There’s a place for every child…even mine!

My kids hate sports. Always have. We are not a sports family. No one plays. No one watches.

My daughter is a great dancer, and when she was little, spent a few years on a competitive dance team—but anything with a ball? They prefer getting vaccinated.

As a working mom, summer day camp has been a necessity. You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a camp in which sports is a not main component. Even camps that talk about having “something for everyone” generally have at least two hours a day spent with teams, scorecards, and the aforementioned dreaded ball.

As they got a little older, we had some success with school-based day camps where kids took “classes” all day, and got to choose exactly what they liked. Ya’ know, graphic art, jewelry making, stand-up comedy (and, of course, many sports options). These were great for a while. The only problem was that individually attending different hour-long classes doesn’t really foster community, or give kids who are strangers the opportunity to bond.

Fortunately, in the summer of 2009, we found Black Box Studios (BBS) Musical Theater Camp. Originally, it was just for my daughter. She had just made the decision that competitive dance, with the 12+ hours per week of rehearsals, not including competitions and recitals, precluded her from any other activities, including being a kid. Still, as her mom, I knew that this was a child who needed to be on a stage.

And so, she became part of the Black Box inaugural camp year, and now, starting in August, counts the days until camp starts again in June. My son, who is quite techno-savvy, enjoys being on a stage almost as much as he hates sports. He has found a home as BBS tech crew.

Black Box Theater Camp is now in its fifth year. Previous productions include Pippin, 1776and a punk-rock version of Fiddler on the Roof.

The experience of Black Box’s professional instructors covers all disciplines: acting, singing, dancing, music performance and composition, directing, producing, writing, managing and lighting. They come from Broadway, off-Broadway, film, concerts, television and new media. They teach using an improv-based method that BBS’ founders developed during their years working in theater in New York City.

The camp’s small size, combined with the intensity of working on a collaborative project, has turned these kids into a cohesive social group. The fact that classes are available throughout the year keeps the bonds in place between summers. I was also lucky enough to be able to perform with my daughter in three intergenerational productions, and see a part of her world as we took classes together.

At the camp, they push kids to step outside their comfort zones. My daughter, now 13, has been in countless shows, written scripts that have been performed on stage, taught classes to younger students, and functioned as stage crew. Her brother has been responsible for lights, sound effects and set design.

In her own words, “Black Box Studios is more than just a theater company, it’s a family. Here, I found my entire group of friends. My BBS friends are the ones who come over to my house every weekend, and the ones who will break into song in front of a store with me. Black Box is serious and devoted to theater that thrives on making their students experiences easy-going, non-judgmental, and happy. Black Box has changed my life.”

The 2013 summer musical is the international smash-hit Les Misérables! This sung-through pop opera is directed by Matt Okin and co-directed by Danny Hoffman. Musical and Vocal Direction is by Greg Paradis, with design, dramaturgy and movement by Jesse Freedman. Les Misérables, presented in association with Music Theatre International, is the fifth BBS Musical Theater Camp production, following last summer’s punk rock version of Fiddler on the Roof. For more information about Black Box Studios workshops, camps and events, visit its web site: www.blackboxnynj.com.Les Misérables will be performed at 7:30 PM on August 13, 14 and 15. Tickets are $10 each, and are now on sale at www.blackboxnynj.com.

By Rachel Lendner