This summer, youths ages five to 15 from Ponoka and surrounding area took part in Klaglahachie Fine Arts Society’s Drama Day Camp.
Once again, the week-long camp was so popular that organizer Brielle Wolfe decided to split the camp into two classes per day.
Wolfe and several guest teachers designed activities to allow the students to explore concepts of not only acting, but also music, dance, photography and video, and lighting and sound.
Among other things, the students did acting exercises with masks, used a beat generator to make electronic music, learned dance routines, played a variety of musical instruments, made a short film, and posed for headshots.
Klaglahachie’s upcoming production of ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ requires primarily adult actors, so Wolfe offered to restage the camp — now in its second year — in order to involve younger people in the community that are interested in drama.
The society hopes that by nurturing acting skills starting at a young age, more and more actors will be available to participate in its productions as years go by.
Wolfe first started designing and running activities for Kindergarten-age children in 2002.
Since then, she has worked with all ages from preschool to adult. She says she particularly enjoys the Drama Day Camp because the format allows her to give the students the chance to meet professionals that have skills, talents and ideas that the students may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience in a small town.
Wolfe is also Klaglahachie’s choreographer and has been studying dance since the age of 12.
The camp ended with a short talent show-style performance for the students’ parents and other family. Wolfe expects to run the Drama Day Camp again in 2018 with new guest teachers and new activities.
Klaglahachie Fine Arts Society’s Drama Day Camp was financially supported by Ponoka Family and Community Support Services.