Palace Theatre to offer two new acting camps for people with special needs

CHUBBUCK — Two local organizations, a theater and a disability support agency have partnered to introduce two new acting camps for people with special needs.

These new camps, one for children and one for adults, are called the ‘Shining Stars Camp,’ and they’ve been made possible through a partnership with the Palace Theatre and A New Hope. Both organizations see this as a way to increase opportunities for children and adults with special needs to learn a skill they’ve never had the opportunity to acquire before.

“I’m looking forward to being able to offer them the opportunity to come and sing and dance and get the chance as well to perform,” said Jenna Davies, owner of the Palace Theatre.

Brandi Shaffer, BDA Supervisor, sees Shining Stars as another important step in creating a more inclusive community for those with special needs.

“There’s not many opportunities with accommodations available for individuals with disabilities,” Shaffer said. “We still have a long way to go to create that inclusive community, but we’re going in the right direction.”

The Palace Theatre will handle the instruction in stage performance while A New Hope will accommodate and assist the actors in training.

There will be behavior interventionists at the camp, as well as mentors who will help the artists learn the craft of acting while offering any needed physical assistance.

People with special needs are often overwhelmed in the theatre if they struggle with sensory issues.

“Theater is very overwhelming. We have flashing lights, we have loud sounds, the music is loud and overbearing,” Davies said.

In order to accommodate this, lights and music will be kept at a distinct level, and mentors will be trained in how to speak to the campers.

“(Our lights) will not be flashing, our sounds will be very quiet, all of our volunteers and our workers will be trained,” Davies said. “And so they get to come in and be very comfortable in their environment while also participating in the arts.”

Shining Stars will run for three days, June 26-28, with the final day being a performance to show off what the participants learn. There will be a camp offered for children ages 8-18 and one for adults.

Shining Stars will be held in conjunction with the long-running Palace Theatre Camp, offered to children and teenagers between the ages of 8-18.

While Davies’ specialty is in children’s theater, she wanted to offer two camps because many adults haven’t had the chance to participate in the arts in a comfortable environment.

“My responsibility with owning a community theater is to serve our community, and so I like to look for opportunities that can allow any patron to participate,” Davies said.

For artists who qualify, Idaho Parents Unlimited will be offering 12 scholarships for both the child and adult Shining Stars camps. The cost for camp tuition is $165.

“These scholarships will hopefully take off the burden of the financial cost that comes with having children or adults with disabilities so that they can focus on travel costs or other costs they already have,” Davies said.

Information on how to register for both Shining Stars camps and the Palace Theatre Camp can also be found on this website.

While many might feel intimidated by the experience, Davies said they should try their hand at it.

“Especially if they have never done it, it’s a great opportunity to get up on stage and learn a new skill,” Davies said.

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