Theater camp celebrates 10 years of star-making BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer SAYREVILLE - Stardust Productions is celebrating 10 years of teaching theater and music to local children. Claire Kraft, a seventh-grade history teacher and one of the organizers of the theater camp, said it has been a huge success over the past decade, with many participants moving on to act in adult productions. "We are trying hard to promote the arts," Kraft said, "and to get kids excited about theater and music." Stardust began as a program under the borough's recreation department but later became an independent organization. Children have an opportunity to sing and act, as well as learn stage direction, projection and set design at the camp. "It started as an alternative for children who did not want to do sports camp," Kraft said. "Not everybody is into football camp and baseball camp, so this is an alternative to that. It became so popular, it became a not-for-profit organization." The program's popularity has led to waiting lists, since organizers want to keep the number of players in the camp to no more than 40 per program. "We were hoping that it would become a feeder program to the high school," Kraft said. "Get them excited younger so when they get to high school they can't wait to get into a musical." One former student, Wilfredo Hernandez, even went on to start his own production company, Triple H Productions. And many students of Stardust were lead performers in plays last year at the high school. Stardust does not have lead roles in its summer plays, in an effort to give all participants equal opportunities to perform on stage. "The shows we use are all ensemble pieces," Kraft said. "We don't do lead plays." The camps are 11 days long and run from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Sayreville War Memorial High School. They are open to youths in fourth through eighth grade, Kraft said, adding that several participants are from neighboring towns like South River and South Amboy. Dr. Michael Piccuirro is the camp's theater director, and James Kraft, Claire's husband, is the choral director. "The two directors from the high school do most of the instruction," Claire Kraft said. James Kraft, who is in charge of all the music for the program, said there are many benefits for youths who learn the skills of the theater, including a less timid attitude toward making presentations in school. "I think one of the reasons we started this program is because 10 years ago, our oldest daughter had many opportunities to be in softball camps and cheering camps and all of these athletic camps, but we noticed that she really liked singing," he said. The program started with 20 students in its first year and has grown to roughly 40 students. "In the past nine years, we have always done one show twice, with two different casts," James Kraft said. "This year there are so many kids who wanted to do it again, we added a second show, so the kids can be in two musicals this summer instead of one." The cost to register a child is $225, which includes instruction and the performance. The cost is $210 per child if two siblings enroll in the program. There will be open enrollment at the high school auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m. June 11. Call (732) 238-5580 for more information.