Gallery 7 Theatre and Performing Arts hosts its 10th annual Summer Drama Blast, starting July 7.
Gallery 7 artistic director Ken Hildebrand said the camp-style program provides children and teens the opportunity to explore all things dramatic in a life-affirming, positive environment.
The camps for ages six to 12 include skills such as blocking, line memorization, characterization and play development, and each camp ends in a short performance.
The camps for ages 14 to 18 are more intensive, enabling participants to build on their high-school theatre experience, prepare for college and professional theatre training, or prepare for deeper involvement in community theatre.
Rebecca Mackenzie, a recent graduate of the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) theatre department, will lead Creative Explosions for ages six and seven.
Layton Keely, a professional performer with commercial and TV production experience, will lead Dramatic Rumblings for ages eight and nine.
Maddison McArthur, a UFV theatre graduate with a host of acting credits, will lead Stage Eruptions for ages 10 and 11, while director, actor and teacher Megan Mackenzie will lead Dynamite Playmakers for ages 12 and 13, and will also lead the Acting for the Camera camp for teens.
Also offered are performance-intensive camps for teens led by actor and musician Ryan Scramstad, who recently completed an apprenticeship at Pacific Theatre, having appeared in the professional company’s production of The Foreigner last fall.
Alison Chisholm, operations manager for Pacific Theatre and resident improviser with Second Storey Theatre, will lead the improvisation camp for teens.
The camps run July 7 to 25 at Gallery 7 Theatre’s new location, the Abbotsford Arts Centre Community Arts Addition, 2329 Crescent Way.
Registration will be open throughout the camps, with special early-bird rates until June 30.
For more information, call 604-504-5940 or visit gallery7theatre.com.