See Mean Girls, Jr., tomorrow, Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12, 2:00 and 6:00 p.m., NFHS Auditorium

By Sarah Opdahl

For young theater kids, there’s a lot to be excited about in working with older teenage actors whom they have seen commanding performances on the local stage in recent years. In its third year, New Fairfield’s Theater Camp—for grades 4-9—is being overseen by Camp Director Angela Sbano, who has spearheaded many elementary and middle-school-age productions in the past few years. In all, eight counselors and nine counselors-in-training (CIT) are working with a cast of forty-one campers in a pithy version of the rock musical, Mean Girls, which delves into navigating the sometimes fraught social scene in high school years.

At its heart, Mean Girls carries strong messages about empowering young people, nurturing genuine friendships, and remaining true to yourself. Sbano explained that Mean Girls, which can be considered a grown-up show with complex relational topics, was “cleaned up” in this version. The shortened version is more family friendly and cuts are made for time, Sbano explained, “so songs are shortened, and some songs are cut, but the cool ones are still there.” Being performed to pre-recorded tracks, which are being served with “incredible sound” in the high school’s auditorium, Sbano shared, “I love the song Revenge Party because the choreography is so funny for [the character] “Damian,” and I also love Who’s House is This because it has a cool rap with a funny dance move by [the character] “Kevin G.”

The campers were shepherded through the cautionary tale by  co-directors, Sarah Bollacke (‘24) and Sedona Taylor (‘24), who both participated in theater and music throughout their high school years. April Smith (‘24) is the show’s choreographer, while Nicky Eklund (‘24) is Music Director and Max Abarientos (‘25) is the Rehearsal Accompanist. Lee Mikita (‘24) is serving as the production’s Stage Manager, while recent grad Chloe Petzold (‘25) is Costumer and Alexa Vavolizza (‘25) is Props Manager. These paid positions have doubled in size from last year’s camp, which has also increased in camper size. Sbano is excited to offer the opportunities to the college students, saying she hopes there’s “A feeling of coming full circle, a sense of community that comes from having a theater community to come home to in the summers where they can contribute their talents, experience, and college knowledge! And a place to refine and grow their skills as leaders.”

While there is a show to create over the three-week camp, there is also an emphasis on fun and whimsy throughout the process. Counselors Vavolizza, current Rebel Players Taylor Proto (‘26) and Stina Sbano (‘27), and CITs have created “talent shows every morning and the kids have been delighted to watch the staff get up there and perform. They really establish a connection and friendship over the course of the three weeks. So much cheering each other on!,” Sbano said. Also, “we do a mix of old and new games, and the tradition during tech week is learning ‘To Stop the Train in cases of emergency you pull down the chain, pull down the chain, penalty for improper use, 5 pounds.’ Which we perform with hand movements and sing in a round.”

Sbano also found fun ways to make the theater camp feel more “camp-like,” including dress-up days, an ice-cream social (supplied by Twisters), and a pool cast-party at her home.

Take a break from the heat and come see this cool version of Mean Girls this Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12, 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. $15 adults, $10 students, cash or Venmo at door—doors open 45-min before.