BY: SHARLA BARDIN Arts Re-start at Sooner Theatre

Arts Re-Start at Sooner Theatre

BY: Sharla Bardin

Plans are in place to offer in-person performing arts camps for students this summer in Norman.

Registration is now open for camps offered at The Studio of The Sooner Theatre.

Staff has been working on processes to provide a safe environment for students attending camps and they are closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic situation to determine if additional steps or camp closure will be needed, said Nancy Coggins, public relations and development director for The Sooner Theatre of Norman.

“All of us are parents and we’ve all seen our kids try to navigate everything they’re having to do via screen and via video and it’s hard for them. They miss their friends,” Coggins said. “As much as we can give that back to them in a way that’s safe for the community, we want to be able to do that.”

The Studio of The Sooner Theatre, located at 110 E. Main St., is a performing arts academy that offers classes and summer camps for children ages 3 to 18. Summer camps include lessons on acting, singing, dancing and magic. Coggins said Sooner Theatre staff has developed practices to bring students into the camps safely but they are also offering virtual options too.

A virtual camp will be offered June 1-12 for families who prefer their children participate online, Coggins said.

During in-person camp sessions, students’ temperatures will be taken before they come into the building, and parents will walk their campers to the building and staff members will meet them and take the student to class.

Also, class sizes will be limited to no more than 10 students in any room at all times, Coggins said.

She also said they’ll be lots of hand sanitizer used among students and teachers and “lots of breaks for hand washing.”

Camp staff will wear masks. However, students are not required to but can if masks make them feel more comfortable, Coggins said.

Other plans include opportunities to get students outside including walks to nearby Andrews Park. In-person sessions are set for June 15-26, July 6-17 and July19-31. Classes are available for students entering pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

In addition, two productions for students are planned for late June and July – the youth edition of “Bye Bye Birdie” and the musical ““Bring It On” -- but Coggins said officials are monitoring community benchmarks before moving ahead with dates for those performances.

“We are working on creative ways to showcase those performances in a way that is safe for both audiences and performers,” she said.

To register for summer camp or learn more about The Sooner Theatre, visit www.soonertheatre.org.– BSM