Building Confidence

One Curtain Call at a Time

Winnsboro Center for the Arts’ Musical Theater Camp Returns for Its Third Year

By Sharon Harper

For two weeks each summer, the stage at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts becomes much more than a place for children to sing and perform. It becomes a classroom for confidence, creativity, resilience, teamwork, and bravery.

Now in its third year, Marilee’z Kidzz Musical Theater Camp invites children ages 9 to 12 into the exciting and sometimes challenging world of live theater. Under the direction of experienced performers and instructors Gale Gilbert and Chace LeBlanc, students immerse themselves in every aspect of the production process, learning firsthand what it takes to bring a musical to life.

From auditions and acting to choreography, singing, costuming, set design, prop creation, lighting, and sound, campers experience theater from every angle. Rather than simply memorizing lines and songs, the children become part of a collaborative creative team where every role matters. At the heart of the camp is a mission that goes far beyond performance.

The directors hope each child leaves with more than stage experience. They want students to build confidence, learn resilience, understand how to accept correction and direction, collaborate with others, project their voices and personalities, and discover the courage to try something new.

“Musical theater teaches life skills in ways children don’t even realize at first,” Gilbert says. “They learn to trust themselves, support each other, and keep going even when something feels difficult.” LeBlanc add, “I get emotional watching these children discover their confidence and develop a love for the arts.”

This year’s production, Broadway Beat, features a Broadway revue showcasing selections from both classic and contemporary musicals. The production gives students the opportunity to explore how musical theater evolves over the decades while adapting their performances to different styles and genres.

Campers perform pieces from beloved productions including The Music Man, The King and I, and Give My Regards to Broadway, while also stepping into the modern theatrical world with selections from Wicked and other contemporary productions.

The contrast between old and new Broadway productions becomes part of the educational experience itself. Students learn how storytelling, music, movement, and performance styles change over time and how performers adapt to each unique production.

After two weeks of instruction, rehearsals, collaboration, and creativity, the camp culminates in two public performances on the final day at 1:15 p.m. and again at 6 p.m.

For many of the young performers, stepping into the spotlight feels a little intimidating at first. But by the time the curtain rises, they have already learned one of theater’s greatest lessons: courage often begins the moment you decide to try.

Somewhere between the music, the costumes, the missed dance steps, the laughter backstage, and the applause at the end, these children discover that the stage is not just a place to perform. It is a place to grow. To learn more about programs offered at Winnsboro Center for the Arts, visit winnsborocenterforthearts.com