This rollicking mockumentary set at a scrappy theatre camp in upstate New York is an affectionate look at a ragtag troupe of eccentric misfits who just want to sing and dance.
Funny and smart and sweet stuff, a crowd pleaser for the misfit in all of us… packs so much fun and joy into its 94-minute running time.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2023
Theater Camp 2023
“‘Theater kid’ can be a pejorative in Hollywood. Being a ‘theater kid’ means you're too enthusiastic, too showboaty—in other words, not cool… Theater Camp has a lot of ‘theater kid’ energy and wears it proudly… This gem of a mockumentary comes from a group of dedicated grown-up theater kids. Molly Gordon directs alongside Nick Lieberman, and they co-wrote the script with their pals Noah Galvin and Ben Platt…
The plot kicks off at a middle school production of Bye Bye Birdie attended by Joan (Amy Sedaris), the beloved founder of the AdirondACTS summer camp. The unfortunate use of strobe lights gives Joan a stroke and puts her in a coma, forcing her bro-y, selfie-stick wielding son Troy (Jimmy Tatro) to take over camp operations.
Troy loves Post Malone and doesn’t get what it means when campers call him a ‘music man,’ meaning he is not the right person to lead these divas-in-training… The instructors are equally stressed out by Troy's presence, particularly Amos (Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Gordon), two former campers who are attached at the hip and write and direct an original musical each year…
Tatro… has the bro act down pat, while Gordon and Platt are endearingly obnoxious as these overly serious thespians who have decided to pour all of their creative passion into teaching because the larger entertainment industry has failed them. Galvin, meanwhile, is both the movie and the camp’s secret weapon as the do-it-all techie with a song in his heart…
With the adult actors playing zany characters, the kids’ genuine passion and skills ground the movie. Their performances make you believe in the mission of the camp, and may even have you wiping away tears.” — Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair