<p>PRFRMR20
Yes. My son was the cowardly lion last year. Were you in the show with him?</p>
<p>No I was not, I was in Celebration. However, he and I were in OTC and Master Voice together. We became good friends last summer and I know he is doin a great job with Javert!</p>
<p>-Zal</p>
<p>Hi all!
Just got back from 3rd session. I was cast in Runaways (the A show in the Forum with Matt Ferrel and Kristen). Amazing show. They had not done it at SDM since 1999 as it was very controversial and many parents got offended. It does not really have a plot and is more a set of monologues and songs about the experinces of being a runaway teenager. It was an amazing experince with an amazing cast. It was really a heavy ensemble show so everyone was featured a ton. I tried out for master acting but did not get in . Oh well lol. It was an amazing experince though.
Tenorsmom- You son was amazing in Les Mis. I cried so much. Iâm actually talking to him on aim now lol. But he is amazing and so talented and yeah.
I donât think I will be going back next year due to colleges but it was an amazing two years, and winning best ensemble along with Les miz and As It Is In Heaven was amazing.</p>
<p>DG, It is nice to get an update from you about your experience and I am glad for you that it was such a worthwhile time this year and that you enjoyed it so much. I hope we hear from some others who posted whose kids were in Godspell, High School Musical, and Les Mis, I believe. </p>
<p>They did Runaways, like you said, back in '99 when my D was there, though she was not in that show. The girl who was featured in it, is now at NYU and she is going to be off Broadway this fall in Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with Cynthia Nixon, and she is a terrific young actress. Also, Runaways was created by Liz Swados who is on the faculty of Playwrights Horizons at Tisch. My D thinks she is an incredible person with whom sheâd like to work. </p>
<p>I guess there was a big buzz at camp this session with the premiere of High School Musical, as it was covered in the news. Glad you had fun and hope to hear some other accounts of performance weekend. It sounds like it was, well, âamazingâ! :D</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>I just came back from performance weekend and Les Mis was wonderful. As was OTC. Iâve never seen a 3rd session OTC be that good before!</p>
<p>My daughterâs been going to SDM since 2004. This is the first year she stayed 2nd-3rd sessions (I couldnât believe she made it through without getting sickâŠalthough a lot of her cast had colds). Ironically, some of the kids wanted to be HSM and many of the ones cast in it, did not want to be there at all. HSM seems to be hit or miss with the kids - they either love it or hate it. My daughter did not like the movie; however, she liked SDâs version since the incredible Larry Nye directed it. The Disney producers came up to watch the show and also watched the show my daughter was in since they shared the same theater. Saturday nightâs performance was closed after everyone went in (unlike the other shows that allowed non-ticket holders entry even during intermission - since a lot of people try to see as many shows as possible and switch during intermission)</p>
<p>Les Mis was out of this world and the house was filled to the brim! I couldnât believe I sat in the very last row of the theater with all the dust and dirt flying about to see it (an amazing feat for myself since I have such allergic asthma) but it was so riveting I couldnât pull myself out (I began coughing right before intermission and left at that point as I didnât want to make it uncomfortable for the upstairs audience - I did order the DVD so I could see the rest of the show!). The Boyfriend was great, Anything Goes was great and so was Oliver! All the shows are fabulous and you very rarely here a complaintâŠlast year someone wanted to change shows because they didnât like the director, and that was permitted.</p>
<p>Also, a lot of kids bailed out after the 2nd week during session 2 and 3 (I had no clue, heard it this year while signing in) due to homesickness and the magnitude of the schedule which only gets worse during hell week. </p>
<p>They have been repeating a lot of the shows over these past 3 summers thoughâŠLes Mis, Hair, Pippin, Childrenâs Hour, Follies, Joseph⊠thereâs been a lot of talk on the boards about why this is happening since someone started a thread that SD doesnât repeat shows for 3 yearsâŠbut thatâs obviously not true. There are so many MTI shows so Iâm hoping next year there will be more new pieces to do. </p>
<p>Luckily, when you fill out your form, they ask what youâve been in so they donât recast you in the same play.</p>
<p>Sheâs had a nice mix of shows and parts and started at age 9âŠwith a minor supporting in Music Man, Amaryllis, and then went on to a lead at age 10 and this year had major supporting in 2 big shows so sheâs quite thrilled. She does a lot of regional and community theater back home, but more than anything, as Iâm sure everyone can attest to, itâs the ENDURING FRIENDSHIPS they make that buoy them through life. </p>
<p>There is always that difficult period of adjustment when they first come home ⊠the phone calls and emails seem to keep them together - she is dreading going back to school because none of her classmates share a love of theater like she doesâŠThey did A Midsummer Nightâs Dream at school last spring, and she played Helena and convinced a lot of her schoolmates to try out and promised theyâd love the experience and happily they did. </p>
<p>Some of the girls and guys didnât come back this year for a variety of reasons - not cast in as big a part as theyâd like to have been (canât blame them there as sometimes they do favor certain people) so they tried Interlochen and US Performing Arts Camps (I havenât heard whether they liked it or not yet)âŠsome have gone on to bigger and better. </p>
<p>Two girls my daughter met have landed roles âŠone as the lead in Annie on the National Tour (sheâs been doing it a year - age 12 - formerly was in American Girl) and the other started in American Girl as well (she is very talented - did one summer in a play, then decided at age 10 she wanted to be an actressâŠlanded American Girl 1 immediately, then was cast in American 2 girl soon to open âŠhowever, she went on tour with Annie as well as the understudy to Annie while playing another part and then was cast as Jane in Mary Poppins opening this NOvember on Broadway! Talk about beginnerâs luck! </p>
<p>My daughter has many friends at camp who do voiceovers on childrenâs shows (Blue Clueâs) and movies (Ant Bully) and one of her friends also just got the lead in Chronicles of Narnia the national tourâŠquite a few celebs children up there this year, and it made me happy to see that everyone gave both the children and the parents space when they arrived. Thatâs the beauty of the campâŠno one is impressed by whoâs there since there are so many talented children.</p>
<p>What I was surprised to hear was a few parents saying that their children were way beyond what stagedoor could offer so they wouldnât be coming backâŠmakes sense since it is very expensive. </p>
