies and/or medications.
FIRST DAY OF CAMP
Please plan to join your child on the first day of camp for the completion of the registration process even if he or she is permitted to sign him or herself out each day.
We encourage you to ARRIVE EARLY the first day of camp for this process if possible.
What your will need to bring to complete the registration process:
- Tuition payment if you have a balance.
- Camper Forms.
- Costume Fee ($20).
SIGN-IN and SIGN OUT
Each day you or your designee will be required to sign in and sign out your child from camp. Even if you are dropping off and picking up your child, we encourage you to consider the option of approving independent sign-in and out by your child, so he or she can wait outdoors for you. (The area surrounding the church is very safe!)
If you do not do this, and you are more than 10 minutes late, we will need to charge you a late fee of $1.00 per minute beginning at 3:40.
Aftercare
You can reserve drop-in care by checking the aftercare column on our sign-in sheet the morning of the day you need care. Please note payment will be due for drop-in aftercare on the day the aftercare is provided at a unit cost of $25, whether the entire aftercare period of 3:30 – 5:00 is used. Cash and checks can be accepted made out to Stage Door Conservatory.
Susan Jardin will coordinate care for aftercare, and will be working with other senior and junior staff to oversee the care.
Typically, care will be provided in room 14 on the first floor of the church, down the hall from Fellowship Hall, across from our Creative Expressions Room, however a sign will be posted on the front door if the aftercare group has been taken off-site or is in another part of the church, is case you want to pick up your child earlier than 6:00.
For more questions about aftercare, please call our offices at 510-521-6250.
Car-Pooling
A list of families needing and offering car-pooling will be created prior to camp. If you plan to enroll your child and know you are interested in car-pooling, please let us know by filling out the form.
GENERAL ORIENTATION FOR PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Meeting for Families with Children in ON BROADWAY or TEENS ON STAGE
As an orientation to new and continuing families with children in either Annie or Sweeney Todd, we will convene a pre-camp meeting at Epworth Community Methodist Church at 1953 Hopkins Street at a date to be announced. Please plan to be present. You and your child will learn more about our summer plans during this meeting.
Tuition and Registration Fees
Tuition and registration fees must be paid in full by May 1 unless prior plans have been made. We do offer refunds within the following parameters: A full refund (excluding registration fees) will be offered to any family who withdraws from our program prior to April 1. A 50% refund will be offered between the dates of April 2 and May 1. After May 1, no refunds will be offered.
Volunteer Program for Families of Children in ON BROADWAY and TEENS ON STAGE!
Each family with a child in either Annie or Sweeney Todd will be asked to volunteer 4 hours prior to the conclusion of our summer programs. As a volunteer, you will be asked to pledge to help in one or more areas. Possibilities include: helping with costuming and set and prop development, promoting our plays, selling ticket, assisting with out annual raffle, fundraising benefit or cast appreciation party or with backstage, ushering, box office or load-in or strike duties during our production weekends. To indicate how you would like to help, please complete and turn in the Volunteer Pledge Form if you have not already completed and returned one.
Financial Aid and Scholarship Assistance
Although we are committed to serving our entire community, and have reserved low fee spaces for as many children as possible, please consider other resources for financing your child's summer camp experience as either an alternative or adjunct to our financial aid program. To apply for aid or a scholarship, please download a Financial Aid Application in the Forms Library of this site and submit it with your registration form as soon as possible, indicating which program you wish your child to attend. Please send a deposit of a minimum of $50 or more with your application. You will be notified as soon as possible if your request has been approved and the amount of aid that you have been granted. If you do not receive enough financial assistance to meet your needs, you are under no obligation to continue the enrollment process and your deposit will be refunded to you in full, minus a $50 processing fee. If you choose to enroll your child, the full(or adjusted) tuition amount and any other required fees will be due by May 1. Extended payment plans are also available by request.
SPECIAL NOTE: In order to help defray the costs of our financial aid program, we require families receiving assistance to participate in a tuition exchange program and volunteer a minimum of one two-hour shift for each $100 they receive in aid.
Theater and Camp Location
We will announce our theater locations as soon as possible. KIDS ON STAGE and the first through fifth weeks of ON BROADWAY and TEENS ON STAGE are based at 1953 Hopkins Street in North Berkeley.
Summer Hours
Our summer camps are held from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Unfortunately, we cannot provide supervision to children before 8:50 a.m. or after 3:40 p.m. unless a family arranges drop-in pre-care or after-care, or has enrolled for the full day option until 6:00 daily.
Full Day Option
This year, we will be offering a full day program beginning at 9:00 a.m. and lasting until 6:00 p.m. daily for families wishing a full-day summer option for their child. From 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., your child will participate in our musical theater camp, and beginning at 3:30 engage in additional recreational activities including arts and crafts, outdoor excursions to local parks, games and other fun activities planned specifically for added enrichment. Please call us at 510-521-6250 for more information about this service.
