While summer is fast approaching and camps across the region are filling up, openings remain in several of the area’s most exciting theater camps. DC Theater Arts staff have curated a list of theater summer camps and classes available for children and teenagers within a 30-mile radius of DC. (Let us know if we’ve missed any!)
(Originally published in February 2025. Updated May 12, 2025. All information is current as of May 12 update; visit individual camp websites for up-to-the-minute updates.)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Arena Stage
Ages: 8-15
Dates: 3-Week Session: July 7 – July 25 (sold out; join the waitlist!); 2-Week Session: July 28 – August 8 (limited spaces remaining)
Hosted on the beautiful grounds of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, Camp Arena Stage is a full-day, multi-arts summer camp. It is a place to explore, discover, and create with the encouragement and guidance of professional artists and educators. Campers choose their own schedules from a long list of classes in theater, dance, music, visual art, filmmaking, and writing.
GALA Hispanic Theatre
Ages: 14-19
Dates: Year-round; check website for updates
Paso Nuevo is GALA’s free, year-round program offered to high school students during Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. This is a bilingual, inclusive theater education program incorporating acting training, playwrighting, and mentorship. Students can earn community service hours, receive performance stipends, go on field trips, and train for future employment and leadership opportunities.
The Keegan Theatre
Ages: Rising grades 1-3
Dates: June 23 – August 22 (limited spaces available!)
Come PLAY at Keegan this summer! Students build their theater skills through an immersive exploration of design, movement, music, games, and more. Every week is a new adventure so you can join for one week or many! Sibling discounts and before and after care are available.
National Children’s Theatre
Ages: 6-11
Dates: 1-week sessions between August 4-22 (spaces available!)
At this new camp on Capitol Hill, creative drama exercises, theater games, art projects, lessons in performance fundamentals, and play rehearsals are designed to inspire The Eight Acting Habits of Mind. Weekly themes include Heroes and Mythical Beasts, Knights and Mighty Spellcasters, and Adventurers and Magical Creatures. Limited scholarships and after care are available.
Studio Acting Conservatory Young Actors Program
Ages: 10-17
Dates: Session 1: June 23 – July 11; Session 2: July 15 – August 2
Spaces still available for both sessions! Placement auditions June 14.
Classes meet daily for three weeks. Students will spend their mornings training in Voice, Movement, and Musical Theater. Using the tools taught in these classes, the Young Actors will work together to create original ensemble pieces. Afternoons are spent cultivating their acting skills with one of our most experienced faculty members. This includes playing theater games, exploring improvisations, and developing monologues and scenes from modern and classical plays. Need-based scholarships are available; half of all Young Actors receive scholarships to train in the Summer Intensive.
Theater J
Ages: Rising grades 2-9
Dates: 3-week session June 30-July 17; 1-week sessions between July 21 – August 8. Spaces still available!
Theater J presents a spectacular summer of musical theater camps. The 3-week program (culminating in a performance of The Wizard of Oz) is ideal for young artists who want to dive into the world of musical theater and experience the magic of being in a fully produced show with lights and costumes. One-week camp themes include Summer Spooktacular, Kids in Charge, and Fairy Tale Fantasy. Member and returning camper discounts available.
The Theatre Lab School for the Dramatic Arts
Ages: Rising grades 1-8 (Summer Acting Camp); ages 13-19 (Summer Teen Institute)
Dates: 1, 2, or 4-week sessions between June 16 – August 22. Spaces still available!
The Theatre Lab offers serious theater training, taught by experienced teachers and theater professionals, in a unique environment that’s friendly, supportive, and incredibly fun. Summer camp offerings range from improv to global theater, storytelling, and culture to Shakespeare. Summer Teen Institutes (audition required) offer intensive instruction in musical theater, acting, and performance. Scholarships and before and after care are available.
Visionaries of the Creative Arts
Ages: Rising grades 5-12
Dates: July 7-11. Limited spaces available.
Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA) presents a one-week creative arts camp for Deaf and hard of hearing youth at Cardozo High School in collaboration with Imagination Stage. Activities include theater, dance, ASL storytelling, and visual arts.
MARYLAND
Adventure Theatre MTC (Glen Echo, MD and Rockville, MD)
Ages: Rising grades 1-6 (Summer Musical Theatre Camp); Rising grades 7-12 (Summer Musical Theatre Training Program)
Dates: 2 or 3-week sessions between June 23 – August 22
Summer Musical Theatre Camp: spaces available for August 18-22 mini-session; accepting waitlist for other weeks. Summer Musical Theatre Training Program: limited spaces remaining.
Summer Musical Theatre Camp (Glen Echo, MD) offers daily instruction and rehearsals with props and costumes, music, movement, and scene-work. Your child’s experience will culminate in a performance of a full, youth-appropriate show for friends and family. Summer Musical Theatre Training Program (Rockville, MD) provides students with foundational and expanded understanding of technique in ballet, jazz, music, and acting – and includes a trip to see a Washington, DC area or Broadway production! Need-based scholarships are available.
Arts Barn (Gaithersburg, MD)
Ages: 5-16
Dates: 1-week sessions between June 23 – August 15
Limited spaces available for Musical Scenes Jr. (AM session, 7/21-7/25); One Act Play (6/23-6/27); and Teen Intensive: Wandering Through Wonderland (8/4-8/8). All others waitlist only.
Among the Arts Barn’s many summer camp offerings are a wide array of weeklong theater camps, including Musical Scenes Jr. (ages 5-7), Musical Showcase and In The Kingdom of Silly Stories (ages 7-9), Improv Ensemble and Songs from the Stage (ages 9-11), One Act Play and Broadway Bootcamp (ages 11-13), and Teen Intensive: Wandering Through Wonderland (ages 14-16).
BlackRock Center for the Arts (Germantown, MD)
Ages: Rising grades 1-5 (InspireArts Camp); Rising grades 3-8 (Performing Arts Camp)
Dates: 1 or 2-week sessions between June 30 – August 22
Spaces still available!
InspireArts Camp features one-week sessions immersing campers in visual art, music, theater, and dance centered and interpreted through a theme. Young artists create art projects, learn new songs, dances, and will act in different skits. Performing Arts Camp: Script to Stage will guide campers through creating and performing an original show on stage over 2 weeks. Sibling, veteran, and Montgomery County Public Schools staff discounts available, along with before and after care.
Joe’s Movement Emporium (Mt. Rainier, MD)
Ages: 5-12
Dates: 1-week sessions between June 23 – August 22
Camp Joe’s offers one-week sessions for elementary school-aged children to explore world art traditions through performing and visual arts disciplines. Throughout the summer, students will spend 2-4 hours in motion each day. Children experience dance, step, vocals, drama, percussion, creative movement, outdoor play, visual arts and so much more! Financial aid and after care (limited spots) are available.
Lumina Studio Theatre (Silver Spring, MD)
Ages: 6-12+
Dates: 1, 2, or 3-week sessions between June 23 – August 9
Spaces still available for all camps except Folk Tale Camp.
Lumina Studio Theatre offers the following summerstock camps: Theatre Magic Camp (ages 6-8), Folk Tale Camp (ages 8-11), Mystery Camp: The Electric Cave (ages 9+), and Quest Theatre Camp: Radio Days (ages 12+). All camps teach acting skills and include theater games and outdoor play. Folk Tale Camp, Mystery Camp, and Quest Theatre Camp participants will rehearse in and perform an original play. Early bird discounts (through March 1) and financial aid are available.
Maryland Ensemble Theatre (Frederick, MD)
Ages: 5-16
Dates: 1-week sessions between June 16-August 1
Musical Theatre Session III (6/23-6/27) sold out; spaces still available in all other camps!
Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s popular and regionally acclaimed Fun Camp returns! Offerings include Tiny Stages (ages 5-6), Creating Theatre (ages 7-11), Musical Theatre (ages 7-11 and 12-16), Costume Design, Improv/Comedy Jam, and Performance Project (ages 12-16). Scholarships are available, and payment plans are offered at the discretion of the registrar.
Olney Theatre Center (Olney, MD)
Ages: Rising grades 4-12
Dates: 2-week sessions between July 7 – August 15
Limited spaces remaining in Summer Audition Studio (8/4-8/15); all other camps waitlist only
Sing, dance, write, act, and learn during Olney’s two-week long summer programs, taught by local DMV professional theater artists. Offerings include Summer Stock (grades 4-6, currently waitlist only), Musical Theatre Intensive (grades 7-9), and Summer Audition Studio (grades 10-12).
Ovations Theatre (Rockville, MD)
Ages: Rising grades 3-10
Dates: 1-week mini camps July 7-11 and July 14-18; 2-week production camp August 4-15
Spaces still available!
Ovations’ camps are jam-packed with rehearsals, arts and crafts, games, and master classes that will take your musical theater dreams to new heights. Enjoy themed mini camps (Pop Stars or Broadway) or a 2-week production camp featuring the songs of Frozen.
Round House Theatre (Bethesda, MD and Silver Spring, MD)
Ages: Rising grades K-12
Dates: 1 or 2-week sessions between June 16 – August 22
Spaces still available!
Campers entering grades K-3 will go on weekly themed theatrical adventures through acting, design, and movement. Campers entering grades 4-6 will explore filmmaking or playmaking in 2-week sessions, with improv-themed mini camps (3-5 days) also available. Campers entering grades 6-12 may choose from 1 or 2-week sessions featuring playmaking, filmmaking, improv, standup, or musical theater. Sessions will be held at Round House Theatre in Bethesda and at its Education Center in Silver Spring, with after care available in Silver Spring.
Young Artists of America (College Park, MD, and Olney, MD)
Ages: Rising grades 3-12
Dates: June 21-26 (overnight intensives); June 28-July 10 (day camps); July 12-25 and July 13-24 (overnight camps)
Overnight conservatories July 12-25 and July 13-24 waitlist only; spaces available in all other camps
Young Artists of America offers three Summer Performing Arts Intensive day camps: Kids Academy (grades 3-5), Junior Academy (grades 6-9), and Senior Academy (grades 9-12), as well as overnight musical theater intensives for grades 7-9 and 10-12. Each camp offers two weeks of classes in acting, dance, and voice, culminating in a stage production. Day camps will be held at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, MD, and overnight camps at the University of Maryland, College Park.
VIRGINIA
Alexandria Children’s Theatre (Alexandria, VA)
Ages: 6-12
Dates: 1-week sessions June 9-13, June 16-20 (sold out!) and August 4-8; 2-week sessions June 16-27, June 30-July 11, July 14-25 (sold out!) and July 28-August 8
Alexandria Children’s Theatre presents camps at Burgundy Farm Country Day School + Episcopal High School in Alexandria again this summer, packed with theater games and culminating in performance at the end of camp. Themes include Hogwarts, Under the Sea, and The Sparkle of Believing. All camps will also include swimming each day and lunch is provided at Episcopal camps. Partial camp options available for the week of June 9. Payment plans and partial scholarships are also available.
Creative Cauldron (Falls Church, VA)
Ages: Rising grades K-8
Dates: 2-week sessions between June 9 – August 15
Musical Theater Camps waitlist only; spaces available in Legends of the Sea and A Forest of Stories.
Creative Cauldron presents two summer Arts Adventure Camps filled with storytelling, drama, music, movement, and visual arts: Legends of the Sea (June 9-20) and A Forest of Stories (June 23-July 3). The Cauldron’s wildly popular Musical Theater Summer Camps are back as well, immersing campers in music, choreography, scenic, costume, and lighting design. Themes include Broadway on Broad Street (July 7-18), Disney on Broadway (July 21-August 1), and Stage to Screen (August 4-15). Need-based scholarships, sibling discounts, before and after care are available.
