check back in early 2021 for for information about ASC Theatre Camp / #SHXCAMP 2021

Until then, try:

CAMP IN YOUR POCKET!

We found our people at Camp…now we can stay together everywhere!

Have you ever…

  • Longed to connect with your ASC Theatre Camp friends and colleagues at scheduled digital events?
  • Hoped to network with the Camp community to find your next internship (or intern)?
  • Yearned to access ASC’s educational resources in one place?
  • Wished you could keep Camp in your back pocket?

NOW YOU CAN!

Fulfill all these dreams and more by enrolling as a member of: the Epizeuxis Society.
*Epizeuxis (ep·i·zeux·is) is the rhetorical device that represents words in repetition

As part of your membership, you will receive direct access to all things Camp on Slack, the exciting new year-round digital world for the thriving ASC Theatre Camp community!

For as little as $5 a month, all current and former campers (and Camp staff!) can gain access to this exclusive digital bubble. In this safe space, you can chat, share resources, start video calls, and participate in exclusive digital programming hosted by the ASC — truly keeping Camp in your back pocket.

JOIN NOW

Here are just the highlights of what you will receive access to as a member of our Slack:

  • Regular archive movie nights,
  • Exclusive lectures, workshops, and talkbacks with ASC professionals,
  • Access to ASC’s educational resources for use in your classroom, preparing for your big role, or behind the table in rehearsal,
  • Easy connection with the Camp community from your pocket,
  • Being welcomed into our community of donors,
  • Knowing you are helping keep the lights on at ASC in these hard times by joining for a donation of at least $5 a month.

We are ready for you — what are you waiting for?

JOIN NOW

About #shxcamp 2020

A WHOLE NEW WAY TO EXPERIENCE THEATRE CAMP

Camp is about more than the content of its classes — camp is about the magic that happens when you gather people together, give them a bunch of really good words, and invite their imaginations to run wild.

WE’RE SETTING OUR IMAGINATIONS FREE IN VIRTUAL SPACE FOR THREE WEEKS OF MULTIFACETED, DYNAMIC, RESPONSIVE THEATRICAL EXPLORATION CALLED #SHXCAMP.

While we cannot bring students from around the world to Staunton, Virginia for three weeks of residential mayhem culminating in a final festival of performances in the world’s only recreation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre, we will bring hearts and minds together to collaborate on creative responses to our current circumstances using some really good words and the entirety of the internet. All we really need to do in order to keep the magic of camp alive this summer is redesign the “room” in which we gather.

Explore #SHXCamp using the tabs above!

#SHXCamp is a socially distant version of the ASC Theatre Camp: a three-week immersive intensive for teens conducted entirely online.

#SHXCamp will take place during the dates originally scheduled for the “Super Session”: July 12 – August 3, 2020.

Campers will collaborate with each other and with our staff synchronously and asynchronously via the video-conferencing platform Zoom and the communication platform Slack. 

Overall, #SHXCamp is designed to sharpen campers’ existing skills while exploring some brand new ones. #SHXCamp connects campers with others who share their passion, and #SHXCampers develop communication skills, collaborative abilities, and confidence alongside finer control of their craft(s).

#SHXCampers audition together on Day 1 in order to be cast in a show — but instead of rehearsing a one-hour production for performance in the Blackfriars Playhouse, #SHXCampers will use cue scripts to dive deep into the text of their role.

Under the guidance of #SHXCamp staff, each cast will create a multimedia-enhanced devised exploration of their play to be shown in a final celebration at the end of #SHXCamp. 

Additionally…

  • #SHXCampers will customize their #SHXperience by enrolling in different elective classes taught by #SHXCamp staff and developing a personal portfolio of their individual work alongside their contributions to the final portfolio of their assigned show. 
  • #SHXCampers will have the opportunity to earn college credit from Mary Baldwin University, to hang out in virtual lounges with other campers during downtime, and to join the gang for beloved camp life activities in the evenings and on weekends. 
  • #SHXCampers will not be parked in front of their screens all day watching pre-recorded lectures, nor will they be stranded in an anonymous Zoom wasteland. 

We’ve designed a dynamic, coast-to-coast daily schedule for #SHXCamp that will retain many of the treasured parts of the ASC Theatre Camp Life that keep campers coming back year after year while also fully, boldly, and joyfully exploring the boundaries of this brave new medium. 

#SHXCampers will meet five days a week (M-F) for two blocks of synchronous daily programming: “morning” rehearsals (after the all-camp warmup) and “afternoon” classes, workshops, and coaching sessions. A few “evenings” each week will also be devoted to virtual versions of beloved camp life activities (like the talent show, Masquerade, and sonnet night). Each day concludes with an all-camp “lullabye” before campers disperse.

On the weekends, #SHXCampers can log on to a variety of optional groups to play games, do crafts, play music, or just hang out.

Here is a sample schedule for what a general M-F at #SHXCamp might look like. This schedule is subject to change.

TIME (EST) ACTIVITY
10:30am – 11:30am (flexible) “Homeroom Hang Time” for East Coast/Central Time campers
12pm – 12:30pm All-camp warm ups
12:30pm – 3pm Rehearsals/Collaborative Time in small groups
3:30pm – 5pm Masterclasses, Electives, Workshops
7pm – 10pm (2-3x/wk only) Camp Life Activities – masquerade, talent show, movie viewing parties, etc.
10pm – 10:30pm Nightly Lullaby (all camp)
10:30pm – 11:30pm (flexible) Homeroom Hang Time for Mountain/West Coast campers

Tuition for the three-week #SHXCamp is $2250.

Financial aid is available for qualifying campers. Email us for more information! We are excited to work with you. 

Attendance at #SHXCamp is by admission only. 

If you are not already registered for the ASCTC 2020 Super Session, you can apply directly to #SHXCamp. Accepted #SHXCampers will receive a link to the registration form in their acceptance confirmation email.

All campers accepted into ASCTC 2020 are automatically accepted into #SHXCamp, and campers who have already registered for the ASCTC 2020 Super Session should email Camp Director Lia Wallace at lia.wallace@americanshakespearecenter.com to confirm their attendance at #SHXCamp and receive an updated account status snapshot.

All money paid towards tuition for ASCTC 2020 may be transferred into a placeholder towards tuition for ASCTC 2021, converted into a tax-deductible donation, or fully refunded. Please Contact Camp Director Lia Wallace at lia.wallace@americanshakespearecenter.com to discuss your options.

In order to allow adequate time for planning and postage (see info about the SHXBox, below) the deadline for #SHXCamp enrollment is June 30, 2020. 

Applications will be accepted after June 30 but you may not recieve your SHXBox on time. Please be advised!

#SHXCampers will need reliable access to the following resources throughout the duration of #SHXCamp:

  • Stable Internet Connection
  • Computer/Laptop Screen OR Mobile/Tablet Screen
  • Microphone
  • Webcam
  • Headphones (a basic pair will also be provided in your SHXBox)
  • Private, quiet space from which to “attend” #SHXCamp events without interruption (e.g. a private room or study)

All #SHXCampers will receive a SHXBox “Starter Kit” containing a #SHXCamp shirt, a basic pair of headphones, and any other materials required for all-camp activities. Overall, the SHXBox is designed to spark campers’ imaginations and inspire them to get individually creative from a collective starting place.