by Program Coordinator, KT Leuterio
I started working at P.S. ARTS this past summer, and since then I’ve been spending my time getting to know the Inside Out Community Arts program, Artist Leaders, and all of the wonderful students who are a part of the program. This month is a busy one for Inside Out! At the start of the month, Inside Out headed over to Camp Bloomfield in the Malibu canyons to take part in a weekend full of theatre, bonding, and creativity.
On Friday afternoon, students arrived at Camp Bloomfield. When everyone got off the bus, there was a buzz of excitement in the air! One of my favorite parts of camp was greeting the students as they arrived. There was a mix of emotions: excitement, nervousness, happiness, and a little bit of uncertainty about the weekend ahead. It was great to watch all the nervousness melt away once everyone started mingling, chatting, and playing games together.
After some warm-up games, students went straight to rehearsals to continue working on their original pieces. Students were joined by our A-Team at rehearsals for some extra guidance and feedback on their plays. Our A-Team consists of Inside Out Alumni, who took some time out of their college schedules to spend their weekend with us at Camp Bloomfield (yay A-Team!). Having the A-Team there really showed me how much of an impact the Inside Out Program makes on these students’ lives—so many of them stick around to be a part of the Inside Out Program years after they have graduated!
Students spent the rest of the evening getting to know nature and one another. Students were led by Artist Leaders on a star hike after dinner and came back for a talent show and an evening of dancing with DJ Ben Goldsmith.
All of Saturday was spent working on plays. Students rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed! They also met with our Production Artists to have costume fittings and painted set pieces for their final performances. Students took breaks to enjoy some swimming and ended their evening with a drumming circle.
On Sunday, all of the students had the opportunity to share their pieces with everyone during their dress rehearsals. Before heading home, we took one more pit stop at the beach to enjoy the fresh Malibu breeze.
All in all, the weekend was a success! Students worked hard on their plays, and they all left with a few more friends than they arrived with. It was so rewarding to see these students collaborate and work together to create something that really speaks to them.
The students’ Final Performance is at the Aratani Theatre tonight at 7 PM. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the students have created, and I hope you can join us! For more information about their performance, click here.