<p>My daughter and her friends (11-12) are all planning to meet monthly for little reunions and then will all audition for plays together in the areaâŠIâm happy because she didnât know these people before camp and now has friends she can relate to during the year.</p>
<p>Starsinmyeyes, welcome to the forum. I enjoyed reading your account of this summer, since it was the first summer my daughter wasnât at Stagedoor in the past eight years. Like your D, she also started going there at age nine. She is now in college for musical theater. </p>
<p>I totally agree about the enduring bonds/friendships at SDM and this is a HUGE part of my Dâs life and experience having gone there. She is still extremely close with many SDM pals now in college, and some even go to her college but for those who do not, they are in constant contact and hopefully their paths will cross again in the future.</p>
<p>You wrote:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Each person must pick what is the right fit for themselves. However, I canât fathom how anyone thinks they are âbeyond SDMâ. Some who attend donât think they are and theyâve been on Broadway, lol. </p>
<p>Off the top of my head, of my Dâs peers at SDMâŠI can think of several who have already been on Broadway before ever going to college, one as a lead. I can think of two heading to Broadway this fall, one as a lead. That doesnât even count the girl playing Jane in Mary Poppins on Bdway as she is not a friend of my Dâs. She has two friends who are leads on National Tours now. Another is the understudy to the lead on a National Tour. A few are about to appear and some already have appeared in well known off Broadway shows. One has performed for Andrew Lloyd Webber (she was at camp this summer too AFTER she had already done that). Many many have been in professional regional theater. These are just current Stagedoorians or recent graduates. That doesnât even get into the MANY alum who have made it on Broadway, Tour, TV, film, etc. Lots of those are well known.</p>
<p>As well, of kids my D attended camp with, theyâve gone onto BFA programs at UMich, CCM, CMU, Tisch, Steinhardt, Syracuse, UMiami, BOCO, USC, and Emerson. Others who got into BFA programs or wanted a BA path are doing theater at Brown, Yale, Cornell, Penn, Tufts, Northwestern, Vassar, to name a few. I donât think these kids were beyond SDM. Many went there for YEARS. Perhaps some currently attending think they are beyond such kids but to each their own. Some of the most talented kids I have ever seen were on SDM stages and many are already accomplishing a LOT in theater, and these are all still very young people. </p>
<p>My D never attended SDM to lead to something else. She attended because she loved it. It has been a huge influence and significant experience in her life that has contribued to who she is today. But it was never meant as a stepping stone to something else. It does turn out, in retrospect and reflection, that many who have attended, however, have gone on to excel in the field, and/or to study at great college programs.</p>
<p>Glad your D had a blast.</p>
<p>PS, I saw Jeff M.'s Les Mis three years ago and it was outstanding that year too.</p>
<p>Starsinmyeyes:
Was your daughter in âThe Boyfriend?â If so, my daughter was too! It was so well done considering how young many of the cast/ensemble members were. My family found it to be very light and entertaining. Well, I had another great weekend at SDM as a visiting parent. I saw âLes Misâ-what more can I say that already hasnât been said about that show?! I also saw âPride and Prejudiceâ, also very well done. I met Tenorsmom, a lovely person with an extremely talented son! I saw OTC for the first time and loved it of course. This was my Dâs third summer and she very much wants to go back next year. She already had many friends but made many more (she has been to session II in the past but likes session III the best because she can end her summer with SDM.) I agree with Soozievt, it is all about the personal experience for the child. My D is gaining skills that I feel will be useful in many professions, not just the performing arts. Each session at SDM she views as a challenge and she goes with goals set for herself. This past session, she met two of her goals (master acting class and OTC.) In addition, I canât think of a better way to get kids away from computers and television and let them experience good old-fashion fun and creativity! I know it is expensive but I feel most SDM parents will say it is money well spent.</p>
<p>OntheRunâŠit sounds like your D had a terrific summer. Kudos to her on Acting Master Class and OTC, which were two highlights of my Dâs experiences at SDM. I also agree that the experiences there are worthy even if a kid never pursues theater in college or beyond. My D used to go sessions two/three for years and eventually switched to sessions one/two. However, one drawback was when she had to leave after session two, it stung to have kids STILL at SDM and it wasnât really âoverâ for the summer there, even if the sessions were over. And yeah, when they get home, they go through âwithdrawalâ, LOL .</p>
<p>Glad you enjoyed The Boyfriend. That was the first musical my D was ever in at Stagedoor, back in '98. She was the youngest in the cast and played Nancy. I have such fond memories of that show, which was directed by Larry. When we watched it, our first production of many we would eventually see over the years in Loch Sheldrake, we were blown away at the level for a youth production. We just could not believe our eyes. It was nothing like home. The level of talent in that cast was amazing to us at the time. It is funny because 8 years later, my D and I were recently discussing where everyone is now that was in that âkiddie showâ (The Boyfriend) at SDM that year. I guess we were not off our rocker or just from the middle of nowhere (like we live) to think t hose kids were really talented. Thinking of the cast of The Boyfriend, and that doesnât even include the other 38 productions that went up that summerâŠone goes to CCM, one goes to Juilliard, three go to CAP21, one goes to another studio at Tisch, one is about to be a lead on the first National Tour of Jersey Boys, one is about to be the understudy to two leads in the first National Tour of Spelling Bee, and I canât recall the rest or donât know where some are now. I have seen so many more shows at camp and many more talented kids over the years, but I will always remember that first one we saw, The Boyfriend.</p>
<p>Silly me! I love that song, but how it rings true! </p>
<p>Okay, SoozieVT, I totally agree that people have gone to do great things after Stagedoor. My brother is an actor on Broadway which is how we found out about Stagedoor initiallyâŠotherwise, I probably wouldnât have discovered it! He is of the mind set that you go, have fun and at least you are amongst kindred spirit and doing what you love bestâŠ(dorm rooms asideâŠtee heeâŠIâm always the last mom out as I show up with the latex gloves, lysol spray and baby wipesâŠand leave a case of them in the room for the girls along with big bottles of liquid soap and PurellâŠhilariousâŠOne of the girls that graduated to Main 2 this year with my daughter (who is only 11 but they let her in because she became a âladyâ this year if you catch my drift, and her friend was going to be in main 2âŠBUT this little girl came equippedâŠshe had a security camera in the room and set it right upâŠand then my husband went downstairs and came back up because he forgot something and the door was closed with an alarm on it! He was afraid to even knock! She rigged it so that if any of the boys tried to get in, the whole room would be protectedâŠsirens would go off, etc⊠By the 2nd day, it was all dismantled!). </p>