Pre-Care and After-care Arrangements
This year, we will be offering an on-site pre-care and after-care option at the Epworth Community Methodist Church for families wishing and needing to provide care for their child between the hours of 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. This service is available on a drop-in basis with 24 hours notice and is available at a rate of $10 per day for pre-care and $25 per day for after-care for a minimum of two days per week. Activities will include art, crafts, visits to the local park and library and games. Currently the pre-care option is not listed in our registration form. Please call us at 510-521-6250 for more information about this service.
Directions, Travel and Car-pooling to our Main Camp Site
Several buses travel in close proximity to the Epworth Community Methodist Church on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, The Alameda and Gilman, Hopkins, Solano, Shattuck and Henry Streets including the 7, 9, 15, and 43 lines. We also encourage you to consider car-pooling if it is convenient for you, and will email you a preliminary contact roster in May so you can assess whether or not any other families will be driving to and from the camp each day. If your child is carpooling, please indicate which other parents have permission to sign your child in or out on the forms that are attached. Carpooling coordination will also be provided for the last weeks of Annie and Sweeney Todd.
Communication
Please call us at 510-521-6250 for non-urgent business matters. This is our phone and message line and is based in Alameda, where our offices are located. Messages at this number will be checked ONCE a day, generally in the afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
For more practical camp related matters, please call our camp cell-phone at 510-325-9996, especially if you need to relay a message to your child, or wish to tell us that your child will be absent or late or must leave prior to the end of camp. We cannot answer the phone during program hours however we will check it for messages TWICE daily, at 8:45 a.m. and 3:25 p.m. (Please be sure to call us before the 8:45 check if your child is planning to be absent, or will be late!) In a dire EMERGENCY, you may call the office of the Epworth Community Methodist Church at 510-524-2921 or the cell phone of our General Manager at 415-533-9724! If your child has a personal cell-phone, you may also call them directly; however we will ask children to refrain from using their phones except during designated break times.
Attire
We encourage campers to wear socks and shoes during camp, except when they are swimming. Any clothes which bear offensive or explicit logos or graphics, or which expose a child’s midriff, will not be permitted. Please remember that your child will be routinely engaged in painting and other related activities and should not wear clothing that are so valuable they cannot be stained. Aprons can be brought to camp and worn to protect clothing. We are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged personal items, however will maintain a LOST and FOUND for items that are left at the camp site.
Anxiety
Some campers may experience anxiety the first day of camp. Our staff will be prepared to assist any child experiencing some initial nervousness to help them in acclimating to the camp. If you suspect that your child is likely to experience homesickness or anxiety on the first day of camp, please let us know.
Children with Special Needs
If there is anything we should know to help make your child’s after-school or camp experience more positive and rewarding, or if he or she has any special needs, we would appreciate speaking with you. You can arrange to speak with us by sending us an email requesting a call by the director of your child’s program, by calling our office directly and leaving a message. The designated person will contact you.
Fostering a Safe, Welcoming and Nurturing Environment
To create a harmonious setting for learning, we have also adopted the following guidelines for our camp.
- We will regard each child equally regardless of their past experience.
- We will honor and respect each child’s abilities, regardless of their past experience and create an environment where their particular skills and talents can be expressed.
- We will encourage and expect our campers to interact with one another respectfully and to cooperate with our staff.
- We will emphasize the importance of cooperation among the members of our “ensembles,” affirming the broad range of talents and experience among our performers and the importance of each person’s unique contributions to our camp and productions.
- Our instructors will attempt to mediate conflicts between members of the camp if necessary.
- If a child becomes physically aggressive or violent, they will be counseled immediately. If a physical altercation has occurred, their parents will be contacted immediately. Either a temporary, or more prolonged, suspension may be necessary, unless a realistic plan that ensures that another altercation will not occur can be negotiated and adapted.
- Our staff will function as “ambassadors” and model the behaviors we seek in our child participants.
Food
We will provide a snack twice daily for your child during our program, consisting primarily of crackers and juice. Cookies or a more dessert-like treat will be offered once a week. For safety purposes, we do not permit campers to share or trade their food with one another. Campers will also not be permitted to go to the store on their own during our session, since we cannot provide supervision to children off-site.
Swimming
Once a week, participants of KIDS ON STAGE and ON BROADWAY participate in swimming at the KING SWIM CENTER at 1700 Hopkins, at Colusa Street. The Center’s telephone number is (510) 644-8518. KIDS ON STAGE participants swim on Wednesdays and Annie participants swim on Fridays. No child is required to engage in our planned swimming activities. You will be asked to sign a consent form to permit them to participate in swimming on the first day of camp.
Each child who is permitted to participate will be required to undergo a swimming test administered by pool staff to swim in the deep end of the pool. A minimum of three STAGE DOOR staff and counselors will supervise the children in the pool, including staff with CPR certification. PLEASE arrange for your child to bring a swim suit, flip flops, a towel and goggles if needed to each assigned swimming day if he or she is planning to participate.
Insurance
All registered campers are covered by excess coverage accident insurance while at camp; however your personal medical insurance should be considered your child’s primary source of coverage.
