The Thomas Moore University Theater Program is hosting its first summer theater workshop for high school students.
The workshop will focus on individualized classes on improv, dance and movement, puppetry, stage combat and more. The workshop will be held July 8–19 and is open to ninth-12th grade students and recent high school graduates.
“Thomas More has for many summers hosted top-rated summer camps in various sports and academic fields for students in Northern Kentucky,” said Thomas More Department of Creative Media Chair Rebecca Bilbo. “This year, we are delighted to add to our offerings an enriching two-week day camp in theater for interested high school students, where they will learn about all aspects of putting on a theatrical production, from acting to advertising, taught by our own theater faculty.”
In addition to Thomas More theater faculty, two of the summer theater workshop instructors are Broadway vets.
Aaron Lavigne, a Northern Kentucky University grad known for his role as Jesus in the 50th-anniversary tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” his roles in “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” and the national tour of “Rent” will join as a guest instructor. Along with Lavigne, Mia Gerachis, who is known for the national tour of “Pretty Woman: The Musical” and the Broadway revival of “Sweeney Todd,” is also joining.
“They’re going to come to work with the kids, and honestly, for a local theater camp workshop, it’s a pretty rare opportunity to work with Broadway caliber, experienced folks,” Thomas More Theater Director Phillip Webster said.
Webster is in his first year as the theater director and is working on revamping the program.
Thomas More professors in the art department will join the workshop to help students create props. The choir teacher will also be there to cater to students who are into other aspects of theater than acting.
“This is very much trying to find kids who are already theater nerds and pairing them with the theater curious,” Webster said.
He said there are summer theater camp programs across Greater Cincinnati, but most focus on putting on a show and are more audition-based. The Thomas More workshop is trying to cater to anyone interested in theater.
Thomas More theater and educational studies student Presley Poe is helping to run the summer workshop as co-director. Poe is doing the summer workshop as her senior project.
Poe said she has been acting since elementary school but now sees herself more as a director and stage manager.
“Teaching is really what I love,” Poe said. “I’m actually working at a different summer camp right now with kids, getting to teach them all the lessons I’ve learned, and they always end up teaching me something new. It’s so special.”
Poe said the pandemic hurt the theater program’s numbers, so they are trying to reach a wider audience than just those interested in acting.
“There’s so much that goes into putting on a production than just actors,” Poe said. “We’re going to try to bring some stagecraft and stuff like that into camp and hope we can build up the program.”
Poe said many students will attend universities with massive theater programs and won’t see a stage until their senior year. She said the beauty of Thomas More’s program is how intimate it is. If a student wants to be on stage, Poe said they will be on stage on day one.
The workshop will be held at the Thomas More University Theater Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a showcase performance on the final day at 7 p.m. The cost is $400.
To register and inquire about workshop scholarships, click here.
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