Director Danika Simon guides the choreography for a full cast dance number by the Take Two Players on Friday during the first week of the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts 2026 Theater Camp at the Newport Performing Arts Center. (Angela Nebel/Lincoln Chronicle)Harnessing the talent and exuberance that only 56 kids can deliver to the stage, the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts 2026 Theatre Camp is ready to showcase three live performances on Friday, July 31.
For the past week, the Newport Performing Arts Center has been a hub of activity, teaching the students not only the finer points of acting, but also set design, costuming, choreography, and more.
Director Jen Hamilton, top left, and assistant director Tess Dziak look on as Zoie Evans delivers her performance, complete with blue make-up. Evans, an accomplished dancer, also helped with choreography for the short play “Return of the Script.” (Angela Nebel/Lincoln Chronicle)Camp director Jen Hamilton said students gain far more than just stage experience during the two-week camp. “The thing about theater for youth and with youth is that it really builds confidence and helps them develop communication skills,” Hamilton said. “There are so many soft skills these kids learn just by doing theater. Teamwork, how to talk to people, how to interact — it is like they are a sports team because they are working toward a common goal.”
Campers are divided into three groups, delivering three very different plays. Under the direction of Alex Herd, the Act One Players will perform Disney’s The Aristocats Kids. This youngest group will be the first to take the stage at 11 a.m. Friday. When the curtain opens at 1 p.m., the Take Two Players will deliver the song and dance of Disney’s High School Musical Jr., directed by Danika Simon. The afternoon finale happens at 3 p.m. with Return of the Script performed by the Prime Time Players under Hamilton’s direction.
The public is invited to enjoy any or all performances and show their support. As one young performer commented, “I hope when I look out, this place is packed and every seat is full.” Tickets are $5 per show and can be purchased at the PAC box office or by phone or online at www.coastarts.org.
— Angela Nebel/Lincoln Chronicle
Rehearsing on the Alice Silverman Theater stage, Finnegan Allison, left, and Leo Rieke pause to review the script under the guidance of director Alex Herd. (Angela Nebel/Lincoln Chronicle)
