Educational Theatre for the Emerging Artist
By: Shlomit Ovadia of JCC Denver
Creativity takes center stage at Wolf Theatre Academy (WTA), the Mizel Arts and Culture Center’s premiere theatre camp for children in grades 4 through high school. Over the course of June and July, children and teens not only hone and sharpen their acting, singing, dancing, and expressive skills, but create friendships for life while having a whole lot of fun.
“There’s something about the ability to express yourself and be vulnerable with others, which has always drawn me to it,” explains WTA Music and Theatre Director and PLUSS instructor Kate Logan. 
For the soprano singer, theatre is her bread and butter. Having been raised under the wing of her mother’s love for singing and dance, Kate vividly recalls many sweet memories discovering the joys of theatre and participating as an enthusiastic eleven-year-old in WTA.
“My closest group of friends to this day are the ones I made during my time attending Wolf Theatre Academy from middle through high school,” she adds, now on the staff side of things for her third consecutive year in this position. Previously, Kate worked as Stage Manager and even Choreographer, and graduated with a degree in Music Education; she plans to continue her learning this fall at Columbia University after WTA wraps up.
This summer, WTA is performing four plays over four camp sessions: Finding Nemo Jr., Mean Girls, James and the Giant Peach, and High School Musical 2 Jr.
Despite its brevity, the summer intensive series provides a top-notch immersive experience, bringing in professional stage developers and artists to handle lighting, props, and more.
“That’s kind of the beauty of these camps; you can meet kids where they’re at…to do something truly creative and cool.” For newcomers, WTA is often their first real taste of theatre; for returning students, it may be a chance to further hone their skills. The choice is truly up to each child.
“It’s also really important for children to start developing social and emotional skills. The skills they gain through being able to take risks in a space that feels safe and controlled will serve them through the rest of their lives,” Kate says.
We can’t wait to see what creative sparks our 2024 WTA graduates take with them after the summer, to grow boldly and proudly into their next chapters!
