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Sisters Mary Catherine Schimpf and Julie Drexler are giving children a behind-the-scenes lesson of musical theater performance with their two-week Musical Theatre Camp, held twice each summer at Chattanooga Christian School. This summer’s second session is June 29 through July 10.
“I completely believe that everybody can find a spot in theater,” said Schimpf, high school theater director at CCS. “Each kid finds it in two weeks.”
This summer’s performance is “Disney’s Cinderella Kids,” a 45-minute version of the fairy tale written for kids, with the songs most children recognize from the Disney movie.
High schoolers Kay Caldwell, Sally Stroud, Tay Tay Stroud and Callie Driver, from left, volunteer to help direct Musical Theatre Camp at Chattanooga Christian School.
Students get their own script books. They learn their lines, songs, stage placement, choreography, and come up with a few of their own costumes, all in 10 days. A performance open to parents and the public marks the end of the camp.
“You can see an entire show come together right before your eyes,” said Schimpf. “A lot of kids don’t have the opportunity to start something and see it work.”
Students are 5 years old to 13. Schimpf said the middle age group in particular usually end up leading everyone else through the choreography.
“Sometimes they learn a dance faster than my high schoolers would,” said Schimpf.
The sisters said every child rises to the occasion to get the performance to-gether.
“Their minds have way more capacity than you might think,” said Drexler. “There’s always ownership. They just take care of each other.”
The sisters said the incubator effect helps uncover personality traits that would never surface otherwise.
“Their little minds start popping with ideas as soon as we start,” said Schimpf.
She said she and Drexler use as many camper ideas as they can for costumes, set design and programs. Each child even writes a bio for the program.
“It’s really funny the things they say,” said Drexler. “And then they’ll see their names in the program.”
Schimpf and Drexler have been running this camp for seven years.
They grew up attending an urban, after-school theater camp in St. Louis, Mo., and began their own camp there.
“Mary Catherine is really, really, really, really particular and sees big pictures,” said Drexler. “I feel like I’m the grout.”
CCS high school students volunteer to help the sisters run the camp.
“They have a huge impact on the feel of the camp,” said Schimpf. “The kids really look up to them. They are the ones who were in that show they saw last year.”
Student Sally Stroud said she shows up at camp every day to “share the joy of musical theater with the kids.”
“It’s just a lot of fun to help the kids and see them come out of their shells,” Sally said.
Schimpf and Drexler said they aim for an excellent, flawless show and personal bests, but more than that they want the children to have fun, find a niche in musical theater and love it.
“Our big thing is learning to balance those two things and choosing case by case which is more important,” said Schimpf.
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