Elmhurst Children's Theatre Camps and Classes
ECT Headquarters, 121 W 1ST STREET, Elmhurst, IL 60126
About
Elmhurst Children's Theatre Camps and Classes offers week-long summer sessions that include Musical-In-A-Week: Broadway Highlights in the Round, Popstar Performer Dance Camp, SceneLab: Listen, React, Perform, Improv Skills Camp, “Rockin' Robin” Dance Camp for Musical Theatre, Triple Threat: Musical Theatre Intensive Camp, and Musical in a Week: The Disney Channel Experience (HSM, Descendents, Zombies and more). Additional offerings include Musical In A Week: Christmas in July: Elf Jr and others, “Popstar Performer” Musical Theatre Dance, SCENE Lab, Unintentionally Hilarious Sketch Comedy Troupe, “Rockin' Robin” Musical Theatre Dance, Triple Threat: A Musical Theatre Intensive, and the Summer Show: Into the Woods Jr. Campers in Popstar Performer Dance Camp are instructed to bring their favorite sneakers or jazz shoes and plenty of water, and participants in “Rockin' Robin” Dance Camp for Musical Theatre are instructed to bring jazz shoes or sneakers.
• Ages: 7–14 years old
• Schedule: Summer 2026 camps and classes run in week-long sessions with daily options of 9am–12pm, 1pm–4pm, or 9am–3pm
Summer 2026 sessions include June 1–5 and July 20–24 full-day Musical in a Week camps for students entering grades 4–9, a June 8–12 afternoon “Popstar Performer” Musical Theatre Dance session for grades 3–5, June 15–19 morning SCENE Lab and afternoon Improv Skills Camp for grades 5–9, and August 3–7 morning “Rockin' Robin” Musical Theatre Dance and afternoon Triple Threat: A Musical Theatre Intensive for grades 5–8. Supervision is provided for campers no more than 5 minutes before each session, and for weeks with both morning and afternoon sessions for the same age group, kids enrolled in both have the option to stay for lunch with lunchtime supervision at no cost. The week-long camps often conclude with a showcase performance or mini-musical for friends and families, and the ECT Summer Show program is a no-cut production experience during June with three performances of a full Junior Show.
Elmhurst Children’s Theatre is a 501(c)(3) not for profit children’s theatre company dedicated to serving the children of Elmhurst and providing a unique experience in all aspects of live theatre by promoting a supportive and positive learning environment. Programming is available to children who live in or go to school in Elmhurst, and ECT is completely volunteer-run for parent roles in productions. Elmhurst Children’s Theatre productions are cast, directed, music directed, and choreographed by professionals, summer camps are taught by theatre, music, and dance professionals, and the Unintentionally Hilarious Sketch Comedy Troupe is directed by a professional comedian and theatre arts educator.
The Board of Directors for June 2025 through May 2026 includes President Sarah Galarza, Vice President Sarah Bedinghaus, Producer Amanda French, Production Coordinators Natalie Tyrrell, Vikki Ortiz, and Jana Bendik, Treasurer Frannie Gallagher, Secretary Betsy Fahey, Class Coordinators John Dostaler and Molly Polins, and Marketing Director Tricia Larsen. Teaching and directing staff include Deb O’Connor, a certified youth life coach and former Elmhurst Children’s Theatre board president with directing and assistant directing experience at Walther Academy; Laura Thoresen, an Elmhurst native with a BFA in Musical Theatre from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and a Speech coach at York High School; Lili Galluzzo, an actor, teaching artist, and audition coach with a BFA in Musical Theatre: Voice Emphasis from the Chicago College of Performing Arts and professional acting representation by Stewart Talent; and Michael Potsic, a Chicago-based performer, writer, and theatre artist with performance credits at Boho Theatre, Writers Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and Marriott Theatre and directing and choreography credits on multiple musicals. ECT usually produces a fall/winter main stage show, a spring main stage show, and a summer show or double feature each year, and Unintentionally Hilarious Sketch Comedy Troupe teaches sketch comedy writing and performance skills and culminates in a live performance. ECT appears on many Matching Gift platforms under “Elmhurst Children S Theatre,” and GiftLABS, Inc. donates 20% of sales from ECT merchandise purchases to ECT.
Last updated May 24, 2026.
• Ages: 7–14 years old
• Schedule: Summer 2026 camps and classes run in week-long sessions with daily options of 9am–12pm, 1pm–4pm, or 9am–3pm
Summer 2026 sessions include June 1–5 and July 20–24 full-day Musical in a Week camps for students entering grades 4–9, a June 8–12 afternoon “Popstar Performer” Musical Theatre Dance session for grades 3–5, June 15–19 morning SCENE Lab and afternoon Improv Skills Camp for grades 5–9, and August 3–7 morning “Rockin' Robin” Musical Theatre Dance and afternoon Triple Threat: A Musical Theatre Intensive for grades 5–8. Supervision is provided for campers no more than 5 minutes before each session, and for weeks with both morning and afternoon sessions for the same age group, kids enrolled in both have the option to stay for lunch with lunchtime supervision at no cost. The week-long camps often conclude with a showcase performance or mini-musical for friends and families, and the ECT Summer Show program is a no-cut production experience during June with three performances of a full Junior Show.
Elmhurst Children’s Theatre is a 501(c)(3) not for profit children’s theatre company dedicated to serving the children of Elmhurst and providing a unique experience in all aspects of live theatre by promoting a supportive and positive learning environment. Programming is available to children who live in or go to school in Elmhurst, and ECT is completely volunteer-run for parent roles in productions. Elmhurst Children’s Theatre productions are cast, directed, music directed, and choreographed by professionals, summer camps are taught by theatre, music, and dance professionals, and the Unintentionally Hilarious Sketch Comedy Troupe is directed by a professional comedian and theatre arts educator.
The Board of Directors for June 2025 through May 2026 includes President Sarah Galarza, Vice President Sarah Bedinghaus, Producer Amanda French, Production Coordinators Natalie Tyrrell, Vikki Ortiz, and Jana Bendik, Treasurer Frannie Gallagher, Secretary Betsy Fahey, Class Coordinators John Dostaler and Molly Polins, and Marketing Director Tricia Larsen. Teaching and directing staff include Deb O’Connor, a certified youth life coach and former Elmhurst Children’s Theatre board president with directing and assistant directing experience at Walther Academy; Laura Thoresen, an Elmhurst native with a BFA in Musical Theatre from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and a Speech coach at York High School; Lili Galluzzo, an actor, teaching artist, and audition coach with a BFA in Musical Theatre: Voice Emphasis from the Chicago College of Performing Arts and professional acting representation by Stewart Talent; and Michael Potsic, a Chicago-based performer, writer, and theatre artist with performance credits at Boho Theatre, Writers Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and Marriott Theatre and directing and choreography credits on multiple musicals. ECT usually produces a fall/winter main stage show, a spring main stage show, and a summer show or double feature each year, and Unintentionally Hilarious Sketch Comedy Troupe teaches sketch comedy writing and performance skills and culminates in a live performance. ECT appears on many Matching Gift platforms under “Elmhurst Children S Theatre,” and GiftLABS, Inc. donates 20% of sales from ECT merchandise purchases to ECT.
Last updated May 24, 2026.
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