Shea's Performing Arts Center & Buffalo Museum of Science announce 'Science of Theatre' summer camp

New program offers middle & high school students hands-on opportunity to peek behind-the-curtain at theater production

Shea’s Performing Arts Center Press Release

Shea’s Performing Arts Center and the Buffalo Museum of Science (BMS) announce a new joint summer camp program giving middle and high school students a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings of a theater production through the “Science of Theatre” summer camp. The four-day program runs Aug. 11-14 and is open to students entering grades 7-12.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Buffalo Museum of Science to share with young people the interconnection between STEM and the arts,” Shea’s President and CEO Brian Higgins said. “This camp not only provides a fun opportunity to explore and experience the science behind theater, it also shares with the next generation of creative thinkers the many job opportunities available in stage production.”

BMS President and CEO Gary Siddall said, "This unique camp literally pulls the curtain back to highlight STEM professions that take place behind the scenes, and we’re fortunate to be able to combine our missions of the museum and Shea’s to make this summer camp experience possible. Not all scientists work in a lab, and collaborative programs like this help to emphasize the importance and applications of STEM literacy in a variety of industries.”

Places, please! Have you ever wondered what it takes to produce a stage show? From set design to sound and lighting, there is science in all aspects of theater production. Campers will dive into the science at Buffalo Museum of Science on Monday and Tuesday, then head to the Shea's Buffalo Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday to apply it behind the scenes.

“Science of Theatre” Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, through Thursday, Aug. 14, for students in grades 7-12. The cost is $300, with a minimum of six campers and a maximum of 20.

To register for this event or explore additional discovery camps offered by the BMS, visit https://www.sciencebuff.org/programs/discovery-camps. Shea’s Performing Arts Center department of arts engagement and education also offers a series of camps. For more information, visit www.sheas.org/arts-engagement-education.

This collaboration, made possible in coordination with members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), is one of several planned in conjunction with Shea’s Buffalo Theatre’s centennial celebration.