Performing at Camp

At Falling Creek, boys can spend an activity period paddling, climbing, riding, or working at the forge. Others choose Theater.

Some come with experience from school plays, musicals, or acting classes at home. Others simply want the chance to be funny, try on a new character, or step into a role they would not normally play.

That work may show up later in a Morning Assembly skit, during church or at Campfire, or on talent show night. But the real value begins in the activity itself, where boys have room to practice, experiment, and discover what they enjoy.

Callahan H. from Charlotte, North Carolina, has performed in school plays and musicals and taken acting classes at home. He likes the freedom of stepping into a character who may be completely different from himself.

I like to express myself through different characters,” Callahan said. “It’s fun to do, and no one makes fun of you at camp. People laugh because it’s fun and funny.

That difference matters to him. Performing at home can sometimes feel more serious, especially when there is pressure to get everything right.

When you get onstage, it can be intimidating at home,” he said. “But here at camp, it is positive and encouraging. They really help you.

Learning to Let Go

Second-year counselor Freddy Somers, a special education major at Western Carolina University, uses theater games to help boys grow more comfortable expressing themselves. In one exercise, the boys described the last time they had cried, then drew on those emotions later while acting.

It was very vulnerable for the boys,” Freddy said. “But it gave language to their emotions, and they were able to tap into those emotions again onstage.

Other exercises are lighter. Through improv, boys practice thinking on their feet, committing to a character, and not worrying quite so much about looking silly.

We are all laughing with you and not at you,” Freddy said. “Everybody is funny. They just haven’t explored it yet.

Fellow Theater counselor Adri Ballesteros from Puebla, Mexico, sees those games as practice for more than the stage. In one called Two Minutes, campers sit across from a partner and hold eye contact for two full minutes.

It sounds simple. It is not.

Every conversation requires that skill,” Adri said. “Theater teaches us how our facial expressions, tone, and body language affect other people.

Whether they are building a character, holding eye contact, or joining an improv scene, the boys are learning how to communicate without being afraid to look a little uncomfortable along the way.

Theater is not just creating stories or characters,” Adri said. “It gives us a way to talk and express ourselves without fear.

Taking the Stage

The camp play and talent show will share the same stage next week. The 23-page play includes 18 roles, with campers and counselors working together to bring the story to life. Afterward, the talent show will feature eight acts from campers and counselors ready to share something of their own.

For some, performing is already familiar. For others, it may be the first time their cabinmates have seen them play an instrument, take on a character, or make the whole camp laugh.

At Falling Creek, the audience is ready for all of it. They know when to laugh, when to clap, and when to cheer someone on for simply being willing to step forward.