When powerful newspaper publishers raise prices at the newsboys' expense, the charismatic Jack Kelly rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions. Together, the newsies learn that they are stronger united and create a movement to fight for what's right.

Inspired by the rousing true story of newsboys in turn-of-the-century New York City, Newsies JR. features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein.

At Wisconsin Theater Arts, we inspire curiosity, engage our young actors to make connections, and educate them through the transformative power of musical theater.

Kids, tweens, & teens between the ages of 9-18 of all experience levels are welcome and encouraged to join our three-week camp that offers a high-energy, engaging, and memorable summer camp experience! We know they'll walk away having built a new repertoire of performance skills. 

A side note about Newsies JR...

Newsies tends to be seen as "the musical for guys" mainly because all of the main characters, except one, are guys. However, with the creation of Newsies JR many of the supporting roles are now female roles and many other roles it doesn't matter whether a male or female plays the role. Woohoo!! And I LOVE that they did this because, when you dig into the history of newsboys in NYC, there WERE girls that became "newsboys" in order to help their family financially. I love that the JR version became even more historically accurate.

Does your child/teen already have  A LOT of theatrical experience? WONDERFUL! This camp is the perfect opportunity for those with experience to continue their theater journey and challenge them to step beyond their current experience and expand their knowledge through deeper character study and development to enhance their acting, hone their vocal skills through the classic musical theater songs this show encompasses, and further their dance training in the musical theater style.

Would this be your child's/teen's FIRST experience being in a musical? AWESOME! Those campers who are at the beginning of their theatrical journey will learn all the basics of acting, singing, and dancing and be mentored by our incredible interns. They are sure to learn a ton and thoroughly enjoy the experience.

No matter the experience, EVERY camper is an integral part of this production.

All summer camp enrollees will experience the entire production process from audition to performance. 

Auditions will take place on the first day of camp and casting will follow. There are roles for everyone and plenty of acting, singing, and dancing for all throughout this musical. While some campers will be cast in a singular role, many of the campers will be cast in a number of roles where they will switch costumes throughout the show and become different characters. This is how we're able to fully create a show onstage.

Would you like to learn more about the Characters in NEWSIES JR.?   Click HERE. 

Throughout the rehearsal process campers will work on musical theater basics, character development, improvisation, stage movement, singing, and dancing.  Some singing and dancing experience (school music class, school choir, prior musical theater experience, dance classes, etc...) is very helpful, but not required. 

Summer Theater Camp culminates in a 60-80 minute ticketed production open to family and friends to attend. With classic songs from the original 1992 movie and the 2012 Broadway production, high-energy dance numbers, and kid/teen-friendly material great for performers of all ages, Newsies JR is sure to be an unforgettable experience! 

Director/Choreographer: Patti Punzi

Director/Musical Director: Peter Punzi

College Intern(s): TBA

Junior Interns: TBA

College Interns (those studying performing arts) and Junior Interns (11th & 12th grade high school students with performing arts experience) join our team every summer.

College Interns assist the directorial staff throughout the three week camp. During performances, college interns become stage crew as well as any other help that is needed.

JUNIOR INTERN/CAMPER

If your teen will be a junior or senior in high school (ages 16-18) next school year and wishes to participate in camp, they can apply to become a Junior Intern/Camper. They will audition like all campers and will be assigned a role in the production based on their vocal, acting, and dance skills. Additionally, they will serve as a junior intern, assisting our regular interns and directors with daily camp activities. This includes helping with sets, props, costumes, and supporting wherever needed. Junior Intern/Campers will also receive a half-price camp discount in recognition of their added responsibilities as interns.  If your high schooler is interested in this option please have your high schooler complete the Google Form Junior Intern application. Click HERE to access this application. 

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Wisconsin Theater Arts Youth Productions are tuition-funded programs facilitated by professional theatre artists and designers, giving students practical, real-world experience in theater production.

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CAMP DETAILS

Youth Ages: 9-18

Dates: July 6, 2026 - July 24, 2026

Time: Monday - Friday from 10am - 3pm

Final Camp Day: July 24 (Final Dress Rehearsal, Dinner & Performance)

--Campers will arrive at 12pm for the Final Dress Rehearsal. We will then host a pot-luck dinner for the campers prior to prep and warm-up time before the first performance at 7pm that evening.

Location: Clarendon Elementary School (915 Clarendon Ave - Mukwonago)

Performance Date/Times:

Friday, July 24, 2026 @ 7:00pm

Saturday, July 25, 2026 @ 6:00pm (campers will arrive by 4pm)

Sunday, July 26, 2026 @ 3:00pm (campers will arrive by 1pm)

ATTENDANCE IS ESSENTIAL.

Theater is a team based activity, and absences impact the whole group. Only one conflict is excused during the first two weeks of camp (with the exception being illness or an emergency). If you have any conflicts with the final week of camp and/or the performance date then please refrain from registering.

CAMP CASTING

Please note that all casting is based on the following criteria:

1) talent (singing/acting/dancing abilities)

2) attitude

3) chemistry with other cast members

4) is the actor right for the role that aligns with the vision of the 

    show itself

**If you and/or your child are not happy with the role(s) the child has been cast as in the camp production and you choose to stop attending camp, no refund will be given per the payment and refund policies you agreed to during camp registration. 

Being part of a theatrical production involves all types of roles. If a role weren’t important, the author wouldn’t have included it in the show. Please refer to the Wisconsin Theater Arts philosophy regarding casting and size of roles in a production. This philosophy is at the bottom of this page.

