Summer Camp Spotlight: Taking Center Stage at the Company Theatre

The moment you step through the doors of the Company Theatre in Norwell during the summer months, you can feel it: a surge of creative electricity. In one room, kids belt out Broadway show tunes while others are gathered around the grand piano learning harmonies. In the scene shop, young artists are painting backdrops. In our dance studios, students are learning choreography. It’s organized chaos—in the best possible way.

This is the Academy of the Company Theatre’s Summer Workshop, a three-week immersion into the performing and visual arts that has become a second home to hundreds of South Shore children and teens each year.

“Confidence and transformation happen here,” said Zoe Bradford, Executive Director and co-founder of the Company Theatre. “You see a student come in on the first day unsure of themselves, maybe a little nervous—and by the third week, they’re taking center stage and making new friends while supporting others. That kind of growth keeps us going year after year.”

Now in its 31st year, the A.C.T. Summer Workshop runs June 23 to July 11, 2025, and offers students ages 8 to 18 the chance to build their own schedule from more than 70 classes in acting, singing, painting, media arts, dance, culinary arts, technical theatre, and more. A.C.T. Jr., a half-day program for children ages 5 to 7, provides a gentler introduction to the creative world with classes in dance, music, drama, and visual arts.

This program isn’t just about rehearsing scenes or mixing paint. The benefit of the program extends beyond the stage. In a 2024 peer-reviewed study of a community-based arts camp, researchers also found that arts programming strengthened students’ social-emotional development, with gains in empathy, self-expression, and relationship-building that contribute to long-term well-being.

Bradford has seen those benefits firsthand. “The arts give young people a way to process what they’re feeling and connect with others,” she said. “especially now, when kids are under so much pressure. Having a creative outlet—and a supportive community around it—makes all the difference for our students.”

Each student in the workshop attends six classes a day, and at noon, the entire group gathers for a short daily showcase. These mid-day performances range from student-led skits and songs, to visits from professional guest artists, offering campers the chance to see what’s possible when passion meets practice. The session culminates in an all-day Arts Festival on Saturday, July 12, where families are invited to experience the culmination of three weeks of growth, collaboration, and hard work.

“What brings us joy is the student who finds their courage, who makes a new friend, who discovers a part of themselves they didn’t know was there,” said Bradford. That’s part of the magic of this place.

That magic is something students carry with them long after the summer ends. Many alumni go on to professional performance careers. Most students walk away with confidence they can apply in their chosen profession, along with stronger communication skills, and a lifelong love of the arts.

Bradford noted that there is a limited number of spots remaining for the Summer 2025 workshop. Those looking for more information or to register should visit www.companytheatre.com/summer-workshop.