Sing, Act, Play, and Put on a Show
Music and Drama Camp at Gretna Glen is perfect for kids who are ages 9-13 and love worshipping with music, dancing, and/or acting! Led by experienced musicians and educators, this fun-filled week includes plenty of music and all of the traditional camp activities like boating, archery, crafts, pool time, Bible discovery, and group games. At the end of the week, campers put on a short musical for family and friends that is tailored to the unique talents of our campers and connects with the theme of camp. Campers have the opportunity to sing, dance, act, and/or play their instrument as part of the musical. Every Music and Drama camper is always included in our musical because everyone has an important role to play! If you play an instrument, please bring it along.
Our Music and Drama camp leadership team includes passionate educators and clergy who generously share their God-given gifts each year in this well-loved, long-running program. This camp is a great choice for first time overnight campers. Come join us for a week filled with faith and fun!
Our Goals for every camper
Our goal for all overnight campers is to create an environment where they can THRIVE:
Try new experiences
Camp is great exposure to new people, news skills, and new challenges.
Hear Good News
We are here to share in the joy of knowing and following Jesus Christ!
Reset and Renew
We work hard to create a place where campers can be themselves, unplug from devices, and rest.
Inspire One Another
Community experiences and culture creation are intentional, key aspects of every week.
Value Themselves
Campers learn they can do more than they thought possible by learning and growing all week long.
Explore Possibilites
Campers are encouraged to ask questions about their faith, their future, and their world.
The Friday Show
Families arrive for pickup and stay for a short musical performance. Every camper is in it. The show is built for the week's cast, not the other way around, so it actually fits the campers who are performing.
It is the kind of night where parents show up expecting a polite camp skit and leave having seen their kid do something they did not know their kid could do.
Built for Creative Campers and First-Time Performers
Music and Drama is often the first overnight camp week for kids who find their home in creative arts rather than sports. It is also the week returning performers come back to year after year. Worship through music, dance, or theatrical expression is woven through the whole week, so the show is not a secular add-on. It is an extension of how the camp actually gathers.
No audition required. No prior stage experience needed. The Friday show is built around the cast, not in spite of it, and staff are specifically trained to help creative kids find their voice on a camp stage.
WHERE YOU'LL STAY
Campers stay in Raab Retreat Lodge, a two-story lodge on Gretna Glen's main campus. The Lodge has bunk-style housing with restrooms in the building. It feels more like home than traditional cabins, which is ideal for the creative focus and the rehearsal schedule.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
Campers who play an instrument should bring it, along with any sheet music they want to share. Staff will work instruments into the show where they fit. No audition is required for any role.
Gretna Glen is ACA-accredited, meeting over 300 health, safety, and quality standards. Program staff are experienced musicians, educators, and clergy members. Ministry Safe and UMC Risk Management certified.
WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR
- Kids 9 to 13 who sing, act, dance, or play an instrument
- First-time overnight campers who find their home in creative arts
- Returning performers ready for a creative-focused camp week
- Kids who worship best through music, movement, or performance