Newport Students Take the Stage During Summer Theatre Program

This summer, Newport Summer Programming students brought creativity, confidence, and plenty of laughter to the stage with their performance of Bedtime Stories (As Told by Our Dad) (Who Messed Them Up!) by Ed Monk.

The fun, family-friendly production followed a dad who took over bedtime when Mom was sick. His children loved a good bedtime story, but Dad’s storytelling skills left a lot to be desired—leading to hilarious twists on three familiar tales along the way.

Students ages 8–16 worked throughout the summer to bring the show to life under the leadership of Newport High School Theatre Director Ms. Brittany Stacy and 21st Century Coordinator Torrie Watkins. From learning lines and rehearsing scenes to designing sets and creating costumes, students were involved in every part of the production process. Their hard work paid off on Thursday, June 25, when they took the stage for an audience of family members, younger students, staff, and community supporters.

For Ms. Stacy, summer theatre is a highlight each year.

“Theatre Camp in the summer is something I look forward to each June,” she shared. “It is an opportunity to spend time with students for an extended amount of time to rehearse our show and also design our show. They get to be an active part of every planning aspect of the show because they spend four hours each day with us.”

She also noted that summer programming gives students the chance to explore both acting and design, helping them better understand different career fields while building confidence and skills in a supportive environment.

For the students, the experience was about much more than performing. It was about friendship, teamwork, creativity, and discovering what they were capable of accomplishing together.

“The summer theater program is so much fun to be a part of,” shared student Hannah Scott. “I like doing the summer program because it helps me develop important skills like teamwork, creativity, and confidence. I have also dreamed of acting.”

Student Willow Lowe-Hoelmer shared that the program made her summer more meaningful by helping her connect with other teens and grow her theatre experience. “I enjoyed auditioning, practicing lines, and performing the play,” she said. “It is definitely something I look forward to doing again.”

Another student reflected on the challenge and reward of preparing a full production in just a few weeks, sharing, “Learning a play in a month is pretty hard, but with everyone together, we got it done in no time. I like doing summer theatre because it helps me learn how to be a better actor.”

For some students, this summer marked their first time performing in a play. One student shared, “The summer play was an enjoyable experience, especially because it was my first play. I loved the set and I hope to be in more plays in the future.”

Theatre Camp was a powerful example of what summer programming makes possible. Students not only strengthened communication, collaboration, and creative thinking skills, but also built relationships across grade levels and experienced the pride of working toward a shared goal.

By the time the final curtain closed, Newport’s young performers had done far more than put on a show. They had created something together, supported one another, and made summer memories that will last long after the stage lights dimmed.