Sign-In and Sign-Out of Your Child
Please provide us with the names of anyone who will be accompanying your child to camp in the morning and/or picking him or her up at the end of the day on the enclosed form. Please also indicate if you wish to have your child travel independently to and from camp! (Without explicit written consent, we cannot allow anyone to leave on his or her own!) An adult must sign each child in and out. When you either arrive or leave with your child, please be sure to complete the designated daily arrival and departure forms. If your child travels to and from camp independently, he or she must also ask an adult to sign him or her in or out! PLEASE NOTE: Families will be fined $5 for failing to sign-in/out their child(ren).
Camper Health Forms
Health forms must be completed, signed by a parent/guardian and returned to Stage Door Conservatory by June 1, 2012. Campers will not be permitted to attend camp without this form.
Health and Safety
The camp takes every precaution to provide a safe and healthy environment for all campers. Persons certified in CPR are on-site at all time while camp is in session. Campers in need of further medical assistance will be transported to the hospital designated on their health care form.
Medical Screenings
Please notify us if your child has any special needs which will require specific attention on the part of our staff. Examples of these needs might include a hearing impairment, recent traumatic events, language barriers and learning disabilities, recent changes in medications, or situations at home which could impact your child’s experience.
Medication Arrangement
If it is necessary for your child to receive any medication while at camp, please adhere to the following guidelines.
- No medications will be given to campers unless they have been granted permission by one or more of their parents to do so on our Camper Health Form
- The parent/guardian or the child’s physician must provide clear instructions regarding the use of prescription medications on the health form.
- All medication, prescription or over-the-counter, including inhalers, must be packaged in their original containers and labeled correctly. Medications will not be dispensed without expiration dates.
- All children on prescription medication will be instructed on the first day of camp about the schedule for dispensing medications. Emphasize with your child the importance of taking responsibility with this schedule. Our Camp Assistant will be responsible for administering medications.
- No camper is permitted to have any medications, (prescription or over-the-counter) including vitamins, ointments or lotions of any kind (excluding insect repellents and sunscreen) without the express permission of the Camp Director.
- We will have a supply of the following over-the-counter medications, including Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Robitussin, Pepto-Bismol, Children’s Mylanta and Benadryl. Please complete the appropriate section on the health form, authorizing use of these medications, as needed. Our staff will not administer these medications without your signature.
What to Bring
Please LABEL EVERYTHING and pack it in an easy-to-carry duffel bag or backpack. Occasionally campers will leave their belongings at camp. Having your property labeled helps to ensure that you will be able to claim your items from our LOST and FOUND. We reserve the right to inspect any belongings on camp properly.
Items to bring include:
- A bag lunch
- A swimsuit, towel, flip flops and goggles (on designated days for Kids on Stage and On Broadway)
- A backpack if needed
- An apron if desired
The Camp Director may suggest additional items to bring to camp, depending on the particular activities scheduled for your child's camp session. If additional materials are expected, the Camp Director will supply you with a list at the beginning of your child's camp. PLEASE NOTE: We will expect parents to supply some costume items, including clothing for KIDS ON STAGE and clothing and shoes for Annie and TEENS on STAGE.
If Your Child is a Counselor-in-Training or Apprentice through BACKSTAGE
By becoming a counselor-in-training, a child in the 9th - 12th grade is given the opportunity to engage in meaningful community service, acquire experience that could lead to summer employment in a camp setting and/or develop his or her resume. If your child has been selected as a counselors-in-training, he or she will be expected to assist our staff with the day-to-day operation of our programs and will also be responsible for a variety of tasks such as directing a song or scene or choreographing a dance, depending upon his or her area of focus based upon a preliminary agreement established between him or her and Stage Door Conservatory. Counselors are expected to remain for the full day, every day of the session to which they have been assigned and are considered camp participants, subject to the guidelines noted in this document.
If your child wishes to provide independent childcare or after-care support to families with younger children in our program, please advise us ASAP via email at our email below and we will send you the necessary paperwork.
Tax Identification Information
We include our federal tax identification number on all our receipts. It is 94-3320-679! Please keep this!
For administration, registration and ticket/show related matters:
Tel: 510-521-6250
Fax: 510-217-2253
Web: stagedoorconservatory.org (Can be used for purchase of tickets)
To report absences
After 3:25 p.m. for the following day or before 8:15 a.m. to report same day absences of needs
Tel: 510-325-9996 (During camp – Simon’s cell phone)
To reach us during camp hour or for emergencies:
Tel: 510-325-9996 Simon Kaplan (Camp Director)
Tel: 510-524-2921 Epworth Community Methodist Church Office
Tel: 415-533-9724 Rawna Romero (General Manager)
LINKS:
General Orientation PDF
Costume Information
ANNIE News
SWEENEY TODD News
Biography Form
Consent Form
Camp Pick-Up & Drop-Off Form
Counselor-in-Training Agreement Form
Staff Emergency Form
Family Emergency and Health Form
Evaluation Form for Parents
Photo Waiver Form
|
|
|
|