Registration

All registrations are processed in the order they are received. Only payment in full will secure your spot. Registrations will be accepted until the camp is full or until the registration deadline, whichever comes first. (Registration closes one week prior to camp and all payments must be made by then to secure a spot in camp.)

Once your registration is processed, you will receive confirmation and further camp details via e-mail. Please ensure you check your spam folder or promotions folder(Gmail users) for these emails so you're not missing out on important information.

Waiting List

A waitlist is enabled for summer theater camp. If the camp is full, make sure to sign up for the waitlist. Cancellations sometimes happen OR we are able to add a few more campers if we have enough interns to ensure everyone's safety. If there are any cancellations or have additional space available, we will add students from the waitlist in the order they were received.

Cancellations

Camps fill up quickly so please ensure that all camp dates/times work for your child and your schedule. A $25.00 cancellation fee will be charged if a camper is unenrolled 31 days or more prior to camp starting, and a $50.00 cancellation fee will be charged if a camper is unenrolled 30 or fewer days prior to camp starting. Prepaid tuition, less fees, will be refunded. No refunds will be given after the camp session begins. For more detailed information, please view our policies section during the registration process.

Participation

When students join any of our programs, they will be expected to participate in a safe manner, demonstrating respect for others and for property. If a student violates any rules or creates an unsafe situation for staff or other students, we reserve the right to remove the student from the class/summer camp. Wisconsin Theater Arts is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or stolen personal belongings. 

Performances & Tickets

All camps will culminate in THREE live, ticketed performances. Performance date and times are listed above. Friends and family are encouraged to attend one or both performances. All audience members must purchase tickets.

Parents of registered campers will be given a total of TWO (2) comp tickets per registered camper.

(Examples: 1 registered child = 2 comp tickets; 2 registered children = 4 comp tickets, etc...)

Ticket information for performances will be sent home during the first two weeks of camp.

Parent Volunteers

We greatly appreciate parents who are willing to volunteer in the areas of:

• set building and/or set painting
• prop acquisition
• costume help
• show promotion (putting up flyers, etc...)
• pot-luck dinner
• performance weekend duties (ticket sellers/takers, concessions & Fan-O-Gram sellers)
• any other help that may be needed

While we do not require parents to volunteer their time, it certainly can help out a production that goes up in 3 weeks. If you're interested in volunteering please note this on the registration form (and include what you'd be interested in helping with). Thank you!

Camp T-Shirts

Camp t-shirts with the NEWSIES JR logo will be available for pre-purchase (during the registration process) and students will receive their shirts prior to show weekend.  T-shirts are fabulous for the campers to wear on the day of performance to and from and any other day they choose. These become wonderful mementos and just plain fun to wear! Pricing is listed in the registration section.

Costumes & Camp Attire

Wisconsin Theater Arts will provide most costume elements, however we may ask you to send your child in a particular color “base layer” for their performance (ex. plaid shirt, jeans, etc...). Parents/guardians will be informed of any costume recommendations with ample time to plan, and there is no expectation of having to purchase costume pieces. However, we may require your child to wear a certain type/color of footwear for the production.

Since Newsies JR takes place in 1899, the costumes and footwear will reflect that time period as closely as possible. This will mean a certain style of footwear will be required.  

Summer Camp Dress Code

Students must wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move in since they will be learning choreography. Clothing options could be: t-shirts, shorts, yoga pants, leggings, athletic pants, etc.. Ladies, no revealing clothing items, please.

Even though it'll be summer, we'll be working in an air conditioned environment so bring layers and dress accordingly. We do take campers outside during lunch time and other times during the camp day so every camper should be prepared for that. Fresh air and sunshine is so important. 

Open-toed shoes, flip-flops, crocs, bare feet, etc... are NOT permitted while attending camp.

Jazz Dance Sneakers work best for musical theater rehearsals.  Regular tennis shoes/sneakers are also acceptable for rehearsal as long as they are not the slip on style as those do not provide enough foot support. 

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More about the audition and performance process....

“There are no small parts, only small actors” (Konstantin Stanislaviski)

Stanislavski was the “father of modern acting”. He revolutionized the craft of acting. Not just for lead performers, but for the actors with small parts and for background actors and ensemble. Prior to Stanislavski, actors who were cast in small roles or in the ensemble often gave “smaller” performances. This means their acting lacked a sense of purpose. Their characters lacked depth and commitment and it was more like they were spectators versus performers.

Stanislavski found this unacceptable. When he arrived on the scene he expected his actors to truly engage in their roles with “equal commitment” regardless of the role size.

When Stanislavski’s company, the Moscow Art Theater, toured around the world, spectators immediately noticed the change he had made. Audiences now saw ALL the actors, even those with smaller roles or those in the ensemble, move with a sense of purpose and perform their characters with depth and truth. There was a full commitment by every actor on the stage to achieve their character’s objective no matter if they had hundreds of lines, a handful of lines, or none at all.

Wisconsin Theater Arts follows this same philosophy. No matter the size of the role, we expect our actors, our performers, to be true to their characters and create realistic representations on stage. Every single role in a play or musical has purpose otherwise it wouldn’t be there. We expect every cast member to have full commitment to their performance regardless of the size of the role they’ve been cast in.

(Stanislavski info from: https://actingmagazine.com/2018/07/there-are-no-small-parts-only-small-actors-konstantin-stanislavski/)