Musical Theater Camp

Six week-long sessions of MUSICAL THEATER CAMP will be offered. Each week repeats the same show. Students are allowed to participate in one session only.

Dates:

• June 15-19

• June 22-26

• July 6-10

• July 13-17 

• July 20-24 

• July 27-31

Hours:

• Camp begins at 9 AM and ends at 4 PM (Monday-Thursday) and from 9 AM until approximately 6:30 PM on Friday. 

• Students may be dropped off in the morning between 8:45-9 AM.

• Students will be dismissed in the order signed out between 4 PM and 4:10 PM.

Final showcase: 

Friday at 5:30 PM on the Temple Theater stage. (Details for attending/viewing the showcase will be provided later.)

Location:

Temple for the Performing Arts, 1011 Locust Street, Des Moines with some instructional activities held at nearby locations within walking distance. 

Musical Theater Camp carries a registration fee of $315, which includes a daily snack.

Participants are asked to bring a sack lunch each day.

Pay in full at time of registration or in four equal installments. Payment plans are only available for registrations received prior to March 10, 2026.

Attendance Policy

To ensure that your student is prepared for the camp week, please clear your student's schedule of any appointments or conflicts for the five days of camp.

Due to the intense rehearsal schedule, participation in the showcase performance is dependent on full attendance throughout the week. 

Participation in camp activities and rehearsals is based on the understanding that the student is present during the camp day and intends to perform at the end of the week.

• Weekday Absences:  Missed rehearsals may necessitate that a participant give up part or all of their role(s) for the success of the overall performance.  Roles may be reduced or adjusted based on the amount of rehearsal material missed.

• Performance Day Absences:

• • If you know you are unable to commit to the full day on Friday, please contact Lynnae, Camp Manager, at 515-246-2360 to discuss the specifics or email her at LynnaeL@DMPA.org.

  • Please be advised that camp staff may determine that the student should drop from the overall camp, depending on the timing of the absence, out of respect for their overall camp experience.  See the Cancellation Policy on this webpage. 

• Illness:  A student with a fever (usually 100.4°F or higher) should stay home and should not return to camp until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. This rule ensures the student is well enough to attend and prevents the spread of illness to other students and staff. 

Be sure to communicate with camp staff immediately if an emergency arises.

IMPORTANT CHANGE: You MUST register for the correct age group for your student (grade entering in the fall.)

If your student is registered for an age group that does not align with the student's grade, we will transfer to the correct age group at no charge if there is availability. In the event your preferred session is sold out, your student’s name will be added to the wait list, and you may need to cancel the original registration.

If the desired age group is full, it is full.  We sincerely wish we had the space to accommodate every student who is interested in attending our camps.

Your student's participation is very important to their overall success in their selected camp, but we understand that summer plans sometimes change. 

If you are no longer able to participate, please submit written notice of your camp cancellation to LynnaeL@DMPA.org.

• All refunds are subject to a $50 cancellation fee.

• Written notice of cancellation must be received four weeks prior to the first date of the camp for a refund (minus the cancellation fee) to be issued.

• A refund cannot be guaranteed if a cancellation request is submitted less than four weeks prior to the camp start date.

  • Any refund will only be issued if we are able to secure a new registration to fill the vacated spot. 

  • Efforts to fill vacated spots are at the full discretion of program staff based on timing of the cancellation as it relates to staff capacity and camp preparations.   

  • As soon as you are aware of conflicts, please contact Lynnae, Camp Manager, at 515-246-2360 to discuss the specifics or email her at LynnaeL@DMPA.org. Please be advised that camp staff may determine that the student should drop from the overall camp, depending on the timing of the absence, out of respect for their overall camp experience.

• Should camp be cancelled by DMPA, a full refund will be given.

What if I just need to switch to a different week of the same camp?

If you are interested in moving to a different section, you may request to transfer at no charge if there is availability. In the event your preferred session is sold out, please request that camp staff add your student’s name to the wait list OR communicate if you need to cancel the original registration.  Please review the cancellation policy.

Questions? Please contact our camp manager Lynnae at LynnaeL@DMPA.org or leave a message at 515-246-2360.

Before and After Camp Care 

• Before and After Camp Care sessions are offered for an additional $10.00 fee per session (or $20 per day), which may be added during the registration payment process.

• Before care opens at 7:30 AM (Monday through Friday);

• After care ends promptly at 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday).

Already registered and need to add before and after camp care?

• Notify us BEFORE 9 AM of the previous day by calling Lynnae at 515-246-2360 or emailing at LynnaeL@DMPA.org

IMPORTANT: Please submit a scholarship application NO LATER THAN JANUARY 23, 2026 - the week before registration opens. 

Scholarships to DMPA camps are provided to make sure that our camps are accessible to all. 

• Submitting this application does not guarantee a scholarship or a spot in any camp.

• If you register BY THE DEADLINE, a spot will be held for you until the scholarship committee can review applications. 

• If you register AFTER public registration opens, your application will be reviewed only if a spot becomes available.

• Scholarship funding is based on need and time of request and is awarded on a case-by-case basis.

Please complete the online SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION if financial assistance is needed to allow your student to participate. 

You will need the following information to complete the application form: 

• Your contact information

• Your average monthly household income

• A Statement of Interest (preferably written by the student, and then UPLOADED as a PDF or Word document, OR, TYPED directly into the form). 

Questions: Contact Lynnae Lathrop at LynnaeL@DMPA.org.

NOTE: If you attended camp last summer on a School-to-Stage scholarship after being nominated by your school, please contact Lynnae at LynnaeL@DMPA.org no later than the week before registration begins.

More detailed information will be emailed 2-3 weeks prior to the opening day of camp.

MUSICAL THEATER CAMP is a week of rehearsals and activities that results in a final performance at the end of the week. Every student receives a role in the selected show.

• Monday begins with camp staff welcoming students and preparing them for an audition later in the day.  Directors work hard to match roles to the skills that students demonstrate throughout the morning and to find roles that will engage them and challenge them. It is our philosophy that every single part is very important to the telling of the story - the playwright created all roles for a reason, and it is our job to discover what each character's purpose is in the telling of the tale.
  • Each student comes home with a script and an assigned role on Monday evening; however, many feature solos and lines will still be assigned on the following days. 
• Tuesday through Thursday, we learn the show and find engaging ways to rehearse. Students participate in workshops and theater activities to help them develop their characters, as well as do art projects, costume fittings, and activities related to the show.
  • We hope that the students come home each night excited about what they have learned and encourage you to let them sing to the music tracks and perform their choreography at home and any time they can.  This helps them learn their parts and builds their confidence.
• Friday is performance day. It begins with dress rehearsal. Then the tech crews arrive for a full run of the show with lights and audio, followed by the performance in full costume for family and friends on the Temple Theater stage at 5:30 PM.

The entire week is full of friendship, energy, and learning.  We look forward to having your family join us in this week-long musical theater camp!

Session full?  Get on the Wait List!

If your preferred session is full, please add your name to our wait list by clicking HERE and indicate your student's age and which session(s) you are interested in attending.

We will contact you if a space becomes available.