<p>OntheRun, I am going to take a guess that your daughter was the brilliant Madame Dubonnet? My second guess would have to be the hilarious Hortense who was in a lot of the scenes with my daughter⊠If she was Mdm. Dubonnet, her voice and accent were impeccable beyond wordsâŠher love interest lives by where my daughter goes to school and there were 2 other girls in the cast from our area as wellâŠPercival Brown (Kikiâs love interest) was such a great guyâŠ</p>
<p>My daughter was Faye - the gal who David directed to always be concerned about her hair and a bit snootyâŠshe had the purple dress on and lifted up one of the Boyfriends! Her picture is in the 3rd session gallery. My daughter loved the cast! Her first year, she had Larry Nye for Music Man and loved him, then last year, they mistakenly (donât know how with the info right there) thought she was 13 and gave her the lead in Lucky StiffâŠwhich is one of my favorite plays (the dead uncle and the British nephew who never met in on a wild goose chase to find the millionsâŠwith Rita LaPorta, the mafia girlfriend, and Annabelle Glick (my daughter) the animal advocateâŠand they all wind up in Monte CarloâŠthis was only her 2nd play and she had over 225 lines, 3 solos and 3 duetsâŠI couldnât believe she was able to pull it offâŠHOWEVER, it was not without problemsâŠ</p>
<p>The original script was released which called for Harry Witherspoon and Annabel to spend the night in bed (au natural) and she was not OK with thisâŠthe camp called and explained this was NOT going to be the kiddie version (then they realized she was only 10)! Once I calmed my daughter down , and explained that the boy she was playing against was not 16 (he, too, looked older but was only 13) and there would be no frontal or any other nudity, she relaxedâŠso funny! They said she ran in there saying âmy family would be so upset if I had to play this partââŠthey thought it was cute that she was worried about itâŠIt was one of the more hilarious plays Iâve seen there only because the kids were younger and their delivery was preciousâŠand timing impeccable. There were locals who had come to see the show that were screaming from laughing so hard and one woman said to me in the bathroom âyou know, I think that Harry really likes your daughterâŠâ When I told my daughter, she said âewwwwwwwwww, mom donât even go thereâŠâ In a few years, Iâm sure it will all change!</p>
<p>At Christmas, my brother and I surprised my daughter, and had Mary Testa, the original Rita LaPorta, meet us for a pre-Christmas dinnerâŠmy daughter loved that part even though she played stoic AnnabelâŠmy brother knew Mary from other work they did together which is why she did him the favor of comingâŠit was great. </p>
<p>This year, she did 2nd session because all of her friends were coming back and got cast in Leader of the PackâŠshe had a solo and duet and I had to promise not to pony, watussi, frug, twist or jerk in the aisles (darn!)âŠIt was the music of Ellie Greenwich who wrote all the girl band songs of the 60âsâŠif you recall (theyâve done the show several times). My brother is in Hairspray with Darlene Love, so she sent her blessings up to the castâŠshe is one magnificent woman. </p>
<p>I tried to do a shadow box for each show, and I got the original cast album from Leader of the Pack and had Darlene Love sign that and an original playbill (all gotten on ebay FYI!)âŠand Iâm going to mount pix from the show around itâŠand we sent a letter off to Ellie Greenwich (who has a website and said she loves to hear from kids who have done the showâŠso weâll see if she respondsâŠif she does, Iâll include that too). </p>
<p>The Boyfriend is a bit tougher since they only have the memorabilia from the movie with Twiggy, but I did find a playbill bundled in with a series of 70 playbills but didnât bid on it as it was very high since they were vintage onesâŠI can wait! </p>
<p>I think the kids work even harder than they do on BroadwayâŠat least theyâve got several months to prepare for a roleâŠand then itâs just the show for 2 hoursâŠtheyâve got 3 weeks to prepare, plus go to classes, and participate in master dance, acting, OTC, or Players Ensemble if they are part of that as wellâŠexhausting! </p>
<p>I run into people that either have no clue about Stagedoor and pass rather unkind remarksâŠâitâs the rich kids campâ One woman, whose daughter really wanted to get into show business, said I only have my daughter do student films and independents and Iâm hoping some big producer will fall in love with her and make a movie about her⊠I didnât want to commentâŠbut she asked what my daughter does âall summerâ (they are the same age)âŠand I explained about STagedoor and she said her daughterâs agent told her that is the camp for kids who are not in the business or donât get work (her words)âŠSheâs one of the people that said her daughter was way beyond StagedoorâŠI explained there were a lot of kids working who came for the summer and they did TV and filmâŠand I mentioned the alumni, etcâŠbut her agent in Philly told her to stay away from the camp. </p>
<p>I said theater is a totally different animalâŠlook at Julia Roberts ⊠she realized that on Broadway as evidenced by her comments at the Tonyâs this year when she complimented everyone on being insanely talentedâŠit isnât easyâŠand Harry Connick said that if he gets tired when heâs performing, he lets the piano take overâŠbut when he signed up for the Pajama Game, he thought heâd have a heart attack after the first week of rehearsals because he had to move around so much on the stage and still keep singingâŠ</p>
<p>Sometimes if we do audition workshops, there have been a few that say donât put Stagedoor on the resume because it doesnât really count! While others say it is a big plus having it on ⊠a few of the kids even list every class they have taken at Stagedoor as part of their trainingâŠso you just donât know.</p>
<p>All I know is that my daughter is addicted. SoozieVT, how hard must it have been for your daughter not going back? Also, itâs just as exciting I think for the parents as wellâŠfinding out the parts, seeing the shows.</p>
<p>The only thing I might say is a negative are the awards ceremonyâŠI think everyone does a great job or the very best they can doâŠmy daughter has told me many a story of kids crying hysterically thinking it is a direct reflection of their performance and how one got it over another,etc. I think it is good to see all the great talent, but with the money it costs, to have the kids lose confidence is not such a good idea - especially the young onesâŠ2 girls my daughter knew didnât come back this year for specifically that reasonâŠthey did do a great job, but were shunned and who knows why and what the directors reasoning is behind it all, but the parents were mad because the camp told the girl who was in tears, that they only give awards to kids who need more confidence (???)âŠI would say that was not a rational answerâŠ</p>
