_edited_edited.jpg)
From Child Actor to Youth Director
Theater Camps in Lynchburg
For many of us who grew up with the Lynchburg theater scene, we can recall a time where our performing options were different. Sure, we could always do school plays and there might be an occasional children's show in the area. But for the most part, we performed in community theater shows if there were roles for children. This was different than children's theater; these were shows with adults in adult roles, children in child roles. Think Annie, The Music Man, The Sound of Music - family friendly musicals. In fact, it was well-known that the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center would always have a big summer musical for the entire family to participate in. For youth growing up in the 80's and 90's, this was our primary exposure to theater.
​​
The landscape has now changed. While you can still find community theater shows with child roles, Lynchburg theaters have become heavily involved in youth theater camps and showcases. Nearly every theater in the area offers some type of theater camp for children of all ages and experience levels. There is something unique about two of the camps being offered this summer: they are being run by former Lynchburg community theater child actors.
Erin Foreman and Neal Tosi in their first community theater show at the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center - Annie, 1992
Erin Foreman and Neal Tosi both got their start in the same community theater production in 1992. The Lynchburg Fine Arts Center did a production of Annie, directed by Roger Miller and choreographed by Linda Nell Cooper. Erin played Tessie, and Neal played one of the orphans in the chorus. "Annie got me hooked," says Tosi. "Working with Linda Nell Cooper and existing in such a grand set was magical." Foreman shares the same sentiment. "My dad had directed plays and encouraged me to audition. After that, I was hooked!" Children in community theater shows usually had no formal training or classes for theater. Their experience was limited to whatever they learned through these productions. "After being in Annie, I wanted to do more theatre," shares Foreman. "I was involved in summer shows at the Fine Arts Center but during the year, there wasn't much for kids." Theater opportunities could still be found in school, particularly at Dunbar Middle School and E.C. Glass High School, of which Tosi and Foreman are alumnae of both. But theater programs weren't available at many of the schools in the area at the time, so many students still didn't have access to theater.
Tosi continued with theater as he grew. "In college, I got to delve into improv and sketch. Eventually I was able to work professionally in Chicago as a performer and educator." Tosi was hired out of college to teach Drama in Chicago, which helped him transition from being on stage to working more as a director and mentor. But acting is never far for him. "I’ll always return to the stage because it scratches an itch that producing and directing doesn’t."
Neal Tosi teaches his improv students at Commerce
Street Theatre, 2024
Erin Foreman working on set design and
technical direction at E.C. Glass, 2024
Foreman took a more scenic route to theatre education. "After graduating high school, I did not do theatre for over a decade," she shares. "I became a special education teacher and began helping with Dunbar's theatre program as an assistant director." Becoming involved with Dunbar reignited her passion, resulting in her obtaining a Master's in Theatre. She moved into the technical director position at E.C. Glass, a position she still holds. "I think my time away from theatre and doing other things helped me to become a better theatre educator. I also found theatre is always there and will always be there - it's okay to step away and come back."
Recognizing the first-hand value of theater opportunities as youth, you can now find both Tosi and Foreman running their own theater camps during the summer. In 2020, Foreman took over as the director for Embark! Youth Theatre Conservatory, under the umbrella of Endstation Theatre Company. "Embark teaches the three C's - confidence, communication, and creativity," she shares. One of the highlights of Embark is its focus on theater education through growth and process rather than performance and production.This is done through six rotating courses over a two-week period, taught by experienced theater educators and professionals. "Every year, we grow and learn something new as teachers and with the students. The camp is also a respite for us educators as we collaborate and share our love for theatre." Forty-five students are accepted each summer, and a third of the camp is awarded scholaships with the goal that no camper is turned away because of an inability to pay.
Embark! Youth Theatre Conservatory
Hill City Improv
Tosi has leaned into own experiences and offers a camp focusing entirely on improvisational skills. "There is so much to be learned from both improv and the construction of a show from nothing in five days," he explains. There are two weeks of camp offered, one targeted for middle school students and the other for high school students. "We take five days and follow Saturday Night Live’s formula, which derives from Second City’s, for creating a show in that time period. We then perform this show at the end of the camp." In addition, there are also multiple opportunties to hear from television, film, and stage professionals who also have trained in improv (including an Saturday Night Live alum this year). Tosi's goal is to offer inclusive theatre education from an improv perspective, and all students from all backgrounds are welcome.
Besides Embark and Hill City Improv, many theaters in our area are offering camps throughout the summer and even into the school year. The Academy of Fine Arts has many opportunities for children to participate and perform in a production through various week-long camps. Upcoming shows include Imagine a Dragon for elementary students, Beetlejuice, Jr. for middle school students, and Hadestown: Teen Edition for high school students. In addition, the Young Shakespeare Company and Missoula Children's Theatre are hosting camps at the Academy this summer. Finally, Josh Carter's Sankofa Acting Camp, which focuses on African American performing arts, is coming up in April over spring break and still has openings.
After a brief hiatus while finishing its downtown Lynchburg venue, Wolfbane Productions is back with a three-day camp for youth focusing on audition prep. Every camper will leave with a professional headshot, a resume review, and an audition kit including a song cut and marked for future auditions. Further south, 246 the Main in Brookneal has its annual Summer Drama Camp scheduled for July. This camp is unique in that it is open to all ages and has opportunities for every aspect of theater, from dance to acting to set design and technical areas. Commerce Street Theatre, in partnership with Amazement Square, Creating Drama is a camp is a summer camp for middle schoolers going from script writing to performance. And harkening back to the days of the big family summer musical at the Fine Arts Center, you can also find opportunties for youth roles in Little Town Players' July production of The Wizard of Oz. While some camps are sold out as of this publication, there are waiting lists and opportunities still available throughout our area. Click on the logos below for more information and registration links.
While some camps are sold out as of this publication, there are waiting lists and opportunities still available throughout our area. Clearly, our community theaters have recognized the value of developing a child's love of theater by providing so many chances for youth to get more involved. As both Tosi and Foreman have shown, these experiences as child actors can lead to a theatrical career and lifelong commitment to the performing arts.