Joshua Pele has been working hard to promote the Souris Valley Theatre’s upcoming summer theatre camps to local youth.
Pele, who is an instructor for the camps, has been on a whirlwind tour of schools in southeast Saskatchewan in late May and early June, conducting workshops with as many students as possible to show them the fun side of the theatre.
“I’m going to every school in Estevan, as well as Lampman, Macoun and Bienfait,” he told Lifestyles.
The first schools he went to were Estevan Comprehensive School, Spruce Ridge School, Hillcrest School and Sacred Heart School/École Sacré Coeur. As of June 1, he still had to visit St. Mary’s School, Pleasantdale School, Westview School and the three rural schools.
“I think the kids are really doing great,” said Pele. “I think the kids are really enjoying it, and I think they’re really relating to it.”
Each workshop features three different activities. Participants have to create their own a superhero and a special power. Then they play an activity, similar to Wink Murderer, in which they have to figure out the identity of a super villain who is killing off the superheroes.
They also participate in a movement exercise, in which they have to work together to move an invisible object into the centre of the room using their super powers.
Students in Grades 1 to 5 have a narrative pantomime, in which Pele gives them a story, and they have to act it out. Grades 6 to 8 are tasked with solving a problem while in their superhero characters.
This is the second year Pele has led the workshops, and he is in his third year of teaching the summer camp. Last year, they saw the number of participants jump by 50 per cent.
“Hopefully we can get even more kids this year,” said Pele.
The camps start in early July. The first week, known as Act 1, will run from July 4 to 8, and will be for children ages six to eight. Act 2 will be July 11 to 15, and is for ages nine to 12. Both those camps will wrap up with a brief production.
Act 3 is a two-week camp for children ages 13 to 16, and will run from July 25 to 29, and August 2 to 6.
“The kids actually put on a show,” said Pele. “The show right now is called Game of Phones, and it’s a time travel piece. There’s going to be lots of musical numbers and dances and acting parts.”
There will also be a technical component for Act 3 that will see students learn how to build the sets, run the lights and the sounds, and be a stage manager.
Pele participated in the theatre camps, back when they were offered for the first time nearly a decade ago. He believes they help students get excited about acting, learn the fundamentals of theatre and musicals in a fun setting, and find out how they fit in with a production.
And the camps are a great way to promote the Souris Valley Theatre to a generation of young fans.
