"I knew I could handle the outdoors, but I didn't know how passionate I would become about it." - Camper

Commedia Troupe 2012

Create an outrageous original comedy and take it on a week-long tour by bus and backpack!

Perfect for performers interested in improvisation, physical comedy, mask work and group playwriting.

Working in an ensemble of up to 14 actors, the Commedia Troupe creates and rehearses an original play under the direction of master teacher Toby Mulford. Rehearsals focus on improvisation, mask use, movement analysis, ensemble creation, vocal technique and collaborative storytelling, as well as study of both the historical form of Commedia and its modern descendants. Outdoor rehearsals, rigorous exercises and weekly campouts prepare you to go on a nine-day tour, camping out, hiking, swimming and performing at a series of outdoor venues, including Douthat State Park and Colonial Williamsburg, site of the first theatre in the colonies.

What is Commedia dell'Arte?

Commedia dell'Arte is the style of improvised theatre that invented many theatrical conventions that we now take for granted: slapstick comedy, professional actors and (startling enough) women playing the female roles! Originating during the Italian Renaissance, Commedia dominated the European theatre scene for more than two centuries and has inspired everyone from Shakespeare to The Simpsons.

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The Play

La Guerra delle Stelle
This summer, the Commedia Troupe creates a new(ish) swashbuckling comedy. When young Luciano befriends a pair of bumbling servants on the run, he's drawn into a desperate effort to destroy the fearsome warship "La Stella della Morte." Along the way, he encounters nutty old men, roguish smugglers, feisty princesses, hapless footsoldiers and a sinister foreign captain with a breathing problem.

Session Information

For rising 9th - 12th graders

By audition only

5 weeks, 7 performances

Tuition: $2,900

Dates: July 23 - August 24

On Tour: August 16 - August 24

Additional Information for Campers and Parents

Other Options for Rising 9th Graders

Scholarship Information

Tech Theatre Program

Film Crew

What to Bring to Camp

What to Pack for Tour!

VIDEO: Commedia Troupe's Inaugural Tour in 2009