Theater in a Box

THEATER IN A BOX is a week-long, half-day camp for student's entering 1st through 3rd grade next fall. Choose one of two sessions.

Dates:

• June 15-19, 2026

• June 22-26. 2026

Hours:

• Camp begins at 9 AM and ends at 12 PM (Monday-Friday).

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

• Students will be dismissed in the order signed out between 12:00 PM and 12:10 PM.

Final performance: 

Friday at 11 AM-12 PM in the Civic Center's West Balcony Lounge. (Details for attending/viewing the showcase will be provided later.)

Location:

Civic Center, 211 Walnut Street, Des Moines.

Theater in a Box Camp carries a registration fee of $150, which includes a mid-morning snack.

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

Absence: Due to the half-day format, any absence may prevent students from completing their projects in time for the final showcase or from participating in the showcase.

• Please clear your student's schedule of any appointments or conflicts for your selected week of camp.

Illness: Be sure to communicate with camp staff if an illness or emergency arises.

• 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. 

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 via email to LynnaeL@DMPA.org.

• All Theater in a Box Camp refunds are subject to a $40 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.   
• Should camp be cancelled by DMPA, a full refund will be given.

THEATER IN A BOX is a camp for artists, storytellers, and performers.  This camp focuses on developing early elementary literacy skills used in telling a story or writing a play.

• Monday begins with getting to know each other through storytelling and theater activities. Students focus on Character, and start to create a story that could happen between two or more of these characters.
• Tuesday through Thursday, students work to create their characters' stories, adding conflict and settings. Using the provided box, they put together a theater stage and make the props, sets, and characters to tell their stories. Students rehearse the telling of these stories, moving their characters around their box-sized stages and changing their mini-sized sets and backgrounds as needed. Some students choose a partner while others create on their own.
• Friday puts it all together for families with a performance at 11 AM.

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. 

• A scholarship spot in any camp is not guaranteed by submitting a scholarship application form.

• 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.

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.