Proudly named “Best Summer Camps 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024” by Northern Virginia Magazine!
“Best Children’s Theatre/Instruction” in FAMILY Magazine’s 2018 Best for Families Reader Poll!
Overview
Exciting new weekly themes for 2024!
Our award-winning Acting for Young People summer camps are an excellent opportunity for students with any level of acting experience. In a fun, high-energy environment, we help students build self-confidence and make new friends while learning from working professionals in the theater and film industries.
Each session will have a unique theme, which will inspire the week’s activities! Multi-week and returning campers will meet new creative challenges throughout the summer. Sign up for just one session or take advantage of the multiple week discount. Students will be divided into groups based on their age. Each group has their own acting class that focuses on age-appropriate performance skills, as well as styles related to the theme.
Young actors will develop skills and an incredibly wide variety of acting styles, methods, theories, and techniques from AFYP instructors.
All of our actors will participate in the final presentation, shared for a live audience of family and friends on Friday.
Space is limited in each age group. Registering early is recommended.
More Information
Ages: 5–18 (divided into separate, age-specific groups)
Dates: June 24 – July 22, 2024 (weekly options)
Session I: June 24-28
Session II: July 1-5
Session III: July 8-12
Session IV: July 15-19
Session V: July 22-26
Times: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday-Friday
Tuition: $405 per child, per session (includes AFYP Camp T-shirt for first in-person session attended)
Sibling Discount: Take $5 off for each additional enrolled family member!
Registration Deadline: June 1, 2024
Location: Mason Fairfax Campus, deLaski Performing Arts Building/Music Theater Building
Registration Commitment
Please note that full attendance in the program will offer the most enriching and educational experience. All of our programs are ensemble-based, with every student taking part in our final presentation. Should your student have significant conflicts during the camp day/week, please consider if this program is the best choice for them at this time.
Weekly Programs
Session I
June 24-28
Grand Adventures on the High Seas
Have fun with characters and stories from on and below the sea—pirates, mermaids, and sea creatures abound!
Session II
July 1-5
Laugh It Up: Comedy Week
A comedic week of light-hearted scenes & sketches. *Shortened week –no camp on Thursday July 4, special price $325
Session III
July 8-12
Hooray for Hollywood
Inspired by movies and television, experience the excitement of being a star and the wonderful world behind the scenes.
Session IV
July 15-19
Bravo for Broadway
A week filled with everything we love about Broadway, acting, musical theater, and New York City!
Session V
July 22-26
Grimm to Goose: Fairy Tale Stories & Characters
Have fun with beloved characters from classic stories in all new adventures.
Additional Faculty Information Coming Soon!
Mary Lechter
MCAA Executive Director
School of Theater Faculty
Read More
A graduate of University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Speech Communications, Mary has been working professionally as an actor in the metropolitan Washington-area, Los Angeles, and New York since 1985. She has worked at Washington area theaters including Theater of the First Amendment, Arena Stage, Studio Theatre, and Source Theatre. Television, radio and film credits include ABC’s All My Children, Barry Levinson’s Avalon, Diesel Films’ Dracula’s Mother, the MGM/Lionsgate thriller Hit and Run, and several spots for NPR’s Morning Edition.
Mary founded AFYP in 1997, and has seen the company grow from being its only teacher with a sporadic program schedule in rented spaces to where it is today: a year-round program with a full staff, working in conjunction with Potomac Arts Academy, for which she is Associate Director.
She is a longtime member of Mason’s School of Theater faculty in the areas of Performance and Theater Education. She was named a 2013 “Teacher of Distinction” and was a 2014 TEDxGeorgeMasonU speaker (“Magic Moments: the Transformative Power of Theater“). She previously taught at the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Her professional memberships include The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Actor’s Equity Association, and the Educational Theatre Association.
Mary’s directing credits include An Experiment with an Air Pump and Shakespeare in Hollywood (George Mason University); Still Beating Hearts and A Godless Man (Theater of the First Amendment First Light Festival); Happy Holidays, Charlie Brown, 101 Dalmatians, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play; Willy Wonka, Jr.; Peter Pan, Jr.; A Seussified Christmas Carol; Alice in Wonderland, Jr. (AFYP).
Notes
- Please note that group classes are subject to cancellation if minimum enrollment is not reached.
- Be sure to check our policies and procedures regarding registration, withdrawals, refunds, and more for fall or spring group classes.
- All students will receive a Welcome Letter via email at least 1 week before the class starts with all necessary details.
- Online registration closes Wednesday before the first class. For registrations received after this date, a $10 late registration fee may apply.
- For additional information, please contact the Academy at academy@gmu.edu.