Back in the summer of 1981 when temperatures were high and hair do's were higher...the Atlanta Workshop Players performing arts camp was born!
Back in those days, camp was held out in the middle of the wilderness in some cabins. Days were spent performing in the outdoors, bonding with your fellow campers and learning a lot about ourselves as performers and people. Fast forward to 2019 and a lot has changed. Now we have A/C, all new programs, and a whole new generation of performers. The one thing that hasn't changed is the heart and soul of AWP.
Since day 1, AWP has been a second home to many, a place of safety, a place where everybody belongs. Sometimes, people need a bit more guidance on how to be open and accepting of others and we strive to be that guide. And through that, we are all learning and evolving as well!
This year at VIP Movie Camp, we tackled a seemingly impossible task: a 30 page script, featuring 60+ actors, with 5 days to shoot it! Impossible right? WRONG! We had the most incredible cast and crew that were eager to make magic happen and they did! Each day looked daunting on paper but when the performers arrived on set they were prepared, rehearsed and ready to tackle this creative endeavor, a truly inspiring set of campers, counselors and staff members! Making a movie can be very stressful, especially on such a tight timeline and that stress was met with determination, game faces and an abundance of talent making this project a huge success! How do we look a huge task like this in the face and let the challenge inspire us instead of shut us down? What steps do we take as artists to make sure that we are taking care of ourselves while taking on such a large project? One of the biggest things is being able to delegate tasks. We had a WONDERFUL crew that was there and ready to work, share the work! It's the teamwork that makes such a beautiful finished project and film sets create a family! Embrace that fabulous family!
During the Performing Arts Intensive, things got just that...intense, in the most incredible way! Campers and counselors were trying new art forms, house parents danced at cabaret, people performed in front of an audience for the first time ever and the laughs and smiles were endless! Something very important as a performer is to try, even if something is brand new to you, give it 1000% and don't be afraid to fail! Failing is the key to growth! You fall off a horse 100 times, you get back up 101. Thank you to all of our campers and staff members for creating a safe space for mistakes to be made, supporting your fellow performers and allowing room for growth within yourself and your peers. Performing is a vulnerable art form and it takes a lot of courage to express yourself through the arts and we thank you all for being so open during camp this year! You are all inspiring performers!
An endless thank you to our counselors and staff for taking such great care of these campers. Thank you to the Rabun Gap team for all of your help and the incredible locations while on campus! Thank you to our teachers: Greyson Chadwick, Lynn Stallings, Canedy Knowles, Dean Cudworth, John DiDonna, Ashlyn Stallings, Greg Kamp, Dion DiDonna, Kristin Weber, Don Stallings, Amber Elizabeth Miller, Ken Feinberg, Dacia James-Lewis, AMDA - Sean Samuels, AMDA - Laura Paha, Bonnie Gillespie, Keith Johnson, Terri Manoogian and her team. And a forever thank you to the parents that created and raised these insanely talented performers!
AWP is where growth as an artist is the goal and growth as a human is inevitable.
Love and smiles,
The AWP Team
"The (happier) happiest place on earth!" - David Chernyak
"AWP has made me the person I am today. It has provided me an outlet to grow not only as a performer but as a leader and human being. I’m eternally grateful to Lynn, Don, and all the AWPeeps!” - Kerry McMahon
"AWP is honestly a place where I feel completely accepted, encouraged, and loved by everyone around me. The atmosphere is genuinely a utopia of kindness that I wish was everywhere!"
-Maggie Thurmon