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How to Ensure a Quality Camp Performance!

posted on Jul 18 2023

by Matt Dorter, Executive Director

You do such a good job creating a thoughtful, welcoming community for your campers and staff. Are you thinking the same way about the people who visit your camp?

Are your vendors, entertainers, and visitors treated to a thoughtful experience when they arrive at your camp?

As a company that has 15 years of experience visiting hundreds of camps every summer, we have seen that the right circumstances can make all the difference to success. So, we’ve distilled down the four action steps a camp can take to create a welcoming environment for entertainers and ensure a quality camp performance.

When you implement these four action steps, visiting entertainers integrate seamlessly to add value to the camp experience and showcase that the values and traditions you’ve created at your camp extend to the outside world.

Here are 4 action steps you can take to support our performers and ensure a successful summer camp show!

1. COMMUNICATE

The best way to ensure quality camp performances is to communicate with mainstages in advance of the performance, providing the correct times, ages, and number of participants. This helps with the custom plan that we put together for every show that we do!

2. BE WELCOMING

Assign a point person to welcome performers upon arrival. This person should also be able to bring performers to the venue and review any load-in considerations. Assisting performers with getting nearest to the venue will help the best set-up possible and a prompt start time.

3. INTEGRATE

When performers are at your camp for the full day, it is customary to offer performers food and water from your dining hall. Not only does this create a polite experience, but it also offers more opportunity for informal engagement with campers. The more performers can learn and relate to your camp community, the better the overall experience is!

4. SUPPORT

Our shows are highly interactive for both campers and staff, We require camp staff assistance in calling up volunteers and participating in the show. Let your staff know entertainers are arriving in advance and be informed that their involvement is needed.

We care about your camp community and want to maximize your value and exposure. If you are able to follow these action steps, you can ensure the success of your visiting entertainers.

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Matt Dorter

posted on Jul 18 2023

by Matt Dorter

Matt is a seasoned camp and theater professional with over 20 years staff experience at both day and resident camps. Matt graduated New York University's Tisch School Of The Arts with degrees in Theater and Applied Education and served as Company Manager of the New Acting Company in New York City.

Matt has toured with the National Theater for Children and has written, directed, and produced over 150 shows for children. Matt is a consultant on theatrical services for summer camps and is a presenter for the American Camp Association on theatrical best practices.

Matt is proud to be a founding member of the mainstages team and is passionate about the goal of using creativity to inspire social action and strengthen theatrical arts in the youth movement.