Advanced Middle School

JULY 22-August 3

limited to our PDC Advanced students entering 6th - 9th gr
An Audition is required for placement in this camp - please scroll for Audition Info and to sign up for a slot

WHERE: 2800 SE Harrison St

WHEN: July 22-August 3, Monday-Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm, and shows TENTATIVELY August 2 @ 6pm & August 3 @10am

HOW MUCH: $800

  • We offer a 10% sibling discount (automatically applied at registration)

  • Payment plan options (payments are automatically deducted)

    • Pay in full: February 3rd

    • 2 Payments (with a $15 fee): February 3 and April 14

    • 4 Payments (with a $25 fee): February 3, March 3, April 6, May 4

  • Financial assistance available (please complete the request form)

    • Please apply for a financial assistance by January 31st - you will need a code when you register. Families may only apply for assistance for one camp per child.

QUESTIONS? please feel free to contact us

2024 Tuition increase

To maintain the outstanding quality of our program and attract and retain highly qualified staff, we will be implementing a modest increase in weekly camp fees to $400 per week for summer 2024. This adjustment reflects rising rental costs and ensures continued investment in providing exceptional camp experiences. As always, we will offer financial assistance. In addition, families may only apply for financial assistance for one camp per child.

Single Camp Registration Limit

To allow opportunities for more students, we're implementing a single camp registration limit during the initial enrollment day (February 3) for our 2024 summer camps. This allows us to welcome a wider range of participants and share the joy of camp with more families. After the first day of registration, any open slots will be available for multi-camp registrations.

REFUND POLICY

You may receive a full refund before April 1, 2024 (minus a $65 admin fee) and a 50% refund (plus the $65 admin fee) from April 1-May 31, 2024. We do not offer refunds for any camps after June 1, 2024.

WAITLIST

There is no charge to be on the waitlist. We'll contact students in the order they joined the waitlist if openings arise. Invoices are issued only upon full registration after a spot becomes available - you are not automatically charged even if a spot opens up.

IMPORTANT camp INFORMATION

What to BRING to camp

Sunscreen - Their own lunch - Enough snacks for two scheduled breaks - Labeled water bottle - Hat and layered clothing

PDC will provide to each student 

A PDC t-shirt - Script - Costume

CELL PHONE POLICY

Many kids have their own cell phones or smart watches. We don’t think they are needed in theater and can distract us from creating special bonds with our cast mates. When students arrive they are instructed to put their electronics away. If you need to get a message to your child during camp please know they can not check their phones until the camp day ends.

If you have an emergency message for your child or the staff: You can text or call Caroline: 213-675-4732 or Robin: 971-235-7994. Text is the best way to reach us - we may not be able to answer a ringing phone during instruction.

COMMUNICATION FROM US

We communicate primarily via email. Please add caroline@portlanddramaclub.org and robin@portlanddramaclub.org to your contacts and make sure our emails are not going into your spam folder.

the schedule

All musical theater. All the time. Please look at this camp like a Varsity Team. These experienced kids have many camps, after school classes, workshops and shows under their belts. They know the drill and are ready to work hard! I guarantee you these kids are off book and eager to move on from blocking to performance by the first week. If this is not your child please do not take a spot away from a drama die-hard. Please consider one of our other camps we offer. If you are not sure please ask Caroline. Kids who have never been in a PDC production may not register for this camp- though it may seem harsh, if your child is new and you register anyway your registration will be removed and you will be refunded. The focus of our camp is to produce a show for which we can all be truly proud. Regular attendance is extremely important. It requires organization, concentration, and cooperation from everyone involved. And while we will always play games, play outside, and have time for other fun throughout each day, we will need to get cracking on hard work to make it a musical we are proud to show off.

Drop off and pick up will be outside at the picnic tables along the Harrison St side of the building. Middle school students are released at the end of the day on their own and do not need to be signed out by a parent. Once they leave the premises they are not the responsibility of PDC. Camp begins at 8:30 and ends at 3:30. Kids getting themselves to and from camp on their own will still need to sign out with a staff member.
Click here for a sample schedule

casting

For this summer camp, we plan to announce casting on Day Two or Three. ALL KIDS WILL HAVE A VOCAL AND DANCE AUDITION ON DAY ONE in the morning. Further details (and show tracks) will be emailed to you at least a week before show time. Typically for our younger kid casts, the larger roles will go to the older kids and the ensemble roles will go to the younger kids, but we do not necessarily follow this rule in our older, ADVANCED camp. EVERY SHOW AND EVERY CAST IS DIFFERENT AND REQUIRES DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CASTING. When casting, we take in so many factors. We always blind cast and do not take into consideration who played these roles on Broadway or on TV or what they looked like. Casting also depends on the show we do and available roles or the individual kids we have attending camp. Some kids are eager for a large role and some kids would like to be a supporting member no matter how old or experienced they are. Some kids have been in after school and summer camps with PDC since kindergarten! We want all kids set up for success. We want them to feel comfortable and finish the camp feeling proud and having had a fun time. This camp is open to kids who have been in our camps or classes before which means that many of you/your kids will have already been cast as lead roles in other productions. This does not guarantee them a lead role in this production. It also does not mean that suddenly that child is no longer good or capable of a lead role. Since we have been at this for quite some time both as teachers and directors, but also as actors ourselves, we ask that you trust and respect our final decision. Your child will have a better time with your full support.
Parents of middle school students: Wondering whether your child is considered advanced? It depends. Do they already know how a PDC camp works? We move very fast. The kids in our August camp will skip most fundamental skill-building theater games as they have already learned them. Caroline will introduce new challenging theater games and activities that build on what they already know. They’ll be expected to approach their characters, songs, dances, etc in the ways we’ve worked in previous camps and classes. They will learn lines and songs quickly without reminders or very much help. Kids in this camp will prepare an audition for the first morning of camp. Materials will be sent one week ahead of time. Will this cause unnecessary stress for your child? Feeling a little nervous is good and normal. Feeling overwhelmed is not the goal.
It is not always about musical ability or the # of shows they have completed. Here, advanced also means a great work ethic. Do they practice at home and come to class/camp prepared? Does your child jump into drama activities with enthusiasm? Do they volunteer in class and offer to lead? Do they work hard, learn quickly and have a sense of teamwork? Will your child feel lost and unprepared being in this group or energized and challenged?

Please consider what is fair for everyone. The goal is that kids take these camps and leave feeling uplifted and confident. If your child is not ready for this camp please enroll them in one where they can learn more fundamental skills and be leaders.

costumes

Costumes are covered in the cost of tuition. You will be notified at the end of Week One if there is anything you need to provide (such as a shoe or under garment) from home for your child so there is time to get it over the weekend. Since our shows are outdoors on the blacktop we do not necessarily provide shoes for every character and will usually recommend a comfortable, neutral type of shoe. We know you are busy parents and will keep this process as easy as possible if we need to ask for anything at all.

tickets

If we are lucky enough to secure an indoor air conditioned space for our shows someday we will charge for tickets to make up for the cost otherwise we do not sell tickets. Our production is a registered show we've rented from Concord Theatricals. As such, they charge us for the use of their property (scripts and songs), as well as for each show performed. We are a nonprofit organization and putting on shows can be expensive. Donations will really help us cover admin, insurance, storage, experienced staff and production costs and offer scholarships to kids in future productions.

Because our show is outside you may invite as many people as you want (just make sure they bring their own chairs or picnic blankets- the blacktop could be very hot!). While we don’t sell tickets we happily accept donations from our guests as they enter our theater area. Please see either go to your child’s materials page or click “SHOWS” in the upper right hand corner for specific show times.