As dozens of parents enter the auditorium eager to see the product of a week’s work of hard work from their young children, student counselors hold them back before Rainforest Rhapsody begins.

“I liked seeing the kid’s eyes light up when they learned about what we do here,” senior Quinton  Anding said. “Just seeing their faces light up when we built (props) reminds me of the enjoyment I had to do this at the theater.”

From July 29 to Aug. 2, students taught kids from kindergarten to eight grade about the world of theater.

“It’s hysterical to watch my kids making sure it’s perfect,” Director Melissa Danforth said. “They’re in there doing lighting views, or there like ‘we gotta fix this prop, we gotta paint this set, we gotta hang this backdrop’ and you know they care because it’s their show. They want the kids to look good.”

Students volunteered to run the camp their last free week of the summer.

“They could do anything else with their time and they choose to do this,” Danforth said. “It’s awesome because I know they’re committed to it. They want to do something bigger and that’s cool.”

The camp has been running since the school opened.

“It’s definitely gotten more diverse and involved,” senior Mara Slutani said. “We have new theater students so that means new ideas and classes. Getting to work with a different group of kids every year is cool.”

The camp ended with a performance for the public.

“It took a lot of effort and help from many people to put together the show,” Anding said. “The children definitely walked away knowing this is a place like home, especially if it’s something they want to do when they get to high school.”