Adventures in Odyssey: A Summer Staple!

by admin | Feb 25, 2023 | Theatre

Written by Maizie Ferguson | Edited by Evi Wheeler

One wonderful Greenleaf staple of the summer is Adventures in Odyssey®. Greenleaf has offered Adventures in Odyssey® camps since 2000, making this the twenty-third consecutive year of AIO. It is a summertime tradition that children look forward to from year to year! In this article you will find an overview of the typical AIO week, past camp testimonies, and this year’s camp offerings.

AIO is a fast-paced camp that not only teaches incredible acting skills, but also the virtues of patience and determination, and is the catalyst for many long-lasting friendships. Enrolled students will send in a video audition in order to be cast, then they will receive an AIO script. Students will be expected to have their lines memorized before the camp week. Over the course of the week, students will learn valuable theatre skills such as projection, stage terminology, memorization, and characterization; as well as life skills and virtues, such as time management, teamwork, cooperation, responsibility, humility, and confidence.

The day is set up into manageable sections, typically starting with theatre games, before rolling into rehearsal and blocking. All of our AIO instructors are year-round theatre instructors and are very knowledgeable and experienced in working with young actors. There are plenty of game breaks to ensure the cast gets to know each other, and by the end, many students have become fast friends. A showcase is presented to the families at the end of the week. 

Here are a few words from past assistants:

“It was amazing to get to see the directors being so joyful and patient with the kids. It definitely was a fun experience for me to go and see what it is like to direct a children’s show and to watch everyone encourage our future actors to grow in their talents.” – Daleigh Kelly

“AIO is a wonderful camp for growing knowledge, talent, and friendships. Some of my best memories of Greenleaf were made at AIO. I had the pleasure of assistant directing the camps this summer. It was incredible to see the kids’ phenomenal growth over the week and to see them make new friends. Greenleaf has made some fantastic young actors!” – Oliver Kelly

“I had the honor of serving as a stage manager at the Adventures in Odyssey (AIO) camp last summer. I was so blessed to watch the kids grow and put on a show with excellence, in only a week! The script had a moral that the kids understood and could relate to thanks to the amazing content from Focus on the Family. This camp is a great opportunity to grow in acting skills and in godly character.” – Lydia Wiley

And a quote from an AIO student:

“​​Adventures in Odyssey is a super fun camp! One of my favorite things about it is that each year the script is totally different. Settings go from modern times to the wild west to outer space! We not only get to put on a super fun play after a week of rehearsing, but we also get to play theatre games and bond with our cast and leaders. Mics, costume changes, memorizing lines… AIO has it all! It is a great camp to invite your friends to do with you. I love AIO because it has such a fun, positive, silly environment, and it is the perfect addition to your summer!” – Henley Ferguson

We hope you can join us! Click here to register.