Theater Camp in rehearsal for Friday performance
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The Webster City Community Theatre will be welcoming to their stage 29 young thespians who have been engaged in the Susan Andrew Summer Children's Theatre camp this week.
The performance of “The Great Zoo Escape,” which has been cast, directed and memorized during the week, will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The Performing Arts Center is located at 1001 Willson Avenue.
The camp began August 4, with direction from The Footliters Traveling Playhouse, which is part of the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. The directors, Ella Schmitz, Madeline Nuss and Nicolette Mayer have been teaching the participants singing, dancing and act skills, with a focus to “act” like zoo animals.
The rehearsals have been from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day.
"It's amazing that the kids come not knowing anything about the show, and then by Friday night they will be ready to perform," said Loween Getter, one of the coordinators for the workshop.
The youngest performer on the stage will be in 2nd grade, and the oldest will be in 8th grade, she said.
The direction the youth have received from Footlighters has been met with a lot of enthusiasm.
"There's a lot of talent there, lots of energy," said Getter, "The directors have been doing this all summer long, and we are the last ones."
The Webster City Community Theatre usually has four performances each year, in addition to the theater camp production. The next show will be "The Birthday Club" with performance dates in September.
The Susan Andrew Summer Children's Theater program is designed for students between 7 and 14 years of age. The camp was renamed in honor of Susan Stocks Andrew, who was a valuable member of the theater until she passed in 2024, and a fund has been established to reduce the cost to the young artists through the Anderson Charitable Fund.
The performance of “The Great Zoo Escape” will be Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available for the general public at a cost of $5 per person.