b'The Ultimate Play-Date Nurturing young talent and community spirit through theater in SOMABY ADRIANNA DONATLeft: Charlotte Boerger (L) and Oona Girton Marshall (R) started a theater camp in middle school and have continued it through high school. Above: Children participating at camps during the past two years. Right: Primrose Domanski and Henry Domanski in "Matchmakers in Maui."endatFairviewLake,saysGirton Marshall.Iwascamp started in person in the fall of 2019 during with Charlottes family. Charlottes little sister and herdays when school wasnt in session. But when CO-friends were with us, too. In the moment, we decidedVID-19 struck later in their eighth-grade year at to write a show and put it on that same evening. TheySouth Orange Middle School, Boerger and Girton didnt realize until later their day of fun would spawn aMarshall saw an opportunity to help isolated kids. theater camp called the Ultimate Play-Date. Over spring break, we decided to do a camp for C harlotteBoergerScroll forward to today, when the Ultimate Play- the same family friends we worked with the first Date offers one-week summer camps in which Boergertime, says Girton Marshall. The kids were excited and Girton Marshall write original musicals with up toto have something different to look forward to. andOonaGirton25 kids performing. The campers engage in playwriting,The virtual camp was a success.Marshallarechil- set design, and making costumes, with Girton MarshallLater in the summer of 2020, they expanded drenofSOMA.and Boerger directing. Auditions happen on Mondaytheir reach by advertising the camp and reaching Both of them grew(the first day of camp). The rest of the week is spentout to more kids. We did two one-week camps up involved in therehearsing. On Friday morning, they theaterprogramsdo a run-through with costumes. On attheSouthMountainYMCA,PaperFridayevening,thekidspresenta Mill Playhouse, and South Orange Middleone-hour performance.School musicals. So when the pandemic hitUnlike some theater camps, we and these middle schoolers saw the worldhave a high boy-to-girl ratio. SOMA slow down around them, they looked foris such an artsy place. Just living here ways to make others happier using theater.makes more boys interested in the-Theideaevolvedandnowtheseyoungater, Boerger says. The inclusivity of women run their own theater camp for kidsourcommunityhelpsfosteralove in our community. for theater among all participants. Cast and crew members from this year\'s summer program practice for It started on a family camping week- The first iteration of their theatertheir play "Matchmakers in Maui."44/ matters magazine / fall 2024'