Kids Summer Fun Guide

Whether your tot is ready for her close-up, or just discovering the lure of the stage, Austin has plenty of camps for the aspiring thespian.Our town is blessed with several top-notch theaters, many of which recognize that future stages and audiences will be populated with today's children. So they've taken it upon themselves to introduce kids to the creative world of theatre through camps, workshops, and classes. Peruse and choose and get dramatic!

ARTS ON THE LAKE presents the Austin Shakespeare Festival Summer Drama Workshop for kids ages 12-16. Go bonkers with the Bard and learn voice and diction, audition techniques, stage combat, text and character study, make-up, etc. A final performance is held at the school's Helm Fine Art Center. Jul 24-Aug 4. St. Stephens Episcopal School, 2900 Bunny Run. 454-BARD or http://www.austinshakespare.org.

AUSTIN MUSICAL THEATRE'S SUMMER WORKSHOPS will have kids singing and dancing Broadway-style. Jazz hands and bowlers abound at their annual stage performance that is the culmination of the workshops. Kids 5-9 have six-day workshops (Jun 5-10 or Jul 10-15) and ages 10-17 work in a two-week session (Jul 17-29). Austin Musical Theatre, 2011 E. Riverside, Ste C. 428-9696 or http://www.amtpresents.com.

AUSTIN THEATRE FOR YOUTH will hold its popular Summer Academy at the new Dell Jewish Community Campus this year. An award-winning program for ages 5-18, the camp has a faculty of true theater professionals. The Little Academy (for ages 5-7) offers four two-week sessions and The Academy (ages 8-18) offers two four-week sessions. Jun 5-Jul 29, Dell Jewish Community Campus, 7300 Hart, north of Far West. 459-7144 or http://www.ATYonstage.org.

ZACHARY SCOTT THEATER'S PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL offers camps for ages 5-14 at their impressive facility. Camps are five or 10 days in duration and include creative drama, beginning and intermediate acting, musical theatre, and "Create a Show." May 30-Aug 11, Zachary Scott Theatre Center, Riverside & S. Lamar. 476-0594 x236 or http://www.zachscott.com.

STATE THEATER COMPANY has a Performing Arts School Summer Camp staffed by their company members of professional actors. Areas covered include improv and performance, and there's a film camp geared toward teens too. One-week sessions beginning Jun 5, State Theater Company, 719 Congress. 472-316 or http://www.statetheatercompany.com.