Educational Theatre Company (Arlington, VA and Falls Church, VA)
Ages: Rising grades preK-12
Dates: 1, 2, or 3-week sessions between June 16 – August 22
Spaces still available!
From half day camps for preschoolers to multi-week teen intensives, Educational Theatre Company has a camp for everyone! Topics include acting, film, directing, improv, playwriting, Shakespeare, musical theater, and more. Camps are held at multiple locations in Arlington, as well as at Falls Church Meridian High School. Scholarships and extended-day care are available.
Encore Stage & Studio (Alexandria, VA and Arlington, VA)
Ages: 3-15
Dates: 1-week sessions between June 16 – August 22
PreK camp sold out 6/30-7/3 and available afternoons only 7/28-8/1; spaces available for all other camps and weeks.
Encore Stage & Studio offers PreK camp (ages 3-5), featuring song and movement, music and rhythm, storytelling and crafts; Elementary camp (ages 5-9) featuring movement, character creation, problem solving centered around fun themes from Disney to Transformers; Scenes for Tweens (ages 9-12) with themes from Broadway Bootcamp to Heroes vs. Villains to Costume and Makeup Design; and Stage Door and Tech Camp (ages 12-15) giving students a glimpse of what it’s like to work as a theater professional. Camps are held in multiple locations in Arlington and Alexandria. Scholarships are available for all camps.
George Mason University’s Community Arts Academy (Fairfax, VA)
Ages: 5-18
Dates: 1-week sessions between June 16 – August 2
Summer Musical Theater Adventures, Middle School Improv Comedy Workshop, and Middle School Musical Theater Workshop waitlist only; spaces available in all other camps.
Acting for Young People (AFYP), the theater program of Mason Community Arts Academy, has provided actors of all ages with professional-level training in a supportive and fun environment since 1997. This year’s summer camp offerings include Weekly Acting Camps (ages 5-18), Summer Musical Theater Adventures (ages 7-10, waitlist only), Middle School Improv Comedy Workshop (ages 10-13, waitlist only), Middle School Musical Theater Workshop (ages 11-13, waitlist only), Musical Theater Performance Bootcamp (ages 13-18), Summer Advanced Actors Showcase (ages 13-18), and High School Musical Theater Intensive (ages 14-18). Limited scholarship funds are available.
Little Theatre of Alexandria (Alexandria, VA)
Ages: 3 years through rising 8th grade
Dates: 1-week sessions between June 2 – August 22
Spaces still available in multiple camps!
Little Theatre of Alexandria offers a wide variety of half-day and full-day summer camps for children from tots to teens, exploring skills ranging from playwriting and puppetry to improv and Broadway. Campers can also choose from fun weekly themes including Act Out! D&D Edition, Disney Favorites, or Jedi Academy. Named to Northern Virginia Magazine’s Best Summer Camps of 2024! Payment installment plans are available.
Mount Vernon Community Children’s Theatre (Alexandria, VA)
Ages: Rising grades 1-8
Dates: 2-week sessions between June 16 – August 15
Spaces still available in multiple camps!
Mount Vernon Community Children’s Theatre is offering eight weeks of summer camps in 2025! Each session of camp is two weeks long and has a morning and an afternoon session. The morning session of camp runs from 9:30am-12:30pm and is drama based. The afternoon session starts at 1pm and ends at 4pm and includes both drama and musical theater. Children can register to attend just the morning session, just the afternoon session, or both! Themes include Back to the Future (June 16-27), Page to Stage (July 7-18), Cartoon Mania (July 21-August 1), and Totally TV (August 4-15). MVCCT also offers four one-day acting workshops June 30-July 3. Early bird and sibling discounts are available.
STARS Performing Arts (Great Falls, VA)
Ages: Rising grades 3-9
Dates: 2-week sessions July 7-18 (waitlist only) and July 21-August 1 (spaces still available!)