<p>They are there to have fun not stress out over awards or anything elseâŠone dad did tell me heâs not sending his daughter back because she really should have gotten a better part and that she is cutting a record deal and he didntâ want this to demean herâŠ</p>
<p>Lots of people, lots of storiesâŠI already told my daughter that since we decided last minute (like the night before session 2 ended) that she could stay, next year, sheâd have to contribute if she wants to go for 2 sessions (weâll see if that happens, fingers crossed!).</p>
<p>Nice to meet you both!!!</p>
<p>Stars, your D sounds like she has had some great experiences so far at Stagedoor. It is very cool that your brother is on Broadway and so your young daughter must be in heaven with that exposure! </p>
<p>I forgot that David did Boyfriend this time but he also was the other director my D had her very first summer at SDM when she was 9 1/2 (Perfectly Frank) and had him again when she was 11 (Oklahoma) and I wish could have even worked with him again. Love him. </p>
<p>My daughter also moved to Main 2 at age 11 1/2. All her best pals at camp were older than herself and so she wanted to room with her closest friends and so when they moved to Main 2, she did (they were all at least 13 then) and when they moved to Main 3, she also did (at 13). And ya know, when they went to college, so did she, LOL. Seriously. She graduated early at sixteen. She identifies with this peer group in many levels.</p>
<p>You asked how she felt to not be back at SDM. I thought sheâd have a very hard time. However, 95% of her friends are no longer at SDM so it is not like everyone is there and sheâs not. She only had a couple of friends her true age and so they were back this summer but hardly any others were as they had gone to college. She said she thought sheâd be a mess but in the end, she said she felt totally fine because she knew she was ready to move on in her life, and she is. (This summer she is working at a professional theater in another state, not ours, all summer. So she has gone from being on Main 3 to living in a house on her own with a car where she didnât know anyone!) Last year, however, though she had already graduated HS, she did go back for one session (first session), though she always went two sessions. Most of her friends also were not back but a handful did go. But she wasnât ready to give up SDM and she was still 16, after all. It was especially poignant, though we never knew this when she signed up, because that March she was in a very serious car accident and severely injured and out of all her shows and dance performances for the remainder of the school year. She didnât even know if she would be able to go back to SDM. But she started walking four weeks before SDM began and the hope of returning, kept her spirits alive. She went back and it was her first time on stage since her accident and so it meant even way more than it just being her last time in a show at SDM, and her last OTC cast (was in 15 casts of OTC). She was cast as Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde with Jeff in the Elsie and we were just about crying seeing her on stage and dancing (including a kick line), if you knew the extent of her injuries. So, going back that last time to camp last summer was more meaningful than we could have imagined. It was like she had her life back. She was back at her âgame.â The last OTC performance at midnight was rather emotional for us all. The end of a big part of her childhood. If your D goes this long, youâll know what I mean. </p>
<p>So, your D was in Leader of the Pack? My D was in it in 2003. She played Ellie Greenwich. I thought this was a really fun show, the music and all. </p>
<p>About the kiddie shows, they do let younger kids play the leads. You donât have to be 13. My D was a lead in several kiddie shows at age 10 and 11. I donât know Lucky Stiff. But for example, she played Rose in Bye Bye Birdie when she was ten and Emma Goldman in TinTypes also at only ten. I dont even know if many ten year olds even know who Emma Goldman was! (she does of course, just saying) One thing at SDM is you see young kids doing sophisticated rolesâŠbe it in Sweeney Todd, Merrily we Roll Along, Jekyll and Hyde, Nine, etc. It is a cool opportunity because I have no clue when, if ever, my D is going to get to play a role like Lucy in Jekyll or Lilian La Fleur in Nine again! Not for some time, thatâs for sure! </p>
<p>Interesting stories you have related about some kids and parents you have run into at camp. There are ALWAYS kids who say they donât want to come back because they did not get good enough roles. Well, you canât go to SDM and have it all be about what role you get. Um, even BFA programs are like this. Uh, theater is like this! It is about the experience. Nobody is too good to be in ensemble. I mean, kids who have played leads at SDM already, then go on to play ensemble. My D has been in ensemble after being a lead. SDM is about the training/classes, the immersion in theater and the intensity of that, the being with others who share your passion, working with professional directors/choreographers and musical directors, being in high level youth theater productions with small casts where each child can be seen, putting together shows in just 2 1/2 weeks time on top of classes, etc. The bonds and friendships are a huge part of it too. It is an experience. If someone is there just to get a role they want, they are in for a rude awakening. Not every kid can be a lead every time. This also isnât like home where one may stand out in the local community. At SDM, you get kids from all over the country (and other countries) who very well may stand out in their home communities and so the âcompetitionâ for parts is much harder. For any kid going into theater, time to get used to that. It doesnât get any better than this, likely worse. If someone wants summer camp where everybody is made to feel the same, this isnât the place. SDM is not for everyone. There are folks who complain that not every kid can be in OTC. Not every kid can be in Master Class. So on and so forth. Well, even back home, not every kid makes the varsity team. Not every kid makes the dance squad. And so on. It is part of life. If a kid canât take this, theater may not be the field. Iâm all for positive stroking but not everything can be positive stroking to the point where it is not like real life. Not every kid has to win a prize to make it fair. The prize should be the experience itself. For kids who cry that they didnât get an award for âbest Xâ, Iâd be more concerned with what lessons they are taught about that. Handling not getting a prize is something kids need to learn to deal with. </p>
<p>I have never heard of not putting a SDM credit on a childâs resume. My D has auditioned for Broadway and such and has had auditors take notice. A couple of times, they have said, âyou go there? I went there too!â I also believe the college programs know of it as well. </p>
