SUMMER CAMPS 2010
Sprouting The Classics
Shaking The Tree is "Sprouting the Classics for the fifth year in a row by inviting children and teens to enter into the wonderful world of classic literature through drama. Each camp uses the dramatic arts to bring a different beloved story (or collection of stories) to life. Scroll down the page to find your child's age group and description of the book we will be working on. Classes are small and run half day. All classes are taught by Samantha Van Der Merwe, Artistic and Executive director at Shaking The Tree. Here's to another classic summer!
Ages 5-7
Each week focuses on a beloved children's book. We'll start off each day with theatre games to warm up, learn dramatic skills and get aquainted with new friends. Our first three days will be spent working through the story and acting out our favorite scenes using costumes and props. On the fourth day (Thursday), we'll choose our three (or four) favorite scenes and make prop and set pieces needed for those scenes. On Friday, we'll set up the theatre, rehearse our play and then later perform it for family and friends. The Friday performance will be held at noon.
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
By Hugh Lofting
By Hugh Lofting
"All the animals from here to the Indian Ocean are talking about this wonderful man, and how he can cure any kind of sickness, and how kind he is-the only man in the whole world who can talk the language of the animals!"
Doctor John Dolittle loves animals. He loves them so much that his home and office overflow with animals of every description. When Polynesia the parrot teaches him the language of the animals, Doctor Dolittle becomes a world-famous doctor, traveling even as far away as Africa to help his friends. This version of the beloved children's classic had been edited by award-winning authors Patricia and Frederick McKissack for modern audiences.
July 6th - 9th (Only four days due to the July 4th long weekend)
9:30 - 12:30
Please pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
Doctor John Dolittle loves animals. He loves them so much that his home and office overflow with animals of every description. When Polynesia the parrot teaches him the language of the animals, Doctor Dolittle becomes a world-famous doctor, traveling even as far away as Africa to help his friends. This version of the beloved children's classic had been edited by award-winning authors Patricia and Frederick McKissack for modern audiences.
July 6th - 9th (Only four days due to the July 4th long weekend)
9:30 - 12:30
Please pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
$
135.00
A Cricket in Times Square
By George Selden
By George Selden
Now Tucker Mouse had heard almost all the sounds that can be heard in New York City...But in all his days, and on all his journeys through the greatest city in the world, Tucker had never heard a sound quite like this one. "
After Chester, a cricket, arrives in the Times Square subway station from his native Connecticut via a picnic basket, he takes up residence in the Bellinis' newsstand. There tiny Chester is lucky enough to find three good friends: a little boy named Mario, whose parents run the unsuccessful newsstand; a fast-talking Broadway mouse called Tucker; and Tucker's pal, Harry Cat. Between escapades in New York City, the four somehow manage to bring success to the almost bankrupt newsstand.
July 26th - 30th
9:30 - 12:30
Please pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
After Chester, a cricket, arrives in the Times Square subway station from his native Connecticut via a picnic basket, he takes up residence in the Bellinis' newsstand. There tiny Chester is lucky enough to find three good friends: a little boy named Mario, whose parents run the unsuccessful newsstand; a fast-talking Broadway mouse called Tucker; and Tucker's pal, Harry Cat. Between escapades in New York City, the four somehow manage to bring success to the almost bankrupt newsstand.
July 26th - 30th
9:30 - 12:30
Please pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
$
165.00
Ages 7 - 9
Each week focuses on a beloved children's book. We'll start off each day with theatre games to warm up, learn dramatic skills and get aquainted with new friends. Our first three days will be spent working through the story and acting out our favorite scenes using costumes and props. On the fourth day (Thursday), we'll choose our three (or four) favorite scenes and make prop and set pieces needed for those scenes. On Friday, we'll set up the theatre, rehearse our play and then later perform it for family and friends. The Friday performance will be held at noon.
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
By Robert C. O'Brien
By Robert C. O'Brien
"The rats on Mr Fitzgibbon's farm have-things-ways-you know nothing about. They are not like the rest of us.They are not, I think, even like most other rats. They work at night, in secret."
Mrs Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately or face almost certain death. But her youngest son Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma.
June 28th - July 2nd
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
Mrs Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately or face almost certain death. But her youngest son Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma.
June 28th - July 2nd
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
$
165.00
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
By Grace Lin
By Grace Lin
"I'm coming!" Minli called again. She took a deep breath and dove toward the voice...When she finally opened her eyes, Minli almost sank back underwater with shock. Because there in front of her was...a DRAGON!"
In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz.
August 2nd - 6th
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Waitlist Info:
Please Click Here to fill out a waitlist form. You will be notified as soon as a spot becomes available ofr this camp.
In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz.
August 2nd - 6th
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Waitlist Info:
Please Click Here to fill out a waitlist form. You will be notified as soon as a spot becomes available ofr this camp.
