There is nothing that sings of summer like a campo (theater).
Molly Gordon’s directorial debut “Theatre Camp,” which she co-directed with Nick Lieberman, draws on the beloved chaos of the traditions of the theater camp days. The film debuted at the 2023 Sundance and boasts an impressive ensemble cast that includes Amy Sedaris and “The Bear” newcomer Ayo Edebiri, with Tony winner Ben Platt co-writing the screenplay and starring in a starring opposite Gordon.
The official synopsis for “Theatre Camp” reads: Tony Award winner Ben Platt and Molly Gordon star in the original comedy as Amos and Rebecca-Diane, lifelong best friends and drama teachers in a run-down camp in upstate New York. When clueless tech brother Troy (Jimmy Tatro) arrives to manage the property (underground), Amos, Rebecca-Diane and production manager Glenn (Noah Galvin) join the staff and students, staging a masterpiece to keep their beloved summer camp afloat.
Also starring Noah Galvin, Patti Harrison, Nathan Lee Graham, Owen Thiele, Alan Kim, Alexander Bello, Bailee Bonick, Kyndra Sanchez, Donovan Colan, Vivienne Sachs, Quinn Titcomb and Caroline Aaron.
Producers include Gordon, Platt, Lieberman, Will Ferrell, Erik Feig, Samie Kim Falvey, Julia Hammer, Ryan Heller, Maria Zuckerman and Jessica Elbaum.
IndieWire’s Kate Erbland called the film “an audience pleaser for the geek in all of us,” with the cast echoing the comedy’s autobiographical sentimentality.
“This is definitely a love letter to that kind of experience, and to the intensity of those three weeks of summer where nothing matters except who your friends are and what that world and time is like, and maybe the adults who want stay in that world forever,” director and co-writer Lieberman told IndieWire at Sundance Studio. “And it’s a love letter, but there’s also, you know, especially in the theater world, we have some jokes to make about the way the theater world operates.”
Co-writer/director Gordon added, “We dedicated the film to all of our acting teachers, even if we’re kidding them, because when they tell you to do crazy things, that’s the first moment you feel seen. I was never that good in school, and when I was in drama class, anything was possible and there was no wrong answer. That first moment where you can really own your wits, even if they’re asking you to slither like a lion or whatever.
“Theatre Camp” will premiere July 14 in theaters on Searchlight. Check out the trailer below.
