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Community. That’s what kids at the Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory say they love the most about summer camp. Over the course of four weeks, children ages 4-18 hone in on their theater skills to put together a production while bonding over their shared passion for music and acting.
This year, the 30-year-old theater company presented “Shrek the Musical,” which campers had been preparing for since June.
Some 52 children acted in “Shrek the Musical,” playing the notable characters of Shrek, Fiona, Lord Farquaad, the Gingerbread Man, and more. The musical focuses on teaching students the theme “what makes you special, makes you strong,” said Maddie N. Zdeblick, PVTC’s incoming executive director.
PVTC offered The Almanac a behind the scenes into their last and busiest week of camp, also known as “tech week.”
During the final week, campers are busy rehearsing full run-throughs of the production, running to get on stage, practicing costume changes and dances, and perfecting the technicalities.
Backstage, the student playing the character of Donkey can be found fanning herself in her furry outfit in between scenes. Excitement and chaos fills the air as younger campers are being rushed by older students to get ready to go on stage and staff are shouting out directions.
This is the first production where all age groups are involved in one show but PVTC’s Executive Director Noëlle Gibbs said “the community building across generations” has been a part of the company’s history for a long time.
Zdeblick adds that PVTC’s summer camp is creating strong intergenerational bonds in campers between 4-years-old through graduating high school seniors. Campers and staff say that PVTC is a family.
“I feel like [PVTC] became a second home to me,” said 15-year-old Avery who plays the Gingerbread man. This is her eighth summer at PVTC.
Children are finding a passion for theater and acting through their experiences at PVTC’s summer camp and many say they want to pursue acting when they’re older.
Avery’s character as the Gingerbread Man calls for a high pitched voice. “I get to experience different voices and characteristics,” she said. She hopes to act in theater when she’s older and is already aware of the difficulties getting into the industry.
Zdeblick has been working at PVTC since 2014 and has had the pleasure of seeing young children transform into confident people and performers.
Eighth grader Theo is one camper who grew from being timid to a now confident aspiring comedic actor. “I was really shy and hid under chairs,” said Theo, who started PVTC summer camp when he was in the first grade. He said through the support of the camp’s community he started to feel more comfortable and began to really enjoy acting and theater.
His confidence shows as he tackles the two roles of Lord Farquaad’s father and a guard in “Shrek the Musical.”
Along with putting together a production, students are also gaining skills in storytelling, music knowledge, design, and acting techniques. Part of a camp day involves rotating through workshops to learn about different aspects of theater. Campers also participate in team building games, warm-ups and “centering time” where children learn about the importance of taking care of their mind, body and health.
Students audition and get assigned their roles for the summer production before camp begins.
“I was very honored that they trusted me with the main role,” said 18-year-old Johnny who plays Shrek. He has been at PVTC since 2018 and said the company’s inclusivity is one aspect that he appreciates the most.
As a graduating senior, Johnny will be leaving for Hampshire College in Massachusetts to pursue dance but said he might be back at PVTC next summer. Many of the theater company’s alumni return as teachers, volunteers and hold workshops for camp, said Gibbs.
Older campers like Johnny serve as role models for younger children who simply appreciate being in the same spaces as them. He said the little ones would always be following 18-year-old Sofia who plays the main role of Fiona.
“What I saw offstage was just so much love from the high schoolers with those smallest campers, letting them sit on their laps and helping them with music rehearsals,” said Gibbs.
Alice, 4, who stars as a walking tree said her favorite part of her role is “getting hugged by Fiona.”
The final week of camp ended with four successful showings from Thursday, July 11, through Saturday, July 13.
Handing off the baton to a new executive director
This summer camp will be the last for Gibbs in her position as executive director as she hands off the position to Maddie N. Zdeblick in September. Gibbs said she will still be on the PVTC board and hopes to be involved as an advisor, teacher, director and writer.
Gibbs took over as executive director in 2015 from her mother Cheryl Goodman-Morris who founded PVTC in 1994. This new transition is the first time that the executive position will be in the hands of someone outside of the family, but Gibbs said her family has known Zdeblick since she was 15 and “couldn’t be happier that she wanted this role.”
Gibbs had been working at PVTC since 2007 and has been involved with her mother’s theater company since she was 8 years old. The community value of PVTC truly shines when Gibbs told The Almanac that she maintains friendships with people that she met at PVTC when she was 8 across all ages.
“I always tell people that once they’ve done one thing at PVTC they’re always part of the community, so I think that’s something that sets us apart from other theater companies locally,” said Gibbs.
Zdeblick has a Ph.D. in education from the University of Washington and carries a passion for disability justice in theater. She grew up with an older brother who has cerebral palsy and said she often felt embarrassed by his loud screams of enjoyment when she would perform in school theater. Zdeblick came to understand that theater was flawed and lacked inclusivity for people with disabilities to enjoy and participate in the arts.
In 2015, she spearheaded the implementation of access previews that are open to all types of audience members. This special set is during the day, is a more relaxed performance, has softer lighting and aims to provide a non-judgmental space for the audience to enjoy the show.
Zdeblick believes in “creating spaces where everyone belongs.” She said that younger children are also beginning to understand the importance of inclusivity with the implementation of access previews and accessible theater.
“I’m just really excited [PVTC’s] going to continue in the community,” said Gibbs. “I’m looking forward to seeing the partnerships [Zdeblick] develops and the faces she brings to the community that maybe haven’t traditionally been able to be part of what we do. This is truly a place where people can be their full selves and I think that’s a niche that we want to keep cultivating.”
