Florida Studio Theatre brings old memories and new beginnings

Campers erupted into applause as Avi Sigal-Verier, 10, ran up the aisle of Keating Theatre to accept the Joyful Jokester Jabberwocky award on July 15 for the Florida Studio Theatre Summer Camp daily award ceremony.

Later, Avi proudly told his mother, Leah Verier-Dunn, who, like him, once trod the boards at the camp.

A total of three children in the second three-week session of FST Children’s Performing Arts Camp had parents who attended when they were younger. Both generations created cherished memories while learning life skills.

FST Summer Camps are split into three different age categories. Little Theatre Camp is ages 5-6, Children’s Performing Arts Camp is 7-12 and Teen Performing Arts Camp is 13-17. The camps are scheduled in three sessions for campers 7-12 throughout the summer, each lasting three weeks. The first session started June 1 and the last session kicked off July 20.

These camps have taken place for over 38 years. 

"It really is about accessing the range of emotions that we all have inside of ourselves, but you’re doing it using your imagination. So it’s really nurturing this sense of play that we all are hard-wired to experience as a child,” said Rachael Moulton, associate artist and director of education. “So it really allows a sense of freedom of expression because they’re being lifted up constantly to celebrate each other, and also feel this sense of confidence about themselves.”

At the end of each day counselors recognize stand-out campers at an awards ceremony, and each camper is given a unique individual award catered to them. Every camper eventually gets the chance to stand on the Keating Theatre stage to wave and smile at their fellow campers cheering them on.

Campers also perform an original theatrical production for a packed house at the Keating Theatre at the end of each three-week session. The performance isn’t based on a strict narrative, but instead includes acting pieces from many different texts, and even pieces the campers have written themselves. The performance takes place on the third Thursday of the three-week session, then the day after campers celebrate with an all-day cast party. 

Rebecca Saiger, mother of camper Sterling Saiger, 8, beamed while thinking about her early memories of camp and the close-knit environment experienced. The camps didn't just make a big difference in her life though, but also that of her son.  

Photo by Carlin Gillen

“He was diagnosed with apraxia when he was born. It’s a neurological speech disorder that's lifelong," she said. "So, up until he was maybe 5 and a half, he was unintelligible to most people. I wanted him to start coming here to camp. It really helped him become more confident in speaking in front of an audience."

Saiger and her son laughed as they recounted how often he’d ask when camp starts up again.

Campers Avi and Joah, 8, Sigal-Verier have a similar story.

Verier-Dunn, Avi and Joah’s mother, attended FST camps from around the age of 6 to her high school years. Verier-Dunn has immense respect for the way FST allows her children to be seen and gives them the chance to grow as not only actors, but people.  

Photo by Carlin Gillen

“What’s so beautiful about the way that the program is structured and the way that they facilitate spaces for kids so there’s room for everyone to be who they are, I probably couldn’t articulate that as a kid, but I think that’s what I really felt while I was going here," she said. 

Verier-Dunn also opened up about her sons having dyslexia and how FST helped them through what is commonly known as the “summer slide."

Both mothers have an enormous amount of gratitude towards FST for what it did for themselves, and their children. 

Avi has his own saying that puts it slightly different. 

“Once you come here, you live here.”