Local high school students will be able to experience training in theater this month.

The School of Continuing Education is hosting the High School Theatre Boot Camp for grades 9 through 12.

The camp is from June 7-9 and June 14-16 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. A final performance will be held June 16 at 7 p.m.

“It’s called a boot camp because we’re going to hit a plethora of topics, so maybe some technical theater, a little improv, a little acting. It’s an idea to get them to know some of the basics,” said Nicholas Shaw, instructor for the boot camp.

Shaw, an assistant professor in the theater department, said the structure of the camp will depend mainly on the high school students and their interests as well as their strong and weak points.

“If all of them are actually interested in improv, then we’ll do a little bit more improv and less technical theater,” Shaw said. “If there are some students who are interested in technical theater, we might make it that kind of way instead.”

Shaw said the beginning days of the camp will be based on a different topic each day.

The topics that Shaw said he wants to include are improvisation, light monologue work, scene work and technical theater.

Shaw said he wanted to form the boot camp to give high school students more well-rounded training in theater.

“I assume, judging from my high school career, that a lot of their instruction is more practical, like they put in a show or two. Most do not have a lot of theater classes to take. It’s more of a do a show and get cast in the show,” he said.

Shaw said he also wanted to expose high school students to more theater experience in general.

“Other than going all the way up to Sullivan, there isn’t really a lot in Coles County over the summer in terms of theater just in general,” Shaw said.

Shaw said high school students do have some exposure to theater through their schools or small community theaters in Coles County, but Shaw said he wants more small-group work amongst the teens as well.

“So I think it’s a chance for some students in Coles County and here in Charleston to have the opportunity to do something over the summer and get some more practice in training outside whatever they’re doing with their local high school,” he said.

Beth Craig, coordinator of program development, said the camp has been advertised in surrounding areas.

“As far as advertising, it’s been in the local newspaper, the Journal Gazette-Times Courier. It’s on the university newsletter, there’s information . on the school of continuing education website,” she said.

Craig said two students have registered for the camp so far, and the School of Continuing Education is still accepting students.

Shaw said the lack of students registered may cause the camp to be cancelled.

But Craig said the theater boot camp can be a wonderful opportunity for students who are interested in theater.

Despite the small number of students, Shaw said he would like to do the camp next year depending on how well the camp goes and on the quality of the responses to the program.

The cost is $50 per participant, and anyone who wants to register a high school student can call the School of Continuing Education at 581-5114.

Alesha Bailey can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].