Third performance by Camp Munroe theater ‘flawless’

The third performance by the Camp Munroe Theater Co. was held Jan. 6 in front of an appreciative audience of family, friends and community members.

“Fractured Fairy Tales,” held at the Scottish Rite Masonic Hall in Omaha, was the culmination of a three-day theater workshop for children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The 23 participants, ranging in age from 6 to 30, also created the sets and some of the props for a skewed look at some classic children’s tales.

See a video of the performance.

MMI’s Department of Recreational Therapy teamed with WhyArts?, an arts organization based at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Engagement Center, to create the Camp Munroe Theater Co., a camp for children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“What a fun time we had working with the exceptionally talented campers during our three days at Camp Munroe,” said Carolyn Anderson, director of WhyArts. “We are thankful to participate once again with these creative actors and devoted Munroe-Meyer staff.”

Chad Samuelson and his wife, Katie, were in the audience to see their 7-year-old son, Ryder, make his Camp Munroe Theater debut as the Big Bad Pig.

“The staff approached us because they thought Ryder would be a good performer,” Chad Samuelson said. “He loved every day (of the camp).”

The Samuelsons helped Ryder go over his part, and he was a big hit — along with the other performers — once the stage lights went up.

“It was fantastic,” Chad Samuelson said after the show. “The WhyArts/MMI collaboration is just incredible. I don’t think anyone could stop smiling.”

Certainly not performer Christian Moore.

“It was the most fun,” he said after the show. “I played a game show host.”

Michael Crawford, Ph.D., director of the MMI Department of Recreational Therapy, called the show a great success and said staff and campers were excited about the new venue at the Scottish Rite.

“It’s a very beautiful theater,” he said.

John Maxell, general secretary of the Omaha Scottish Rite, said the organization — a longtime collaborator and supporter of MMI’s Speech Language Pathology Department — was pleased to be able to donate the performance space.

“We thought it would be great,” he said after the show. “And it was great.”

MMI’s Erin Bentzinger, who runs the Camp Munroe Theater Co. program, agreed wholeheartedly.

“It was flawless,” she said. “There was no stage fright and everyone had fun.”