Middle school students will have an opportunity to learn the art of aging through makeup techniques at Drama Camp at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, then again Sept. 18 and Oct. 30.
“I want the camp to be a fun learning experience for the students, which I hope will spark an interest in theater that will carry over to their high school years,” said Jennifer Jones, high school speech, drama and camp instructor.
The young thespians will learn the art of improvisational acting, mime and creating their own characters.
The actors will also perform scenes from plays for each other. There will not be a public performance, Jones said.
“I will teach the students about the technical aspect of stage work. Not everyone wants to be in front of an audience. Some people like to work behind the scenes,” she said.
Students will learn how to make stage blood and how it appears to flow from the body onto a shirt.
Making blood is actually simple, Jones said.
It is a blend of food coloring, corn syrup and uncolored laundry detergent — so it will wash out of clothes.
The blood is put in a bag, taped to the actor and at the appropriate time a thumb tack — already stuck in the bag — is pulled out, releasing the mix, Jones said.
The Oct. 30 camp will concentrate on makeup techniques. Students will be able to experiment with characters from their imagination while others will concentrate on giving their faces animalistic characteristics.
STUDENTS MAY attend any or all of the camps for a total fee of $10. Registration forms, which are available in the Bowlus office, must be filled out before attending the camp.
If a student cannot afford the $10 fee, scholarships are available by calling Susan Raines, Bowlus director, at 365-4765.