<p>I hardly can believe the words of that agent either. There are agents who LOOK for talent at SDM. My D has had agents or managers call her who saw her there. A Tony winning Broadway director saw her in a show there and has contacted her since then. Other kids have also gotten representation by those who came to âscoutâ at the camp. My Dâs agent represents many who are on Broadway. She is well known in NYC. Some of these same kids on Broadway also went to SDM. In a million years, I canât imagine her saying that about SDM. I can think off the top of my head of a girl who was in OTC with my D for several years who has the same agent, who has been in two Broadway shows, was recently cast as a principal role in another one coming to Broadway and had to âgive it upâ because she is now cast as the lead in another show coming to Broadway, that sheâd be originating the role for. Now, this is NOT why someone should go to SDM AT ALL. We never chose this camp for anything to do with where it would ever lead. My child chose it at age nine because she wanted to go to a theater immersion summer program. She returned every year because she LOVED it. We never considered any change after that because if our kid was happy, that was all that mattered, NOT where it may lead. It so happens, all of her peers and herself, have gone onto pursue this in college and beyond. I know they all will credit SDM for being a big influence and significant part of their lives. Also theater is a small world. SDM is like a network. Even the job my D has in NYC while she goes to college, is at a theater related company which is owned by SDM alums. The owners/directors didnât know my child personally but when she contacted them about a job, they knew âof herâ from SDM, having visited the camp from time to time.</p>
<p>For those who do not wish to return because they didnât like their casting, they didnât win an award, or they are âabove SDMâ, then it isnât for them. Iâm not sure the theater life is quite for them either because those ways of thinking arenât going to go over well. PassionâŠitâs about passion.</p>
<p>Starsinmyeyes:
My D was Mme Dubonnet and thank you for your kind words! She had a great time with the cast and with the director. Your D was adorabale! I feel so much about this business (and I am not in it nor do I know anyone in it) is about attitude. My Dâs voice teacher is wonderful about teaching my D a simple lesson -that in this business, it will never be about what my D wants, it will always be about what the directors want and the sooner she realizes that, the more fun she will have. When the casts lists went up and she saw they were doing âLes MisââŠwell, what soprano wouldnât want to be Cosette?! But she was very happy that she got a role with singing because she knows how tough it is to get any role at SDM. When she started playing the role, she realized what a great learning opportunity it was for her with the singing, french accent, etc. She has since told her Dad and me she how glad she was to have played Mme Dubonnet because of the unique experience she has gained. I have got to think that a kidâs attitude from previous sessions weighs heavily when SDM casts returning campers. All these parents that are teaching their kids that SDM isnât good enough for them or the directors donât know what they are doing are hurting their kids so much in the long run. Will your daughter be going to third session next summer? If so, I hope we get a chance to meet in person!</p>
<p>Ontherun, </p>
<p>I so much agree that the kidsâ attitudes will be noticed by those who cast the shows and those who direct them. How some conducts themselves in terms of attitude and work ethic goes a long way (in either direction) when it comes time to cast the next session or year. This is not only true at SDM but true in the real world. Kids who complain to Konnie about parts (or their parents do) are going to affect things the next time around. I have never contacted the camp about anything of this sort. My child has never complained and loved the entire SDM experience so much that it was fun no matter the role. There were some shows where she was dying to just be ensemble in order to be in a more challenging production (or older one) or with a particular director. I remember one time when she was cast in Little Me (two very small speaking roles, rest of time ensemble) she was thrilled beyond belief to be in that show, her first Michael Larson show (who is no longer there, but was head of MT for 25 years and director of OTC as well). It was an amazing show. The lead boy is about to go on tour as a Jersey Boy!! </p>
<p>I can think of only one time when she felt some disappontment about her show but for just reasons, but she never ever complained about it. For a few years, she had played leads in the so called âkiddie showsâ. When she was 11/12, she really preferred to be a much smaller part in an older show than a lead in the kiddie ones. She was put in older shows a few times then, including in parts. So, she had moved on from the kiddie shows by that point. When she came back at age 13 1/2, she was entering ninth grade that summer. While still 13, she was young in her grade because she had entered K early. That year in 8th grade before coming to camp, she had taken classes with seniors in HS, was the lead in the HIGH school drama and the HIGH school musical. So, she was used to functioning with older, not younger groups. Even at SDM, she was in the older kidsâ shows the previous summer. That first session at 13, however, she was cast as a big part in the kiddie show, Barnum. Many might be thrilled to get a big part but for her it wasnât about the part but more about the appropriate level of challenge and peer group. The cast was very young. She went from doing shows with high schoolers to doing a show with kids in elementary school. She never complained. None of her friends/peers (who are ALL OLDER than herself) were in this cast. I think the director used her as a sort of assistant. She never said a word to anyone at the camp but just did her part and tried to enjoy it as she does love musical theater. On performance weekend, several directors greeted me and commented that they knew her casting was a mistake and the show was too young for her but they all complimented her on the fact that she made the best of it and never complained. They noticed. The next session, she was in Michael Larsonâs show, an older show, and thrilled to have a smaller part than the previous session, just because the level of the show and the cast was more appropriate. Looking back on this, Iâm smiling at the thought that she was in the kiddie show (Barnum) just three years before entering CAP21, LOL. </p>
