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Frequently Asked Questions
 


Camp Logistics

Students arrive at camp between 8:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and sign in with the counselors before joining their group. After morning assembly and warm-ups, campers and their counselors go to class sessions taught by our theatre education professionals. 

We have two snack breaks throughout the day and a one-hour lunch break. Snacks and lunch are not provided. The camp day concludes with an all-camp assembly and dismissal at 4 p.m.

 

Before Care and After Care will be available at both locations, Playhouse in the Park and Mason Community Center/Mason Middle School. 

Playhouse in the Park

Playhouse Before Care and After Care are available as add-ons with all camp purchases. Prices listed cover a full week and cannot be pro-rated. 

For students not enrolled in Before Care, we will begin checking in students at 8:45 a.m. If your child is not enrolled in After Care and is not picked up by 4:15 p.m., you will be charged the extended care rate for the week

  • Before Care: 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. ($40)
  • After Care: 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. ($40)

You can register for Before and After Care when you register for camp or here on our website.

Mason Community Center

Mason Before Care and After Care is run by Mason Community Center. Rates are determined by Mason Community Center and can be found while registering for Mason Camps.

  • Before Care Mason: 7:30 – 9 a.m. (Care Code 235600)
  • After Care Mason: 4 – 5:30 p.m. (Care Code 235602)

Registration for camps at Mason Community Center begins on Feb. 17 for premiere members and on Feb. 20 for the general public.

Pick-up and drop-off procedures will vary by location. All information will be emailed to families prior to camp starting. Anyone picking up a child from camp must be authorized to do so on the child’s paperwork. Students will not be permitted to leave camp with anyone who is not authorized in advance. When picking up a child from camp, the authorized parent or guardian must present a valid ID.

We do not provide snacks or lunch to campers in full-day and Performance Academy camps. Families must provide their own snacks and lunch. Please be aware that in order to serve as many students as possible, we have implemented a NO NUT rule. We cannot refrigerate or heat lunches. 

Camp class sizes vary depending on location, camp type and ages of enrolled campers. We do make adjustments as needed per area guidelines for health and safety. Our group sizes are typically 16 -18 per group. The group size may vary for Performance Academy groups.

Our instructors are theatre professionals with years of experience and a strong focus on education. 

All children of any experience level are welcome. Our instructors adjust class material based on the students’ levels of experience. 

Regardless of previous acting experience, we group students by age. It is our philosophy that students remain with their age peers, and the instructor can adjust teaching styles based on experience within the groups. If you have any questions about the classes, please contact us. 

We ask that parents/guardians do not stay during the camp day or enter classrooms while camp is in progress. Students are less inhibited and feel more confident when adults other than the teacher are not in the room. There will be a “shareformance” at the end of the week where parents/guardians can see what their camper has been learning. 

If you need to pick up your child early, please contact the Camp Coordinator, who will retrieve your camper and bring them to you at the entrance. 

Yes! Each camp session focuses on different skill sets that can be used as a standalone experience or combined to make for an even more in-depth experience with theatre. 

Summer Theatre Day Camp

All one-week camps lead up to a brief “shareformance” which informally shares a scene with friends and family at 3:30 p.m. on the last day of camp.  

Performance Academies

All one-week Performance Academies lead up to a brief performance which shares the work with friends and family at 3:30 p.m. on the last day of camp.  

All two and three-week Performance Academies will be performed with limited sets and costumes for friends and family at the end of the week. Dates, times, and locations are below: 

 

   Please note:

  • The Disney’s Aladdin KIDS Performance Academy will take place at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park on June 5-9 and June 12-14.
  • On June 15, performers will start the day at Playhouse, walk to Pilgrim Chapel for Tech and return to Playhouse for dismissal.  
  • On June 16, performers will start the day at Playhouse, walk to Pilgrim Chapel for Tech and remain at Pilgrim Chapel for their performance.
  • On June 16 only, families can pick up their Aladdin KIDS campers from Pilgrim Chapel. 

 Please note:

  • The Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. Performance Academy will take place at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park on June 12-16, June 20-23, and June 26-28. 
  • On June 29, performers will start the day at Playhouse, walk to Pilgrim Chapel for Tech and return to Playhouse for dismissal.  
  • On June 30, performers will start the day at Playhouse, walk to Pilgrim Chapel for Tech and remain at Pilgrim Chapel for their performance.
  • On June 30 only, families can pick up their The Little Mermaid Jr. campers from Pilgrim Chapel.  

 

Please note:

  • The Disney’s Aladdin KIDS Performance Academy will take place at Mason Community Center on July 10-14 and July 17-19.  
  • On July 19 and 20, the camp will move to Mason Middle School. On these days only, families can drop off and pick up their campers from Mason Middle School.  
  • Campers who use before or after care will still start and end their day at Mason Community Center.  They will be walked over to the Middle School by camp staff. 

 

CLOTHING

This is a movement-based camp and all classes will require campers to be able to move around safely. Please ensure that your child wears clothing and close-toed shoes in which they can move easily and comfortably. They may be moving exuberantly, sitting on the floor, learning choreography and using craft supplies or paint. In movement and acting classes the campers often sit and lay on the floor while they stretch and play with character movement and breathing practices. Please make sure that if skirts or wide-legged shorts are worn, leggings or under-skirt shorts accompany them so that campers are covered during those activities. If a camper comes in a skirt or wide-legged shorts without leggings or under-skirt shorts, we will have to call and ask for a pair of leggings or under-skirt shorts to be brought to camp. 

