OceanFirst Foundation Awards Eagle Theatre 2019 Summer Camp Scholarship Grant

South Jersey continues to take arts education to the next level, with the help of a recent 2019 Summer Camp Scholarship Grant, awarded to Eagle Theatre by the OceanFirst Foundation. 

This summer, Eagle Theatre Conservatory’s Summer Camp will introduce over 40 students, ranging from 5 – 17 years old, to the exciting world of theatre, largely due to the support of the OceanFirst Foundation.

“This scholarship allows us to accommodate an even greater number of enrollees than we initially had planned. We are now able to keep registration open though July 7th, thanks to the support of the OceanFirst Foundation,” states Kimberly Suskind, Director of Youth Education. 

With focuses on acting, dance, music, and design, Eagle Theatre Conservatory Summer Camp is designed for all levels of experience, providing newbies and veterans alike a real on-stage experience.

Chief Strategist Jim Donio explains, “What makes Eagle Theatre Conservatory’s Summer Camp truly unique is the fact that the same industry professionals who produce the Eagle Theatre’s Actor’s Equity Association productions help facilitate the summer camp and instruct the students. This is a once in a lifetime experience that is not able to be replicated anywhere else in South Jersey.”

Eagle Theatre Conservatory’s Summer Theatre Camp is touted as the only full musical theatre summer camp produced by a professional Actors’ Equity theatre in the southern 8 counties of the State of New Jersey.

While Eagle Theatre has leaked plans to grow their Conservatory programing even further, with year-round classes for all ages, the Summer Camp has experienced consistent growth each year since its inception. In 2018, Summer Camp had 40 students enrolled. In 2019, Eagle Theatre Conservatory has set a goal to enroll at least 50 students. Now, with OceanFirst’s Scholarship, the addition of 10 students can be enrolled, which will be a 25% increase in enrollment.

Donio concludes, “It allows aspiring performers, designers and technicians to learn from the best in the field. Many students would be unable to afford to travel to Philadelphia or New York for a similar experience, so expanding the capacity of the summer camp has a positive impact on low to moderate income households. However, with only ten more spots to fill, we urge those interest to act fast.”