Camp ComedySportz | Online SUMMER CAMP
Dear campers and parents -- your safety and the safety of our instructors is of the utmost importance to us. While the vaccine rollout is improving and the guidelines for reopening public spaces is becoming more clear, we feel an ounce of prevention is best for all parties. Since we have the infrastructure in place to run classes and camp online, we decided to keep camp virtual for another year. We look forward to gathering in our theater for camp, classes, and shows as soon as possible.
Description
Camp ComedySportz is a fun, playful, interactive, performing arts and improv camp for children in grades 2-9. While your child plays with the other campers they experience team building, supporting friends, taking creative risks, and building self-confidence. They will laugh along with the counselors as they learn how to play our signature show: ComedySportz. Don’t be surprised if they teach some of the games to you too!
Your kids will gain skills in all of the essentials of improvisation, including:
- “Yes, And”
- Quick Thinking
- Justification
- Mime Work
- Character Creation
- Stage Performance Sense
BONUS: Improv training also develops essential life skills, too:
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Close Listening
- Imagination and Expression
- Creative Risk-Taking
- Confidence
Best of all, you get to see them put it all together at the end of the week when they perform their own ComedySportz match, just like the professionals, for friends and family.
This year, for the safety of our campers and staff, we moved our camp ONLINE! For details check out the video from our online OPEN HOUSE.
Camp ComedySportz is conducted online using ZOOM, the free and secure video conferencing platform.
Schedule
When: July 12-16, 2021
Time: 11:00am-3:00pm
Tuition: $300 $250 Early Bird Rate
Good until June 28, 2021
ComedySportz Campers Online Showcase: Friday, July 16th @ 11:30AM
DAILY SCHEDULE
Block 1 - 11:00 to Noon
Break
Block 2 - 12:30 to 1:30
Break
Block 3 - 2:00 to 3:00
CAMP FAQ
+ What is ComedySportz?
ComedySportz is Philadelphia’s longest running comedy show! Our roster of improvisers plays matches every single week, showcasing Philly’s best comedic talents. You can read more about our history HERE.
+ What makes your camp different?
The ComedySportz instructional philosophy is top-notch, and one of the reasons we are still going strong after more than 25 years. Other places play games. We teach the foundations of improv that endure, and make the games so satisfying. We are completely family friendly in our content. We are teaching more than comedy. Improv is rooted in building so many life skills: listening, collaboration, patience, timing, trust, confidence, risk-taking, and teamwork. The real world skills are presented with true fun and laughter and friendship!
Check out the video from our online OPEN HOUSE.
+ What is Camp ComedySportz?
Our Youth Education instructors will spend a week teaching kids the fundamentals of improvisation and many of the games that our players play in our Saturday night matches. This year, the camp will be featured on Zoom, to ensure that our campers can access us and our awesome activities even under difficult social mingling conditions. We’re running the week of July 6-10, from 11 am to 3 pm EST.
Check out the video from our online OPEN HOUSE.
+ Do you offer any scholarships or financial assistance?
Yes we do! We are proud to offer a Diversity Scholarship for all of our education programs. Click here for information.
If you require financial assiatnace, we can work a payment plan out with you. Contact our Executive Director to discuss.
+ How will the camp day work?
Monday through Thursday, our camp day will consist of three hour-long blocks.
Campers will meet with the whole camp at the top of the day, to set goals and hear announcements and see what the various age groups are working on. Then, the campers will split into various “breakout rooms” to feature different aspects of improv. Games, scenes, character work, storytelling, joke telling, and puppetry will fill the blocks each day.
Every day a new guest star will spend time teaching specialized improv content during one of the three blocks, and the other two will be spent with their group counselors leading the fun!
Check out the video from our online OPEN HOUSE.
+ What about Friday?
On Friday, each group will perform a showcase of the games and skills we’ve practiced all week. Family and friends will be sent a link to view the live showcase from the comfort of their own homes and can interact using an online chat!
+ Who are the instructors?
All of our camp counselors are instructors with The Philadelphia School of Improv and are players in the ComedySportz Philadelphia matches.
In addition, all of our staff have PA clearances, and many are teachers, youth program directors, and school theatre directors. Every one of our staff has extensive experience in working with varied age groups in the theatre arts. We are excited about transitioning to Zoom for this summer!
Check out the video from our online OPEN HOUSE.
+ What will my child need to do to get ready for camp?
We’ll send out detailed information about the week’s schedule and notifications as the camp week draws nearer. Campers should have access to a place where they can access the Zoom application consistently. As much as possible, campers should have room to move, reduced background noise, and the space to be silly.
We will take a break every hour for snacks and restroom breaks, and so parents may be needed to help click the campers back into the camp session after each of the breaks. During the camp blocks, however, parents can take care of work and chores - our staff has got things covered!
Maybe check out one of our Saturday matches (information HERE) in advance to see what we do. We’ll also have a Mini-Match Family Meet and Greet for all of the campers the week before camp starts, where we’ll meet the campers and staff and try to answer everyone’s questions about Zoom so that our first day feels stress-free!
+ My child loves performing plays and musicals - is this camp a good fit?
Absolutely! All of the scene work that we do is the essence of great scripted theatre, too. Improv was actually developed as a way to help young children become better stage performers - but the activities and games proved too irresistible for adults, too, and so now everyone can play!
Many professional child actors are expected to bring improvisational skills to their auditions, and we can help with that, as well!
+ My child has never done anything theatrical - is this camp a good fit?
Absolutely! Many of our campers start the week with very little performance experience. Every kid finds the games that work for their style and comfort level as the week progresses, and their final showcase successes are a testament to their surge in confidence and pride in everything they’ve learned.