Clothing NOT permitted includes:

  • Jeans
  • Open-toed sandals
  • Sagging pants
  • Midriffs or visible bra straps

FOOTWEAR

All shoes must have a back on their shoe and be closed-toed. We highly recommend tennis shoes, but other soft-soled shoes are okay as well. Dance shoes are not necessary for musical theatre camps, but are welcome for those who have them and would like to wear them during classes and rehearsal. 

Footwear NOT permitted includes:

  • Flip-flops, crocs or other loose sandals
  • High heels
  • Wheelies

If disallowed footwear is worn to camp, we will have to call and ask for another pair of shoes to be brought to camp. The activities in acting, movement and improvisation classes require secure footwear for safe participation. 

All electronics, toys and valuable items should be kept at home. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is not responsible for any lost, broken or stolen items. 

We subscribe to the Positive Discipline model of behavior management at all Playhouse camp locations. If campers are participating in disruptive behavior, our instructors and counselors first use positive reinforcement and redirection to help them identify what is causing the behavior and then figure out strategies for making better choices. 

In cases where the behavior continues, the following steps are taken. These are also shared with the campers on the first day of camp after going over the rules and expectations for camp: 

 

  1. Warning
  2. Sit out from the activity
  3. Conversation with the camp’s site leader
  4. Speak with a member of the camp leadership team
  5. Call home/Conversations with parents or guardians
  6. Removal from camp

In cases where camp staff are concerned that the behavior of a camper is harmful to themselves, other campers, staff or their surroundings, steps may be bypassed to address the situation. 


Registration

More information about the Launchpad program can be found here.

Please call the Box Office at 513-421-3888 for more details or to speak with a member of our Education team.

Box Office hours:

  • January – Mid-March and beginning June 27 are M – F: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Starting March 13 – June 26, hours are as follows. M: noon – 5 p.m. Tu - Sa: noon – 8 p.m. Su: noon – 2:30 p.m.

You may also reach us via email at summercamp@cincyplay.com.

Once a camp session is full, we will begin a waiting list. The list will be first come, first served. The waitlist will be set up like another registration page. Please enter your information as if you were registering for the camp and you will be added to the list. If a spot becomes available, you will be contacted by Playhouse Staff up to two weeks prior to the start of the camp. Openings are filled in order of registration. For more information, please contact the Box Office. You may also reach us via email at summercamp@cincyplay.com.

There will be no refunds given after May 24, 2023, for all June camps and June 23, 2023, for all July and August camps. Cancellations before the refund deadline will be honored with a full refund, minus a $25 administration fee. 

Save $50 on one and two-week camps and $75 on three-week camps with early bird pricing through March 15, 2023. Price increases beginning March 16. Applies only to the Playhouse location. At this time, we are not offering any discounts for summer camp at Mason Community Center If you would like to apply for a need-based scholarship, please review the application.

A confirmation email will be sent to you within 72 hours of registration, reserving your child’s place in the camp. In the four weeks prior to the start of your camp, you'll receive emails with all the information about locations, logistics and other important details. If you have any questions or you do not receive your order confirmation, please contact the Education Department at 513-977-2028 or summercamp@cincyplay.com.

Yes. Payment must be received at the time of registration in order to hold a place for your child in the camp, but payment plans are available. For more information, please contact the Box Office. You may also reach us via email at summercamp@cincyplay.com.

You can register for camps at www.cincyplay.com/campFor more information, please contact the Box Office. You may also reach us via email at summercamp@cincyplay.com.




Explore Sessions

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Box Office

Please call the Box Office at 513-421-3888 with further questions.

Box Office hours: 

January – Mid-March and beginning June 27
  • Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
March 13 – June 26: 
  • Monday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. 
  • Tuesday – Saturday: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. 
  • Sunday: 12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.  

Box Office closing hours vary based on performance schedule.

You may also reach us via email at summercamp@cincyplay.com

 

COVID-19 Health & Safety

The safety and well-being of our campers and staff is our top priority. As health and safety guidelines are constantly evolving, we continue to closely monitor the situation and modify our COVID-19 health and safety plan appropriately.

The protocols outlined below are subject to change at any time based on levels of COVID-19 in our community, CDC recommendations and/or changes to federal, state or local guidelines. We will communicate detailed safety procedures and any adjustments prior to the start of each camp session.

  • At this time and based on CDC guidance; face masks remain encouraged but not required. Single-use masks are available upon request. 
  • Proof of vaccination and/or a negative test will not be required to enter. 
  • Students should bring a pre-filled water bottle, and their own snacks (do not include any nuts). Sharing food and drink is not permitted.  
  • All class spaces and high-touch areas will be thoroughly cleaned utilizing current CDC-approved disinfecting procedures and solutions. 
  • Some classes may be held outdoors.
  • Students should not attend if they aren’t feeling well or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
  • If your camper has tested positive for COVID-19, you must notify your camper’s site leader as soon as possible and Playhouse Staff will notify parents/guardians of close contacts.
    • An individual is considered to be a close contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19 if they have been within less than three to six feet of the individual for 15 minutes or more; OR they have had direct physical contact with the individual. 
    • Close contacts will be required to mask for 10 full days. Day zero is the day of your last exposure to someone with COVID-19. Day one is the first full day after your last exposure.
  • Shareformances for one-week camps and performances for the Performance Academies will be in-person on the last day of camp. Details will be sent with your Summer Camp materials. 

Families who aren't comfortable with these protocols will have the option to receive a refund, minus a $25 administrative fee, if you notify us prior to the refund deadline. Please call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 with any questions or concerns. 

 


 
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