TIFTON — The Tift Theatre kicked off the Summer Theatre Kids Camp on Monday, July 8. The program has almost 30 children signed up.  

The director of the kid’s summer camp program is Robert Reid Goodson, or as the children calls him, “Captain Giggles.” Reid has been involved with the Tift Theatre for several years.

Goodson will prepare campers to perform the Walt Disney movie, “Aristocats,” as a live theatre production.

“What’s really great about this [is] students get the opportunity to be successful, and they get the opportunity to be a part of a team,” said Goodson.

Goodson has a long background in theatre including a master’s of arts from New York University in educational theatre and worked as the director of Tift Theatre before Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) began the partnership.

According to Goodson, every child that signed up will be in the production. Students have the choice to be on stage or learn how to do technical work backstage with lighting, sound and costumes.

“Every student is involved in the production,” said Goodson. “They go through full audition process with music, singing and cold reads.”

A cold read is where an actor or actress reads from a script for the first time seeing it. According to Goodson, this is how the theatre industry does every audition.

Each day the camp starts with circling up to make sure everyone knows each other’s name and to go through vocal and body warm ups.

Goodson prepares different types of theatre games that helps reinforce the lessons he teaches them that will help with their performance skills.

According to Goodson, students who participate in summer theatre reinforce literacy and it helps the students with self confidence and self awareness.  

 “it’s fun and summer deserves to be fun,” said Goodson. The campers will have three weeks to rehearse and learn the play before they go on stage July 26 – 27.

Registration for the summer theatre camp ended Tuesday, July 9 and late additions cannot be made.

On July 26, the first performance of “Aristocats” will be starting at 7 p.m. at the Tift Theatre. On July 27, the children will perform two times, at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m.

The address of the Tift Theatre is 320 Main Street South. For more information about Tift Theatre or the summer camp visit the website tifttheatre.org or the Facebook page Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts and call them at 229-326-1982.