<p>That summer, she unexpectedly stayed three sessions because long story, but she had switched to first and second session after having gone second/third for years, because she was contracted to perform at Lincoln Center on third session performance weekend. She almost had turned down the offer at Lincoln Center (I literally had my hand on the phone to turn down the contract!) because at 13, she could not bare to switch her SDM sessions because of who goes which session! Thatâs how you know how attached these kids get! But she did switch in order to perform at Lincoln Center (she came to her senses). On my way to second session performance weekend, and to take her home, a call came from Lincoln Center that the orchestra went on strike and the performances were all canceled that month. I didnât know how Iâd tell my kid she had switched sessions for nothing. So, she ended up staying for third session. Then she was cast as a stepsister in Cinderella, an older kidsâ show, directed by Jacob Brent (who was the original Mr. Mistofelles in CATS, and who she is still friends with and just had lunch with in NYC). So, if kids approach these things with the right attitude, the camp notices and in the end, she has gotten some good parts. But she also enjoyed the smaller ones because being AT SDM was the MAIN thing. And all these kids who played leads there now are thrilled if they even get ensemble in a BFA program production. In this field, as you go to the next level, you have to start over again. So, attitude really really matters.</p>
<p>Iâm so glad I registered for this website forum! The Lord sure works in funny ways! I came on because I wanted to do some research for my nephew (whose father cannot handle research at allâŠ) and per chance searched StagedoorâŠwhat are the chances?!
I had just said to my daughter, it is such a shame they donât have a message board somewhere out in the info-universe for the parents of SDM kidsâŠthey one for the campers and alumni on site, but rightfully so, not the parents (wouldnât be pretty if some parents wanted to vent!).<br>
OntheRun, I hope we will meet next year - I could definitely have seen your daughter in Les MisâŠbut she played Mdm Dubonnet perfectlyâŠdoes she speak fluent French or is she just a master of accentsâŠbetween her singing and her French accent, she was a force to be reckoned withâŠmajor talent!<br>
What I also enjoy seeing is how the kids change year to yearâŠthey are growing up (but weâre not getting older, theyâre just catching up - I wish!). My daughter is always with older girlsâŠsame situation as yours SoozieâŠthe girls are all 13-15 and even at school she is always with the 7th and 8th gradersâŠmine is an only child and I see that a lot with onliesâŠOne girl she met this year, donât know if I mentioned it, is 13 and starting Med school! She wants to come back next year for sureâŠshe saved a manâs life in a restaurant when she was 7 after seeing something on Oprah (his lung collapsed and she screamed for her mother to get a straw, knife and vodka) and he came back to lifeâŠshe realized then she wanted to be a doctorâŠshe was written up in the papers when this happened.
She is very modest about it but it came up because someone was choking on a popsicle stick believe it or not (a guy playing around) and she rushed to save himâŠthe kids wanted to know how she was so calm and knew what to do and then it slowly came outâŠSo many kids are there for fun and donât have acting aspirations which is a nice mix. My daughter started out singing and dancing for my parents when they were terminally ill, and then when my dad went into a nursing home at the very endâŠshe became the nightly entertainment and sang and danced and read to all the people while they ate dinnerâŠshe was only 5 and 6 thenâŠit beat therapy for sureâŠthen she decided she liked performing so we did Missoula Theater when they came to town in the summerâŠand grew from thereâŠshe approached us at age 8 to go away to camp (I was a wreck) and she found a camp in VT - Camp Farwell for girls - she did it for 2 weeks and cried when she had to leaveâŠshe liked it but didnât make many friends as no one was into theaterâŠit was a generalized campâŠthen Stagedoor arrived at age 9 and thereâs no turning back for herâŠ
I wonder when the camp will do âSame Time, Next Yearâ (theyâd have to re-write the script but wouldnât that be somethingâŠhow the kids meet once a year over several years from youth to teens and beyond!)âŠ
This year, somehow I think I created a dilemma for myself by letting her stay 2 sessionsâŠShe went 3rd session first year and met so many nice friendsâŠbut then she switched to 2nd session last year because a close friend did and because they were celebrating the 30th anniversary ⊠she loved the kids that she met and agreed to come back 2nd session again this yearâŠmade more new friends and lots of onlies like herself and then reconnected with the first year friends who came back to 3rd sessionâŠ
So now this year, having done both 2nd and 3rd sessions, she said âwell, mom, I guess iâll have to go to both sessions next year because I cannot disappoint all my friendsâŠâ HM, me thinks Iâve been hadâŠ(LOL).<br>
If we can afford it next year, I would be so happy to let her do 2 sessions again - we have to pray for a prosperous year somehowâŠthis year was a good test to see how she could handle the 6 weeks - sheâs independent and never gets homesick (even when she started school at age 2 at montessori - she went into the class, and I was the lunatic outside cryingâŠshe comforted all the other kids because she was so use to seeing me caretaking both my parents in our homeâŠI guess it rubbed off - the teachers used to laugh because sheâd pat the kids on the back, bring them a book and stuffed animalâŠit was hilarious). Also, not getting sick and run down over 6 weeks was a major hurdleâŠshe now has a cold as I think her body finally relaxed and let goâŠ<br>
I do agree with both of you 100% about attitudeâŠwhen my daughter asked if she had to audition again for 3rd session, they told her that Konnie knew her voice and they get feedback from the directors each year about the students and she did great but she wanted to audition again anyway so they let herâŠShe loves auditioning and thank God she is one of those people who goes in, does it and then lets it go afterwards - she just doesnât care if she gets a part or notâŠher attitude is that she did her best and thatâs that. She loved ensemble this year for the same reasonâŠshe was with the older girlsâŠand in the Romano -
I am also thrilled to know that SDM is a positive on the resumeâŠMy daughter is bugging me to send out her resume to agents/managers, but Iâm not so sure yet. Sheâs my only child, and I think her school would frown on it if I had to take her out for auditions during the dayâŠsheâs in a private all-girl school.<br>
I think I might know which agent you are referring to Soozie, if itâs the one who comes yearly to talkâŠmy daughter and her granddaughter have been friends since they started and roommates - this is the first year they were in a play togetherâŠshe was there along with her daughter to watch and gave my daughter lots of warm fuzzies and complimentsâŠshe also knows of my brother (which I didnât know) and represents the young girl in Mary Poppins who is playing Jane.<br>
My brother, although he is in the business, is clueless when it comes to young performers since he came out of Yale School of Drama (grad) years agoâŠheâll give advice here and there but I think my daughter gets so excited about the whole MT scene, she thinks she needs a manager/agent because a lot of the kids have oneâŠI think sheâs great because sheâs my daughter, but who knows what the real world is looking forâŠand you are right - itâs what the CDâs are looking forâŠone girl did get a manager when he came up to look in 2004, but he hasnât gotten her much work except a few voiceovers for books but her mom is fine with that since she too has a problem leaving school.
