ROCKINGHAM — Richmond Community Theatre’s summer camp will be a little different this year.
Theater Director Merrie Dawkins said the camp will be online “out of necessity.”
“We couldn’t have camp as usual,” Dawkins said Friday evening after posting about the upcoming camp on social media, “all live theaters are going virtual.”
One of Gov. Roy Cooper’s COVID-19-related executive orders caps indoor and outdoor mass gatherings and theaters remain closed.
“The show must go on,” Dawkins said Friday afternoon after announcing the virtual camp. “We are working hard to give our community a fun, safe, and friendly theatre experience.”
The virtual camp, which runs 10:30-11:30 a.m. July 20-31, will end with a production in light of the ongoing coronavirus shut down — “Once Upon a Pandemic: How Classic Characters Deal with Today’s Problems.”
In one post, Dawkins said it will feature classic nursery rhyme characters, but later told the RO that campers may choose their own classic character or create their own.
Dawkins and Dr.Stephanie Van Hassell, the assistant director, collaborated on the theme.
She said they will be using Zoom and Google Classroom for the camp.
According to Dawkins, the camp will be a mixture of information and having the students perform either during the Zoom sessions or on video.
“We will work with the campers,” she said. “They may also work solo or with several other campers.”
Dawkins added that the campers may write a short two- or three-person script, write their own rap or music, paint a backdrop, create a dance, write a poem or use their other creative gifts.
“We will then pull it all together, record it (and) folks will be able to watch it and, if they choose, they can make a donation to the theatre,” she said.
Rebecca Bossman, a professional script writer, will join in one day to talk about script writing and answer questions from the campers, Dawkins added.
She said they hope to have the production finished July 29 or 30.
The camp is for children ages 8 and up and tuition is $50. Dawkins said since it is online, the number of slots is flexible.
“We all miss live theater, but until COVID-19 is much weaker,we will be virtual,” she said.
Visit richmondcommunitytheatre.org to register or contact Dawkins at merriedawkins@gmail.com for more information.
