WHAT TO EXPECT & COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS



Are your classes and camps the right fit for my student who has never performed before? What about my advanced student?

Our classes and camps offer opportunities for students regardless of their experience level. We are very gentle with new students who have not been on the stage before. If a child is nervous or hesitant, we don't push them. We do find that our fun, game-based environment allows the shy child to ease into activities without even realizing they are on a stage.

We work hard to make sure students that are ready for more are given more to work on. If a student is an advanced singer we try to make sure they have a solo, if they are strong in acting or dancing, we try to give them an opportunity to show that off.

What camps are offered?

We purposely offer a series of different classes and camps to meet the varied needs of the students in the East Valley. We offer a variety of musical theater, acting, & improvisation camps throughout the year. During the summer we offer an audition camp, improvisation & acting and several musical theater camps with costumed productions on the final day of camp. Our fall, winter and spring break camps are great fun and offer a variety of opportunities for everyone.

We offer occasional half-day camps for students interested in trying camp but not certain they are ready for a full-day camp commitment. We find on the first day that most of these students beg their parents to allow them to stay the full-day and end up converting to the full-day class. 

What is "Theater for Busy Kids?"

During the school year we offer what we like to call "Theater for Busy Kids." This is a full, costumed, musical theater production with an abbreviated rehearsal schedule. We often rehearse on Sundays (3:00 pm - 8:00 pm) and days off of school, (9:00 am - 3:00 pm). We are able to pull off a production with 10 or less extended rehearsals. This is a big contrast to most youth theater rehearsals that require 10-15 hours of rehearsal per week with a 4-6 week rehearsal commitment.

My child doesn’t like to sing. Is there a camp for them? 

Yes, there are many camps available to students who do not sing. Our acting and improvisation camps are very popular and do not include singing. However, we often see non-singing students try a musical theater class and decide they love it. Many even discover they CAN sing but just didn’t know how. We are very sensitive to not force students to sing if they are not comfortable. We always have non-singing roles available. 

My child doesn’t want to be in a class or show with younger kids.

We understand that many older students prefer to be in class with only kids their own age. We do occasionally offer classes with a limited age range, but most of our classes are for a variety of ages. We encourage kids to understand that most movies, television shows, youth and adult theater productions include people of all ages. If a child is interested in auditioning for a play they might need to become open to the range of ages. 

Who teaches at Paige Productions?

Miss Paige is the main director/music director and instructor at Paige Productions. There are also two adult teaching assistants who rotate in and out of productions. Many parents volunteer and attend rehearsals, supervise backstage, supervise the playgrounds, and help in various areas during rehearsals and camps. It is a very maternal, family-oriented program.

We also have teens and college students who serve as teaching interns in our education programs. They are a great resources and contribute greatly to the program. Most of our assistants started as young campers with us and have grown up to assist with the camps. These talented teens also perform in our productions and are great role models! The kids love them and are very close with these young performers. Many of our teen assistants can often be seen in musical productions around the valley.

What do children wear to camps or rehearsals?

Students dress for movement and outside activities daily. Dancing makes us very hot. Students wear closed-toed shoes everyday, (NO flip-flops, Crocs or sandals. never high heels, slippers, or any other shoe with a soft sole).

What should my child bring to camps or rehearsals?

Your student should bring a bottle of water, a snack, and lunch to a full-day camp. We take a morning snack break and lunch every day. Please do not send snacks that leave a mess, like crackers. Cheese sticks, yogurt tubes, granola bars, fruit or vegetables work best. Please only send water with your child as a drink.

What if my child has to miss camp or a rehearsal?

We are usually able to work around unavoidable conflicts or trips, but we ask that you have your child at camp or rehearsal as much as possible. We are often pulling together a final show in a very short amount of time. If your student is gone too much we might have to discuss changing their part.

Does my child have to audition?

Everyone has a part in all of our shows! We call our audition process a "gentle audition." We don’t want kids stressed out or nervous in our camps and classes. We learn songs and read parts on the first day, and kids try different things. Casting slowly starts to make sense and we establish roles. We try to find out if a child wants a large or small part and we cast accordingly. If they are not ready for a big part, or tell us they do not want a big part, we will not push them. We have surprisingly little drama over not getting the part you want. Kids learn to be good about letting each other take turns with leads. We think this is a healthy environment to grow in.

What do you use for costumes?

Costumes for summer camp shows are generally very simple. Kids will wear a solid color and add small costume pieces to suggest their characters. For example, a cat might wear a black leotard and leggings from home. A black sock might be attached as a tail. More extravagant costumes or pieces may be added at our discretion. Don’t worry or stress about costumes. We do not REQUIRE you to buy anything. We will communicate more costume details with you as we get closer to performance.

Costumes for our larger mid-year productions might more elaborate costumes and an official costumer who puts the costumes together for us.

What if my child doesn't get the part they want?

All enrolled students will have a part in our productions. Some students will have several parts. Students might not get the part they want. This is a reality of theater life and something to embrace right away. More often than not, casting is based on height, or WHAT MAKES SENSE for the story we are telling. The smallest child in the class will probably not be the mother cat. The tallest kid in class will probably not be the baby cat.

Kids are often very hurt by casting situations. Parents can either feed the hurt, or help their child grow. We ask parents to help us embrace this reality of theater life. If a kid is not cast in the part they want, help us remind them that it’s no big deal. We tell them at camp that it’s totally normal and we just have fun and try again next time. The truth is, even professional performers rarely get the exact part that they want.