I think my daughter had only one bad director in these 4 sessions - I say bad because she really didnât give much direction to anyone and used a lot of 4 letter wordsâŠwas abusive to 2 kids who had ADD and finally the kids themselves all collectively got together at the end and reported itâŠI knew nothing about it until AFTER the shows were over (there was also a problem with one of the girls in my daughterâs room as well which was a very major ordeal but again I didnât know until afterwards)âŠI think the kids feel if they tell their parents, weâll pull them out so theyâd rather endure all the verbal abuse and stay and perform and then deal with it! But this person hasnât been back thank GodâŠI was going to ask if the person was coming back and then request that my daughter not be in any of her plays because it was really traumatizing for all the kids to hear that kind of talkâŠthese were youngsters 9-13âŠBut it gave me a really good feeling that they went as a group to talk about it with the administration to show it wasnât 1 or 2 kids with ill feelingsâŠVery empowering.
Soozie sounds so wonderful all the experience and wonderful times your daughter has had and is havingâŠand how awful that must have been to have your daughter in a serious car accident - I was in 2 of them in my life and one where my car spun out and went under a truck - during that time everything felt like it was going in slow motion and I knew that in a split second Iâd either be dead or in a horrible stateâŠI prayed if I was going to survive, Iâd be unconscious until I could handle itâŠa miracle happened and my car was pinned under the truck and I only walked out of there with a concussion and fractured kneecapâŠI am thankful to this dayâŠbut it is scary and quite paralyzing as I was petrified to drive again but did so soon after so the fear would not rule my lifeâŠGod bless her and her wonderful recovery!
I wish you both lots of good luck and Iâm thrilled I have a place to chat about SDMâŠdid you hear that some of the leads from High School Musical are going to be on the Today show? Not sure if they will be or just the video from the showâŠitâs unclear but was posted on the websiteâŠAlso, STARZ cable station came 2nd session and some of the kids got to introduce moviesâŠmy daughter and another girl are introducing The greatest game ever played (I think thatâs the name) but not sure if or when it will air - we all had to sign permission slips when we got there in JulyâŠ
Talk to you soon!</p>
<p>Ontherun and starsinmyeyes, your D.s was amazing in the little I saw of them during the sneak peak for the boyfriend. I wish I could have seen it as I heard it was very good. As I said last year I am glad this thread has gotten so much discussion going about the wonderful place that is Stagedoor Manor. Well,back to doing college audition stuff. Eep</p>
<p>Hi Defying Gravity!<br>
Thanks for the compliments! What show were you in this year? How long have you been going?</p>
<p>Hi All,</p>
<p>I have a question about after school activitiesâŠIâm crazed trying to figure out what is really necessaryâŠWe did ballet for many years and Nutcracker with NYC ballet and ABTâŠbut then gave it up because it was all consuming at the ballet school my daughter was going toâŠshe was NOT planning on being a ballerinaâŠso we focused on theater classes and voice/piano. Then last year, my daughter wanted to go back to dance so we went to a different school with performance groups and companyâŠshe did ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater and then voice lessons but that was nearly every day of the week and Saturday morningsâŠit was too much because she was in 5th grade and in a new school where she had to be in by 7:30am and then we were getting home at nearly 8pm on some nights (school is 45mins-to an hour away). She only did drama and a show at school.</p>
<p>This year we switched voice teachers and she is an hour from our home - we do 45 mins with her. My daughter wants to participate in a show outside of school and audition for some of the regional theaterâŠand maybe do danceâŠI"m petrified to start signing up for anything at this point because we have to factor in homeworkâŠIâm thinking down the road for college.</p>
<p>What classes are really important to get into the good schoolsâŠIâm assuming you need to be a triple threat? How do you all balance your schedulesâŠI see a lot of the kids who spend hours and hours at the dance studios but they suffer at school, and I donât want that to happen at all.<br>
My daughter wants to be strong in voice and acting but I wondered if taking intensives in NYC is better than doing shows or vice versa. </p>
<p>There is a place about an hour from us called Random Farms Kids that a lot of kids go to and is well respected in the city by agents and the shows are pretty much on par with Stagedoor and held in large music halls with excellent directorsâŠQuite a few kids have gone on national tours and done TV and film as well. My daughter just wants to have some fun during the year with kids that really love theater (which she doesnât seem to find elsewhere). </p>
<p>How do you or did you handle the younger years? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>While I canât comment on the quality of NYC intensives I can say that I have found the most educational setting to be working with smart and talented actors in a show where I have constant opportunities to try new things and meet new people and learn a whole lot. </p>
<p>As far as extra curriculars for college go, I donât think it is the quality of them so much as the existance of them. In high school I mainly was involved in my (public not performing arts) schoolâs theatre dept. as well as other school activities. I had a couple of outside activites ,but it was mostly school related. And I did just fine. An important thing to remember is that in the case of BFA programs, most of them are going to weight the admission process 90% audition and 10% other. It may be even more than that at some schools. So while a well rounded set of extra curriculars might help tip the scale in your favor if it is close between your daughter and another student, they are far from being the thing that you should worry about. They matter much more in a regular, non arts, education.</p>
