About Reba:
BA Theatre Arts, Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA)
MA Theatre Education, Emerson College (Boston, MA) (expected 2013)
Reba spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco, where she facilitated a clowning troupe and helped them teach theatre workshops for youth all over the south-west region of the country. Aside from directing five mainstage productions per year at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Reba is an active member of Portland’s thriving theatre community. Reba uses theatre to teach anything and anything to teach theatre, loves making art with young actors, and loves watching young people find their spark!
About Reba’s Camps (in her own words):
I was teaching a Teensy Weensy acting class for 3-to-5-year-olds last fall when a 4-year-old actress with a glint in her eye leaned over and whispered, “Peter Pan’s my boyfriend” in my ear. Without hesitation, I told her that I knew Captain Hook personally and that he’s much nicer than he seems in the book or movies. In Camp Never Neverland, I’m looking forward to reading selections of Peter Pan to my campers, role playing Wendy Darling telling stories to the lost boys. After that, we’ll act it out, with a museum full of exhibits at our disposal, including a pirate ship outside! The story of Peter Pan has inspired so many children to make believe and pretend that they can fly or go to Neverland, it’s the perfect theme for a drama-based summer camp.
When I was about six years old, I discovered the game of Clue. I had my mother’s old boardgame from the 1960s. I loved the intrigue and the mystery, but I would only play with people that were willing to play their characters. (Apparently, even as a little girl I was a theatre director!) Professor Plum had to be a little nerdy, Mrs. Peacock was very nice and spoke like Ms. Piggy, Miss Scarlet was… Miss Scarlet. By the winter I was seven, playing Clue required dress up clothes and every corner of our house. I think playing Clue inspired me to try out for my first play! As a theatre teacher and educator, I’ve discovered many improvisational theatre games that have to do with playing parts and solving a mystery. These games quickly become a favorite of young actors in our mainstage productions, which is why I created Detective Camp. Every day we’ll be finding clues, playing characters and solving mysteries all over the museum! (Please don’t worry about the theme – our culprits will be stick to small misdemeanors and petty crimes. There will be no murder in our detective camp this summer!)
Talk to Reba:
Curious about Reba’s camps? Contact Reba at 828-1234 x247 or email her at reba@kitetails.org.
If you don’t have any questions and are ready to register, you can do it online here or call Shana at 828-1234 x232.