“Interlochen was founded in 1928 and is located in beautiful northwest lower Michigan. This camp is not just for theatre kids, it’s for all artists, dance, creative writing, art, music, etc. Interlochen Arts Camp is a household name if you are a student in the arts. The faculty – all seasoned professionals – demand adult-size dedication and performances from the kids. Every three weeks, 14 full-scale productions come to life. Since 1976, a new crop of campers have stepped onto these stages each summer to begin an intense, thrilling and magical introduction to professional theater. It’s where Natalie Portman, Robert Downey Jr., Ansel Elgort, Lea Michele, Jon Cryer, and many others got their start as kids. “Before there was Glee or American Idol, there was Stagedoor Manor, a theater camp in the Catskills where casting directors came to find the next generation of stars. Stage Door Manor is another place that always contacts me about sending students their way. My friends did this one in high school and they loved it.

The oldest and largest university-based program of its kind, NHSI offers studies in Theatre Arts, Film & Video, and Debate. Students are affectionately known as “Cherubs,” a name given to them in the 1930s by Northwestern Dean Ralph Dennis whose goal, “to bring together gifted young people and superior teachers in an atmosphere of affection, knowledge, and trust,” is still upheld today. “Since 1931, the National High School Institute, a nonprofit organization, has brought outstanding students to Northwestern University’s Evanston campus for intense educational experiences. If you are a current junior, the Northwestern Cherubs is amazing! Most applications are open now and will close soon, so check these places out!! If you are thinking about what you should do this summer, possibly think of summer camp. Theatre summer camps are a great way to hone your craft, meet new people, have fun and see a different way of doing theatre! Milwaukee has some great day camp options downtown, but there are always sleep away camps as well.

Mpulse summer program