Theatre Summer Camps — Find the Right Fit for Your Child
Three programs. Ages 3 through 15.
Camps by Age
Summer Theater Camps Organized By Age, Stage, and Interest
Theater Camps for Early Learners
Ages 3–5
A morning program for Encore's youngest theater lovers, built around the activities that work best for this age: song and movement, music and rhythm, storytelling and crafts. Teaching artists introduce a fresh theme each camp week, giving little ones a new world to explore every session. The week wraps with a final sharing on the last day — a low-key, joyful first taste of performing for an audience.
It's Elementary
Ages 5–9
Encore's entry-level summer theater camp for school-age kids. Campers work on character, voice, movement, and ensemble performance — building toward a closing production that parents consistently describe as the highlight of the week. Welcoming to first-timers and structured for the energy and attention span of early elementary students.
Scenes for Tweens
Ages 9-12
A step up in structure and craft for upper elementary and middle school students. Scenes for Tweens moves into script work, scene study, and ensemble performance — the actual work of theater, in a setting that is rigorous without being intimidating. For the camper who is ready to go deeper.
Stage Door & Tech Camp
Ages 12-15
Encore's most advanced summer program, built for older campers who want to work at a higher level — either as performers or as the people running everything behind the curtain. Stage Door covers performance, scene study, and production work. Tech Camp covers the full scope of technical theater: lighting, sound, set construction, and stage management. For the camper who already knows they love theater and wants a week that matches that.
Multiple Locations Serving Arlington and Alexandria Families
Our Encore summer camp locations draw on the same teaching artists, the same curriculum, and the same closing performance structure. Program availability by location varies by session — check individual program pages for which sessions run at each site.
North Arlington at Cherrydale United Methodist Church serves families throughout North Arlington, Ballston, Clarendon, and the Washington, DC corridor. South Arlington at Fairlington Presbyterian Church serves families in Fairlington, Del Ray, Rosemont, Shirlington, and the Alexandria City corridor.
Families in Alexandria searching for children's theater summer camp near Alexandria, VA regularly enroll at the Fairlington location — it is the closest dedicated theater camp program to the South Arlington and Alexandria communities.
Encore Scholarships
Scholarships are available for all camp programs. Contact camp@encorestage.org. See Encore’s policies page for detailed information on refund requests, late pick up and other camp related policies. All camp titles, dates, times, formats and locations are subject to change.
What Families Ask About Encore Summer Theater Camps
Which summer theater camp is right for my child in Northern Virginia?
Start with age. It's Elementary is designed for ages 5–9, Scenes for Tweens for ages 9–12, and Stage Door & Tech Camp for ages 12–15. Within those ranges, consider your child's experience level and interests — the program descriptions above outline what each camp covers and what kind of camper it is built for. If your child falls in an overlap age (9 or 12), the individual program pages have more detail to help you choose.
What do summer drama camp sessions look like for ages 5 through 15 in Arlington?
Each Encore summer camp runs for a full week, with professional teaching artists guiding campers through the production process from day one through closing performance. Younger campers in It's Elementary focus on fundamentals and ensemble work. Older campers in Scenes for Tweens and Stage Door work with scripts, scenes, and — in the Tech Camp track — full production responsibilities. Every session ends with a live performance.
Are Encore summer theater camps beginner-friendly?
Yes. All three programs welcome campers with no prior theater experience. Every camper is guaranteed a role in the closing performance — there are no auditions, no cutoffs, and no experience prerequisites for any Encore summer camp.
Are scholarships available for summer theater camp in Arlington?
Need-based scholarships are available for all Encore summer camp programs. Families are encouraged to ask about scholarship availability before the session fills. No child is turned away from an Encore summer camp because of cost.
When should I register for summer theater camp in Arlington, VA?
As early as possible. Encore summer camp sessions fill on a first-come basis, and the highest-demand sessions — particularly at the North Arlington location and for the 5–9 and 9–12 age groups — tend to fill between February and April. If you are comparing options in early spring, register before you finish comparing.