STARS Performing Arts offers high-quality training for serious young actors. Students work with professionals to hone their acting, singing, and dancing skills to produce a full (junior-length) musical in just 2 weeks. All students enrolled in camp will be cast in the show, or may choose to be on tech crew. Scholarships are available.
Sterling Playmakers (Sterling, VA)
Ages: 8-18
Dates: July 21-August 9 (spaces available!)
Sterling Playmakers presents Rising Stars Summer Camp. Campers will learn acting, singing, dancing, and technical theater, culminating in a performance of Shrek: The Musical Jr. on August 8 and 9. Sibling discounts are available.
Synetic Theater (Arlington, VA)
Ages: Rising grades 2-12
Dates: 1-week sessions between June 23-August 22; 3-week session July 21-August 8. Spaces still available!
Synetic Theater offers two summer camps for 2025. Youth Summer Camp: Myths in Movement (rising grades 2-9) journeys into the iconic stories of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hercules, and Medusa. Using elements of mime, dance, physical theater, and the power of their imaginations, campers will create powerful characters, unravel timeless morals, and bring ancient myths to life. Summer Teen Conservatory: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (rising grades 9-12) offers hands-on, rigorous training in Synetic’s distinctive approach to acting and physical theater, including mime, dance, clowning, acrobatics, and stage combat. The Conservatory culminates in a performance of Synetic’s wordless version of Shakespeare’s classic. Scholarships are available for both camps.
Traveling Players (Tysons, VA)
Ages: Current grades 2-5
Dates: 1-week sessions June 23-27 and July 14-18 (spaces still available); 2-week session August 4-15 (sold out).
Traveling Players offers two weeklong Acting Studio Camps for children in current grades 2-4, and a two-week Players Studio Camp for children in current grades 3-5. Both camps teach acting, improv, and stage combat, and culminate in a showcase performance. Financial aid, multiweek and sibling discounts, and after care are available.
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Imagination Stage (Bethesda, MD, Rockville, MD, and Washington, DC)
Ages: 4-18
Dates: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5-week sessions available between June 9 and August 22. Spaces still available in multiple camps; all others waitlist only.
Imagination Stage offers summer camps in acting, musical theater, performance, dance, and filmmaking. Camps are held at four different convenient locations (Imagination Stage in Bethesda, MD, Primrose School in Bethesda, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD, and American University in Washington, DC). Pick your favorite or mix and match each week to create a memorable summer experience that fits your schedule! Financial aid and before and after care are available.
Camp Levine (Bethesda, MD, Falls Church, VA, and Washington, DC)
Ages: 4-18
Dates: Session 1: June 23-July 11; Session 2: July 14-August 1
Camp Levine at THEARC (SE DC) is full; spaces available in all other camps (ages 6-18 only at Falls Church).
Camp Levine is a 3-week summer day camp that provides an engaging, fun-filled artistic experience for children of all musical backgrounds and levels of ability! Grounded in the philosophy of nurturing the “total musical child,” children develop skills for creative expression through singing, dancing, playing instruments, musical theater, creating visual art, and enjoying a variety of games and activities. From morning sings to final performances, campers learn new skills, gain confidence, and create lasting friendships – all while enjoying the bliss of summer. Before and after care is available.
Shakespeare Theatre Company (McLean, VA, and Washington, DC)
Ages: 6-18
Dates: 1, 2, and 3-week sessions available between June 23 – August 16. Limited spaces remaining for ages 12-14 and 15-18; all other age groups sold out.
Every summer, Shakespeare Theatre Company gives students between the ages of 6 and 18 the chance to dive into the world of one of the most celebrated playwrights in history: William Shakespeare. Camp Shakespeare offers two-week sessions for youth (ages 6-11) and teens (ages 12-18). Returning teens can audition for a three-week Intensive. Scholarships, sibling and military discounts, and after care are available.
