This summer, the creative team at Face 2 Face will be running a summer camp at the Galileo Theatre, to rehearse and perform a different show every week, from June 25th-July 27th. Students will learn about the art of theatre, (performance set and costume design, improvisation and sketch writing) from native professional actors and will perform at the Galileo Theatre each Friday. We caught up with Lisa Krosnicki, the camp director, to find out more.
Born in Wisconsin, America, Lisa has over 15 years of experience in children’s theatre. She been a member of Face 2 Face theatre company since 2008, and you may remember her performance in A Christmas Carol, Drockula, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Titanic, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Murder on the Disorient Express and A New York Fairy Tale. As well as acting and directing for the company, Lisa also runs the F2F Acting Academy, for promising young actors, and has been running the Face 2 Face summer camp for over 10 years.
First of all, who can come to the camp? Do the students 
need to have a high level of English or come from bilingual schools?
«Face 2 Face summer camp is open to all children between the ages 5 and 15. We welcome students with every level of English, from high to low, it doesn’t matter. It’s a fun, exciting way to practice your English and to make new friends. It works beautifully, the kids with the higher level help the kids with the lower level. The monitors are all native English speakers and of course they help, too.»
Every year the summer camp is based on a different idea. What is the theme this year?
«The theme is Action/Adventure. We’re going to make our own shows based on your favorite adventure movies like Pirates of the Carribean, Indiana Jones, Night at the Museum, Jumanji, and The Goonies (for the parents :-). This year the kids get to write the scenes. It’ll be fun.»
Do any of your students suffer from stage fright? And will a child benefit from the activities if he or she is shy?
» Shyness is a tricky adjective. I think about “shy” kids in a different way; they’re calm and modest, thoughtful, careful, and they’re usually great listeners. I have seen shyness disappear with new surroundings, new people and new activities. I think it’s a quality, not a flaw. We get “shy” kids all the time but you wouldn’t know by looking at them on stage! The theatre is a great place to shine.»
Over the years you have directed dozens of different summer camp shows… which ones have been your favorites and why?
«Pick a favorite? Hmmm. The year we did SUMMER CAMP LIVE! was great because the kids wrote their own sketches. It’s marvellous to see their creativity at work. They work in groups writing a scene then get up and play it out. The process is fast and fun. Another year that I enjoyed immensely was the year we did Musicals. The kids performed their own versions of the popular Broadway musicals : The Lion King, Grease, Singin’ in the Rain, the Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. It was awesome!»
Can you describe a typical day at the camp?
«We laugh a lot. We have a lot of fun even though I am very demanding. I want the kids to see the beauty of theatre. I want them to understand the art of storytelling and acting and movement. Each day we sing a little, we dance a little, we rehearse the scenes and talk about acting techniques and the rules of the stage. There is a lot of structure and discipline in the theatre world but we also know how to have fun! I have the best job in the world!»
It sounds like great fun! Thank you, Lisa… we look forward to seeing you at the Galileo Theatre this summer!
If you would like to find out more, you can visit the summer camp website: http://www.face2facesummercamp.com/
- Designed for: kids from 5 to 15 years old
- Dates: from June 25 to July 27 2018
- Place: Galileo Theatre and Galileo Cultural Center (C/ Galileo 39, Madrid)
- Hours: from 9am to 4pm (with lunch) or from 9am to 2pm (without lunch)
