ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s an exciting summer for the Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete. For the first time, it's offering a theater camp for kids.
Learning how to be a Dr. Seuss character isn’t just useful in theater but also in life, according to education and outreach coordinator Katrina Young.
“Teaches you how to talk to people, how to project, how to be comfortable in yourself,” said Young, who is directing the kids in the production of Seussical Jr.
For 10-year-old Gianna Vance, she went from shy kid to lead character.
“Once I started getting more friends in drama, I started warming up to them more, and then I started warming up to the teachers, and then I started feeling more comfortable, and then I just burst,” said Vance.
Out of the 24 students participating in the camp, 16 of them are on scholarship, thanks to the Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts.
“We offer the program to children of all socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Amy Miller, the foundation's president. “They are thrilled. They didn’t know these opportunities existed before, and their kids cannot be happier.”
The camp teaches a lot more than just how to perform—the students get the chance to go behind the scenes and learn every aspect of the theater, from the curtain to the lighting to the orchestra pit.
“I felt like my dream came true,” said 11-year-old Alexis Towe.
Towe has seen shows from the audience, but this will be her first time performing on the big stage. She’s most excited about using the dressing room.
“I love putting on like 17,000 coats of makeup,” said Towe.
“Performing on this huge stage in a professional setting with professional lighting technicians and production managers, now that’s awesome,” said Young.
Seussical Jr. will be performed Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 3:30 p.m. For ticket information, go to www.themahaffey.com. You can also call 727-300-2000.
