Everybody knows a theater kid. Or maybe they were one themselves. Either way, exposure to the Broadway-or-bust-minded does something special to a person. Modernity has shown that the theater has created a community in which many who have not found acceptance (say, because of their sexuality) in other places, are finally home. Theater Camp is a film created by the theater community for just about everybody.
The film is a mockumentary about the counselors and campers of a sleepaway summer camp in which middle-school aged children practice and perform three different theatrical productions. When camp owner/leader, Joan (Amy Sedaris), winds up in a coma, it’s up to her non-theater kid, Troy (Jimmy Tatro), to save the camp from financial crisis. Screenwriters Ben Platt and Molly Gordon also lead the cast as camp counselors Amos and Rebecca-Diane, two wannabe performers who are unhealthily bound at the hip. As the film progresses, various characters and numerous fictional productions are thrown into crises as the camp struggles to find investors.
If Theater Camp is anything, it’s a lovingly crafted send-up of what the performing arts do to a group of people. Those who have participated in or witnessed the releasing of cast-lists and stage show announcements will understand exactly the wonderfully over-dramatic types of people the film means to parody. Even so, the film, obviously created by people who belong to the theater community, is devoid of any mean-spiritedness, while simultaneously subtly critiquing the company for often excluding others who don’t have the theater bug.
In a summer that might be denoted by future generations as the attempted return of the studio comedy, Theater Camp is funnier than most. Its jokes are pitch perfect, its performances spot on. Viewers, even those who don’t enjoy the theater on a regular basis, will enjoy the many humorous situations presented.
Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Alexander Bello, Kyndra Sanchez, Bailee Bonick, Quinn Titcomb, Madisen Marie Lora, Donovan Colan and Luke Islam appear in a still from Theater Camp by Molly Goron and Nick Lieberman, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute
The film’s climax portrays an unexpected character taking on the role of a lifetime – essentially living out their dream. In this sequence, which obviously contains a dazzling musical number, the message is clearly conveyed. Live theater has a profound effect on all of us. Performance, in both viewing and participation, is part of what makes us human and allows us to feel things and process emotion in ways we may not have otherwise been able to do. Perhaps this is why it has attracted so many die-hards over the years. Theater Camp is a celebration of the means of the community just as much as it of the community itself – that’s the genius of the film.
The only question that remains, then, is that of applicability. Most people are not, in fact, theater kids. So, why would they see this movie? The answer is that passion and friendship are not exclusive to the drama club, as much as it seems like they are. The ridiculous yet loveable characters and the catharsis the film provides are enough to engage even those who’ve never seen a production on stage. On top of that, Theater Camp is likely the funniest film of the year so far.
Rating: 5/5
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