+ Will my child be sitting in front of a screen all day?
While we are using screens to teach your children, it is not passive like YouTube or stationary like a video game. Our classes are highly energetic and interactive! Your kids will be taking part in every activity, not just watching, and they will be moving around their space. In addition, camp provides that fabulous social interaction that our kids are craving. Their camps days will be full of purposeful and hilarious interactions and connections with their peers and counselors.
+ I have more questions. How can I contact you?
Contact our Camp Director Sarah LeClair.
Enroll
If you would like to apply for a Diversity Scholarship, please click here.
Staff
Kelsey Hébert (Camp Director) is an actor/improviser who moved to Philadelphia from New Orleans after graduating with her BFA in Performance from The University of Southern Mississippi in 2018. She began teaching improv in 2017 at That’s A Wrap Studio in Hattiesburg, MS where she designed improv for film classes for children and adults. Since moving to Philly, Kelsey has taught improv at ComedySportz Philadelphia, The Lab, and Princeton Day School. Kelsey also works with the Phoenix Theatre in West Chester bringing classical work to contemporary audiences and has been a company member of ComedySportz since 2019.
Counselors
Your child will receive professional training from our camp counsellors, who are all experienced teachers and improv instructors.
Aileen Bianchi began performing improv in 2009 at Boston College with her troupe, the CCE, where she performed and directed multiple improv murder mystery comedies. After college, she took classes with the ComedySportz Philadelphia and fell in love with the CSz’s community. In 2016 Aileen joined ComedySportz’s Minor League and then the Main Company in 2019. She was a co-instructor for ComedySportz’s children’s programming Splatform! in 2020. Aileen is the creator and producer of ComedySportz’s Collegiate Comedy Challenge, a tristate collegiate comedy tournament. During the day, she is a second-year graduate student at Drexel University’s College of Medicine Biomedical Science Program and volunteers for Compassionate Care Hospice.
Erica Gooch has been an improv comedian in Philadelphia since 2015. She frequently performs on the main stage in ComedySportz, a competitive short form improv show. Pre-Covid, she loved performing with StoryUp!, an interactive storytelling show for children. By day, she works as a pharmacist that researches side effects. By night you can find her, raising her twin babies, drawing, or listening to hip hop DJs on Twitch.
Nicole Fiala will be working this summer as a camp counselor at Camp CSz. Nicole Joined the CSz team in July 2018 as a Box Office Representative. In December 2020, Nicole graduated from Holy Family University with a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education (PreK-4). Nicole works full time as K-8 Building Substitute Teacher. Prior to starting her teaching career, Nicole received her BA in Advertising from Temple University and worked for over 6 years as a bankruptcy law paralegal. When not in the classroom, Nicole spends time baking, running, and listening to country music.
Sue Taney has a BA in Theatre from Rowan University and a MA in Education from Montclair State University. She has been teaching preschool for eleven years and loves every minute of it. She also adores improv. She has been performing with CSz Philly for 9 years and has taught improv with them for several years. When she isn’t teaching or performing, Sue enjoys spending time with her wonderful, supportive husband, family, friends, and dachshund pups.
In addition to enjoying daily games and practices with their group instructor, campers will meet with CSz Philadelphia All Star specialists every day to learn specialized skills such as puppetry and musical improv.
CAMP GUEST ALL STARS
We’ll announce our Guest Stars soon!
SARAH LECLAIR (Youth Education Director) has been a Philadelphia area theatre arts educator for more than 15 years. A graduate of NYU, Sarah has won local awards for her productions, onstage and off, and has been teaching, directing, and coaching every age group from infants to seniors since. Sarah is a graduate of the CSz Education program, and has taken workshops with Kevin McDonald (KitH), David Razowsky (Second City) and many others. In addition to her work with the ComedySportz Philadelphia company (2015 to present), Sarah performs with StoryUP! Philadelphia and Roll Play: An Improvised Adventure, as well as with her duos Smotherly Love and Gerry!, both Dual Duel contenders. She is a firm believer that improv is for everybody, and it will change your life!
Video
Photos
These photos were taken when our camp was in our theater. The location has changed but the joy is the same! (Photos by Kate Raines)
Reviews
“My kiddo had an incredible week and was engaged, happy, and excited for each day!”
“This is the second summer that our son has attended ComedySportz camp, but it was still fresh and fun for him. He is learning a lot about comedy, a subject he cares about, and the environment is lively, creative and nurturing. We highly recommend this camp to other families.”
“This was my child’s first experience with improv. He really enjoyed himself, made friends, and looked forward to coming every day.”
“It was great to see my child playing the same games and working with the same people that we get to see in CSz shows, and even better to have that fun brought home every night!”
“I was blown away by the camp’s ability to take kids with no experience and have them prepared in four days for an improv showcase. It was a truly wonderful thing to experience.”
“My kids had a great time! They were sad when it was over. The only thing we all are hoping is that in the future the camp is longer! They are still talking about all the fun they had, their teachers Kelsey and Joe who made it incredibly fun, and the friends they made. It was really nice to see my kids come out of their shells and really enjoy themselves. They can’t wait until the next camp!”
“My son loved this camp! He felt so comfortable with the instructors and made good friends. He was excited every day to tell me what he did and then at night he showed my husband and I the activities and we played at home. My son does not typically like to perform or be in the spotlight, but ComedySportz inspires him to have the courage and confidence to express himself in front of a crowd. And I loved the emphasis on teamwork and support. The instruction went way beyond facilitating creative expression, it included positive life and community values.”
