LCCC Theater Camp Creates a Spark

LCCC and Spark Theatre Company Offer Summer Theater Camp and Create Life-Changing Moments for Young Performing Arts Students

by Leigh Keeton

The actors stood side by side under the bright lights of the stage. In perfectly imperfect unison they raised their clasped hands into the air. And with ear-to-ear smiles and eyes that shined brighter than the lights they took it all in. Their joy. Their pride. The applause. Then the performers lowered their hands and folded into their final bow. And the curtain closed.

But as it did, a new world seemed to open. The performers, ages 8 to 18, were part of a Performing Arts Summer Camp put together by Spark Theatre Company and Lorain County Community College. In its second year and funded by the LCCC Foundation, the theater camp teaches students the basics of acting, dancing and singing. Campers also learn the technical side of theatre, including lighting, set design, and costuming.

The camp’s counselors, who are both LCCC students and local theatre professionals, guide the students throughout their experience. Each day, the campers worked within age-based groups to create original performance content. The groups wrote a full script, alongside a Northeast Ohio Playwright, and selected accompanying songs. Then the two-week camp concluded with a final performance in the Stocker Arts Center’s Cirigliano Studio Theatre in front of family and friends.

“It was really magical to see the children’s growth throughout the two weeks, and to watch as their creativity and collaboration culminate on stage,” said Jeremy Benjamin, director of LCCC’s theatre program.

The Story Behind the Spark

Rachael Endrizzi, co-founder and artistic creative director for Spark Theatre Company, knows just how magical those moments can be. She once was one of those students.

“I found my voice through theatre as a young child,” said Endrizzi. “I was very shy and was enrolled in drama classes in elementary school to help me gain confidence in speaking and socializing with peers.”

After graduating from Elyria High School, Endrizzi enrolled in LCCC’s theatre program. The experience helped her get into the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City. She also studied Film & Media Studies at New School University. Each school played its part in Endrizzi’s successful acting, directing and teaching career.

“I didn’t expect theatre to lead to a lifelong passion and career for me, but it did,” Endrizzi said. “And even if it hadn’t, I gained so many valuable skills that would have supported me in nearly any profession.”

Endrizzi still travels the country performing and directing. But her heart remains in Elyria. In 2017, she and Claire Simpson founded Spark Theatre Company to bring more arts to Lorain County. The nonprofit’s mission is to celebrate the power of young people through professional theatre, igniting the desire for children to create their own stories both onstage and off.

Making Memories that Last

That creative spark was clear throughout the camper’s final performance where they portrayed villains feuding on a game show to see who succumbs to cute things; magical sisters attending superhero school to avenge their destroyed home; and members of an “Evil Supervillain Headquarters of Evil” that test the perfection of superheroes living in “Perfect City.”

“We got to have the imagination of superheroes,” said camper Aviana Delgado, 11. “We were learning the character, and the personality the character, and how we can build off the character’s personality.”

In learning those things, Haley Conrad, 15, saw that each student, no matter their age, contributed to something much bigger.

“I like how we all came together to work as a team and create this huge dance and play,” she said.

For Iris Hughes, 10, who played one of the magical sisters on stage, the most important moment of their two-week theater camp experience happened off stage.

“My favorite part was making my very first friend, on the very first day,” Iris said.

Endrizzi says those memories, often defined by a spark of connection, companionship, and confidence, are the ones that last. They did for her. And the opportunity to experience those moments will always be present at Spark Theatre Company and LCCC.

“The college does a wonderful job connecting students with the community and connecting the community with the arts,” Endrizzi said. “For those looking for a place in the arts, there is a place for them at LCCC.”

For more information or to register for Spark Theatre summer camp at LCCC, visit www.lorainccc.edu/kids.