DALLAS, Pa. — Campers sit in a circle and play a theatre game called "Expert," an exercise in improvisation, at the Summer PATA camp.
"Anything can happen like nothing's wrong, and you could do anything," camper Ben Sevenski said.
This is day one of PATAsphere's theater camp at the JCC Camp in Lehman Township.
"Really, we've been doing team-building exercises this morning to get people, you know, just understanding each other better because you put on a show best when you feel supported, and you feel a part of a company, a family," Cari Tellis, camp director, said.
Returning campers said that's a feeling they carry with them all year long.
"[It] feels like a home to me in a way. It's our second home even. And it's a safe place for me to be at. So I just expect to go here," camper Sophia Tellis said.
"It's so welcoming. They're very inclusive. They make it feel like a family, and I think that's why everyone keeps coming back each year," Sevenski said.
And although this doesn't seem like much, there's a lot happening behind the scenes here that will be ready when camp wraps up at the end of the month.
"At the end of three weeks, so we put on a brand new show, like create the set, create the characters, all the songs are new. The kids don't know anything, they create the character. They are the original cast," Tellis said.
The campers are very excited to share with their families and the community as a whole.
"I'm really excited to know about the script. But I'm just excited to be with everybody and be able to put on the show with everyone here," Sevenski said.
To learn more about the show at the end of the month or more theatrical opportunities with the PATAsphere, click here.
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