Free theater camp gives teens something new to do

On a warm summer Friday night,nine Lawrence youths performed Shakespeare in South Park.

If the group hadn’t spent the last few weeks practicing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and being engaged by volunteers who created the Lawrence Youth Ensemble, a new free theater camp for youth, many of them said they were likely to instead be walking downtown, sleeping or on Facebook, a social networking Web site.

“It’s been amazing,” said Caleb McAndrew, 26, volunteer and co-director of the camp, which began with a children’s session May 27 and is concluding the youth session today.

“We’re just here to let them have a good time and to be able to do something in the summer as opposed to just walking the streets,” he said.

The camp’s leaders, McAndrew, Rachael Perry, 24, Topeka, AmeriCorps member for the Roger Hill Volunteer Center, and Michael Bradley, 27, who all met in Kansas University’s theater department, also shared a bigger vision for the camp. They wanted to provide an accessible creative outlet and promote positive interaction with youth and adults, all at no cost to the children or parents.

“I’m used to doing really structured stuff (in theater) and this is just totally out there and way different from anything I’ve ever done,” said Zoe Timmerman, 15, Free State High School sophomore. “I think acting is just a really good chance to get out there and meet people and do something you wouldn’t normally do.”

The group of students took creative liberties with the play, which pleased Deanna Hanson-Abromeit and Derrick Abromeit, two of about 50 people in the audience.

The couple, parents of Lily Abromeit, 13, said the camp was a great opportunity for their daughter. Plus, “we needed some structure,” Deanna Hanson-Abromeit said. “We were at that point in the summer.”

She also respected how the camp was all-inclusive. Even a youth passing through South Park on his skateboard was recruited to join the camp.

Perry said with the success of the first summer, she’s excited about future programs. The Lawrence Youth Ensemble will also work on after-school projects at Central Junior High School and do performances throughout the year before another summer camp.

More than a dozen community volunteers helped with the sessions. The final performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be at 7 p.m. today in South Park, near 11th and Massachusetts Streets.