<p>One more thing, you should try to get you daughter involved in non theatre/music/dance extra curriculars. I had some and I am sure that it helped me. In addition to all the theatre stuff and voice lessons and everything, I had soccer, debate team, mock trial, forensics team, tennis and a bit of community service is usually looked well upon. And remember, they donât know how old you were when you did the stuff so you can put everything that youâve done since you were 6 years old potentially!</p>
<p>Isaac, colleges want you to record activities done from ninth through twelfth grades on applications. Some activities may have started BEFORE ninth grade and continued on through high school. If an activity was done prior to ninth grade but then not at all in HS, it should not be listed on the activity resume or list on an application. Applications ask you to list which grades you did the activity in, how many hours per week and how many weeks per year. So, they want grades ninth through twelfth. Since many of my kidsâ activities were done from 9-13 years, they noted on their activity resume for those activities AFTER putting down the years of high school, hours, weeks, etc., how many total years theyâd been doing it such as â12 yearsâ. But they did not put on activities they had done prior to HS which were not continued in HS. In fact, on an application, they could not have filled in which grades from 9-12 they had one it during! For instance, my D who is in a BFA program was a ski racer for six years, on soccer team for 8 years, in figure skating for 9 years and in horseback riding for five years but none of those continued in HS and none of those were listed on her activity list. She had plenty of other activities that were from a young age through high school that were listed on a three page activity resume. So, NO, people should NOT list everything they have done since they were six years old unless those activities are continued on through HS. I say this as a college counselor well versed in the college admissions process.</p>
<p>Have a great year at BOCO!</p>
<p>Thanks much to both of youâŠknowledge is power.</p>
<p>Soozie, that is fabulous being a college counselorâŠit seems like a painstaking process (Iâm nowhere near that, but I thought Iâd start planning ahead to make sure I equip my daughter with the right classes)</p>
<p>My other concern is where does everyone find the time for all the activities? My daughterâs school requires she start a sport this year (which my husband is happy about! He is in finance,but was a professional soccer play for years in sweden before coming here to go to grad school at U of P)âŠsports teachers always say ballet is great for sports but my daughterâs previous dance teacher would say that sports are not good for dancersâŠand we exempt the child from it. </p>
<p>My daughter was so exhausted last year as every class we have to take is at a distance so between school and then the driving BOTH of us were useless by the weekend. </p>
<p>I agree that you should list 9-12 on the resume; however, it makes sense to say youâve been dancing, for example, for more years than that if your dancing exhibits it. There are many students who take dance year after year but never really reach that turning point (no pun intended)âŠso if you list it, you better be very advanced. But if you donât continue with dance, then how competitive would you be for a BFA program? Donât you need that? </p>
<p>I can see for Juilliard if you are focusing on one discipline, i.e. music, dance, but for most other programs, like CCM, NYU, etc. donât you need to be good at all of it? Forgive me if I sound ignorantâŠI donât want to kick myself if I start dropping classes and then my daughter will say âwhy did you make me stop?ââŠbut on the other hand, if she doesnât need themâŠyou can save a lot of time, money and wear and tear on the old bod! </p>
<p>As for other things, my daughter has been involved with peace initiatives with the UNA/UN, State Deptâs International Visitor program, and Citizen Diplomacy. We live in an area that is conducive to thatâŠthe founder of the program was Eleanor Rooseveltâs personal assistant and helped form the original UNA back in 1946âŠshe passed away in 2002 and then the daughter of a former secy general took overâŠmy daughter started helping when she was just 3 and then it graduated from thereâŠWe brought Voices of Youth and Taking It Global, as well as peace education and awareness into the schools, focusing on International Day of Peace, UN Day and other multicultural eventsâŠthese days itâs about the achievement of the millenium development goalsâŠbut we never focus on security council or political issues within the UNâŠitâs more about children helping children and their causes around the world.</p>
<p>My daughter also a lot of community service (and in fact they start them young in school but there are other mandatory projects at school)âŠwe would like to start a Performers for Peace group - for when the delegates come up from the UN or State DeptâŠThere are a lot of galas that go on and we like to have a group of children performing ⊠my daughter performs, and Iâve done programs with her classes over the years so they can perform as well as talent from local music/dance schoolsâŠthe UN also has their own singers and bring in indigenous groups to perform as well. </p>
<p>Have you ever participated in workshops in NYC with Diane Hardin or Acteen or any of the other classes listed? There are just so many, itâs overwhelmingâŠStella Adler has a junior program and a few othersâŠI subscribe to BAckstage and NY Castings for workshops/auditions and Mandy.com for student films/independentsâŠIt is rare we audition, but itâs good to know whatâs out there.</p>
<p>Have you ever gone to Actorfest? Each year I seem to miss it, but am going with 2 other stagedoor moms and weâll take the girls⊠<a href=âhttp://www.actorfestny.com%5B/url%5Dâ>www.actorfestny.com</a> </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>