More than 40 campers signed up for week one of the 34th annual Jo Nell Seifert Children’s Drama Camp, held July 13-17 at Three Rivers College for children entering second through eighth grades.
Three Rivers renamed its annual camp after Seifert passed away in May at the age of 72. This year’s camp was taught by Megan Garland, a personal friend and former student of Seifert’s, and many of the campers plan to keep coming back.
“Ms. Seifert helped thousands of students find belonging and believe in themselves,” Garland said. “Her shoes are impossibly big to fill, but it is an indescribable honor to help carry forward her legacy.”
Third-year camper Paisley Owens said Seifert helped with her nervousness and that she was a good teacher.
“She would correct things, but she wouldn’t correct it like, just tell us what to do, she would tell us how to do it,” Owens said. “I went to a school that was really small and didn’t have anything, and my dream has always been to grow up as an actor. Then my mom saw this, and my cousin went to school here, and it’s just a really, really good program. After my first year here, I met Deacon (Collins) and our parents connected, and I’ve just been coming back because it’s just a really good program for new, young actors.”
The drama camp featured a combination of 11 different songs, dances, and plays with a performance on Friday.
“What I like about this place is that we get to act, that we get to socialize with each other, that we get the chance to be on Broadway,” said Avery Youmans, who is in her first year at drama camp. “What made me sign up is that at school I did a play and I really liked drama camp, and my mom said I should try out.”
Apart from the performances and daily snack time, getting to make friends from different schools around the area is a big reason kids keep coming back. Collins is in his fifth year and plans to come back one more time next summer. After that, he’ll be too old to attend.
“I like socializing with people, and I like to get to move around and be active because most of the time, I’m inside all day. It feels nice to get out here and hang out with people,” Collins said. “I just like everything. The teachers are nice, the plays, dances, it’s all really fun.”
Added Wynn Lilly, who is in her second year at Drama Camp, “I’ll definitely be coming back. My favorite part is that we get to express ourselves through talking, and meeting new people, and you get to do a bunch of plays. That’s really fun.”
This was Noah Stokes’ first year at Drama Camp, and he said any nervousness he had went away during the week.
“When I was signing up, I told my grandma I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this. But when I got used to it, I just started to have fun and had no more nerves,” Stokes said.
The returning kids agreed that it’s sad that Ms. Seifert is gone. Youmans added that Seifert was the reason she signed up in the first place.
“It is really sad not having Ms. Seifert because she’s the one who made me sign up because I’ve known her for a long time before Drama Camp. I did another drama acting thing for one of my churches, and she said I should sign up for this because it would be really fun,” Youmans said. “It’s really fun this year. I like doing dances and stuff. I really like Drama Camp, and I plan to come until I’m too old to come.”
Added Collins, “I liked the way she ran things because I was used to it. Everything now is a little fast-paced, probably because we have so many kids here now. She was really nice and always knew how to get us pumped up for the showcase.”
Registration is closed for the second week of Drama Camp. Those interested will be able to sign up for next year’s camp in the spring of 2027.
“My first year participating in Drama Camp was as a 9-year-old camper in 2002,” Garland said. “I had no idea the impact this program—or the beloved director, Jo Nell Seifert—would have on my life.”
