07/10/2025
The 15th Annual Rising Star Academy Youth Theatre Camp has been heavy at it since Monday morning and will hold two performances of "The Princess and the Pea" this Saturday, July 12th at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. The camp was started in 2009 by Kelly Cutler and Kyle Gillette at the St. Mary's Center in Deer Lodge.
Camp director Erin Jewell is excited for this year's performances stating that only 8 kids came out for the camp, but they are all very "solid." "We always want more kids, I guess it just fell on a weird week this year," stated Jewell. She continued, "But regardless, these kids had a blast and they learned a lot about the fundamentals of the stage this week."
Jewell has directed the camp 7 times in its 15 year run and she has seen many campers go on to blossom on the Cutler Bros.' stage and beyond. Many past campers have even attended higher levels of education all across the United States in dance, theatre, and vocal performance.
Throughout the years the RSA camp has been directed by the Cutler Brother's resident actors including John Knispel, Maria Miller, Marquis Dijon Archuleta, and Cody Root, to name a few. It is a cherished opportunity in this community when many other towns of similar size don't have said opportunities.
The camp has seen as little as 8 participants and as many as 20, but every year each camper gets a similar, quality education on the stage and is encouraged to audition and participate in other local productions including with Cutler Bros. Theatre. The RSA camp runs every summer and camp producers / directors encourage parents to take a chance on this type of arts-education because the skills learned on the stage can easily be transmuted into every day social talents including confidence building, team work, and public speaking.
