Central Park Players (CPP) youth theatre day camp, Act One!, is a place where young people ages 5-13 years can express themselves creatively and develop interpersonal communication skills.
Our youth theatre has had a major impact on the lives of young people. It challenges them to open their minds, explore various worlds through scripts and scores of music, diverse characters and be able to tell a story in a variety of ways—through spoken words, song, mime, image… and the list goes on!
Every summer, Act One! is held at Central Park Place.
We are currently seeking interns! Please visit our news section to learn more.
Act One! exists to:
- Expose children to the theatre
- Create opportunities to form lasting friendships
- Grow teamwork and communication skills
- Engage young actors in the arts
- Spark creativity and joy
Additionally, Act One! Participants use skills that can be used in their everyday lives!
How do participants benefit?
- Reading and reciting from scripts: develops literacy skills.
- Working with theatre professionals: develops listening skills.
- Performing in front of an audience and practicing for an audition: develops research and preparation skills.
- Performing in front of their peers: develop self-confidence and appreciation of one-another’s talents.
- Being cast in a particular role: develops acceptance of their achievements with grace.
- Learning stage direction and choreography: develops hand/eye coordination.
- Meeting deadlines for learning lines: develops project and time management skills.
- Experiencing “when something goes wrong onstage (which it inevitably does in theatre): develops abilities to manage the unexpected and how to proceed with positivity in a fast and effective way.
- Working behind the scenes and on stage: develops ability to grasp the bigger picture and appreciate all the elements of a production.
- Students learn what it means to give the community a source of pride via their achievements.