$
165.00
Ages 9 - 11
Each week focuses on a beloved children's book. We'll start off each day with theatre games to warm up, learn dramatic skills and get aquainted with new friends. Our first three days will be spent working through the story and acting out our favorite scenes using costumes and props. On the fourth day (Thursday), we'll choose our three (or four) favorite scenes and make prop and set pieces needed for those scenes. On Friday, we'll set up the theatre, rehearse our play and then later perform it for family and friends. The Friday performance will be held at noon.
Treasure Island
By Robert Louis Stevenson
By Robert Louis Stevenson
"Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!"
Following the demise of bloodthirsty buccaneer Captain Flint, young Jim Hawkins finds himself with the key to a fortune. For he has discovered a map that will lead him to the fabled Treasure Island. But a host of villains, wild beasts and deadly savages stand between him and the stash of gold. Not to mention the most infamous pirate ever to sail the high seas...
Set Sail aboard the Hispaniola, with fearless Jim and the formidable Long John Silver! Girl Pirates most welcome!
July 19th - 23rd
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
Following the demise of bloodthirsty buccaneer Captain Flint, young Jim Hawkins finds himself with the key to a fortune. For he has discovered a map that will lead him to the fabled Treasure Island. But a host of villains, wild beasts and deadly savages stand between him and the stash of gold. Not to mention the most infamous pirate ever to sail the high seas...
Set Sail aboard the Hispaniola, with fearless Jim and the formidable Long John Silver! Girl Pirates most welcome!
July 19th - 23rd
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
$
165.00
The Thousand Nights and One Night
Retold by David Walser
Retold by David Walser
"The King raised and hand to stop him. "Wazir, I wish you to leave Shahrazade for another night. There is something I want to hear."
Welcome to the world of The Thousand Nights and One Night- and ancient world of enchantment and adventure, where magic is commonplace and animals talk, where genies rub shoulders with men, and wicked sorcerers abound. This is a collection of stories (including favorites such as Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin's Lamp) within one story told by a clever and resourceful young woman named Shahrazade. In order to put off her death, ordered by the vengeful King Shahryar, she tells these stories for a thousand and one nights thus entrancing the king and ultimately freeing herself.
August 9th - 13th
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
Welcome to the world of The Thousand Nights and One Night- and ancient world of enchantment and adventure, where magic is commonplace and animals talk, where genies rub shoulders with men, and wicked sorcerers abound. This is a collection of stories (including favorites such as Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin's Lamp) within one story told by a clever and resourceful young woman named Shahrazade. In order to put off her death, ordered by the vengeful King Shahryar, she tells these stories for a thousand and one nights thus entrancing the king and ultimately freeing herself.
August 9th - 13th
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
$
165.00
Ages 11 - 13
We'll start off each day with theatre games to warm up, learn dramatic skills and get aquainted with new friends. Our first three days will be spent working through the story and acting out our favorite scenes using costumes and props. On the fourth day (Thursday), we'll choose our three (or four) favorite scenes and make prop and set pieces needed for those scenes. On Friday, we'll set up the theatre, rehearse our play and then later perform it for family and friends. The Friday performance will be held at noon.
Tales of the Greek Heroes
Retold by Roger Lancelyn Green
Retold by Roger Lancelyn Green
"By the will of Zeus this son of yours shall be a strong and mighty hero. See, I wrap about him the skin of a lion, the first of my many labours: may Ajax prove as bold as a lion and as strong and fearless!"
The beautiful land of Greece is haunted by more than three thousand years of legend and history. In this gripping retelling of the Heroic Age, you'll meet the mighty POSEIDON, God of the Sea; ZEUS, the King of Heaven and Earth; HADES, Lord of the Dead; ARTEMIS the Huntress; APHRODITE, Immortal Lady of Beauty and Love; and many more mortals and gods. Their adventures are some of the oldest and most famous stories in the world.
August 23rd - 27th
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
The beautiful land of Greece is haunted by more than three thousand years of legend and history. In this gripping retelling of the Heroic Age, you'll meet the mighty POSEIDON, God of the Sea; ZEUS, the King of Heaven and Earth; HADES, Lord of the Dead; ARTEMIS the Huntress; APHRODITE, Immortal Lady of Beauty and Love; and many more mortals and gods. Their adventures are some of the oldest and most famous stories in the world.
August 23rd - 27th
9:30 - 12:30
Please Pack a lunch for your child
Registration Info:
First Click Here to fill out a registration form, then either pay online by clicking the "Add to Cart" button below or send a check to Shaking The Tree 1407 SE Stark St, Portland 97214
$
165.00
Shaking The Tree Policies
| shaking_the_tree_theatre_and_studio_policies.pdf |
About Samantha Van Der Merwe
Samantha Van Der Merwe received her Licentiate in Speech and Drama Teaching through Trinity College of London's worldwide examination board, in 1993. Since then she has traveled the world, acted, painted and taught drama and art. Samantha is settled in Portland, Oregon where she lives with her Husband and two children. She created Shaking The Tree in 2003 out of a love and passion for the arts and for children. "I am very excited with the direction Shaking The Tree has taken and I believe now, more than ever, that drama and the arts should be an important part of every child's education."
