World of reality

An oversized pink-felt toilet. Toy blocks made for giants. A fake mirror the size of a door. Six shoes without their mates. The upstairs room at TRYPS, or Theater Reaching Young People and Schools, was so littered with past props and costumes that it was hard not to play with everything.

But the atmosphere was good for the creativity of nine students, aged 11 to 16, who were trying to come up with a TV show to write, produce and direct.

“Let’s have a reality show,” shouted Justin Burger, 13, wearing a short-brimmed yellow hat he had found. “With gnomes!”

The students are participating in “The Reel Kids,” a weeklong television camp TRYPS is holding for the first time.

Since its inception in 2000, TRYPS has focused on stage theater, involving children in more than 30 plays, several workshops and after-school classes. Two years ago, TRYPS began holding “Play Dates,” an evening workshop that allows students to create their own movie. This March, TRYPS collaborated with RagTag CinemaCafe and held a five-hour TV workshop during the True/False Film Festival.

Because of that workshop’s success, Jill Womack, artistic director and founder of TRYPS, decided to turn the workshop into a summer camp. She said the time commitment allows students to participate in a different type of theater without the months of rehearsals required for a stage production.

Teaching the art of television is helping TRYPS expand, said Alex Espy, director of creative programs.

Espy, who taught the camp this week, said TV gives the students a chance to express themselves without the pressure of memorizing long lines or fear of making an uncorrectable mistake in front of their peers. They also learn ways to position and angle a camera.

“Theater is a great way to learn to work as a group,” Espy said, referring to all types of theater, including television. “It’s a lot like sports, except without the injury.”

The students have spent mornings discussing ideas for their show, including character development and costuming. After they write the three- to four-minute skit and assign characters, Espy films the performance with a handheld camera. Later, they watch and critique their work.

Justin, who has worked in two TRYPS productions, “Peter Pan” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” said the camp provides a way to evaluate acting skills. “You get to see yourself from an audience point of view,” he said, dressed in a blue poncho and sailor’s hat he had dug out of the costumes. “It’s really neat.”

Because the camp is aimed at older students, there is also a focus on writing and improvisational acting. Womack said older participants typically have advanced writing and cognitive skills, which helps them create and cover more material.

Eleven students attended this year’s camp, which cost $150 and ends today.

Womack said she thinks the camp is reflecting the interests of today’s generation, a generation with a vast array of technology and art at its fingertips.

“The camp is just a natural evolution following the technology that’s available,” she said. “You can make movies on your cell phone these days.”