Arts & Entertainment

High camp fun

No, we mean real camp — as in summer fun for kids. Here are a few of the region’s offerings

Published

15 years ago

March 17, 2011

(Image courtesy of Rollins)

Imagination Stage, part of Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd.) in Arlington, has many summer camps for children of all ages, starting at 4 and going all the way through high school. There is the Arts Explorer camp for children ages 4 and 5. Children ages 6 and 7 can go to the Arts Adventure camp. The other camps are either four weeks long or a week-long flex camp. There’s also a Filmmaking Camp for children grades five to 12 that last either one or three weeks and dance camps. For more information, visit imaginationstage.org.

Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School, (3500 Woodley Rd., N.W.) has multiple summer programs for different age groups from ages 3 to 11 that run throughout the summer. Costs of the camps vary program to program. Brown bag lunches and snacks will be provided for all-day campers and half-day campers will receive snacks. Children are encouraged to dress comfortably and sock and tennis shoes are required. For more information, visit summer.beauvoirschool.org.

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St., S.E.) puts on a summer program called “Island Arts Adventure,” which is two week sessions that run from June 20 to Aug. 12 for children ages 5 to 13. Each session is divided into morning and afternoon camps. In the morning, the campers will focus on an island such as Indonesia or Hawaii and then the afternoon camps are more recreation based. Campers must have turned 5 by June 1 and completed a year of kindergarten or equivalent education. For more information, visit chaw.org.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art has a camp for children ages 5 to 16 called “Camp Creativity.” The camp is divided into four age groups. The groups for children 5 to 10 meet at the Georgetown campus (1801 35th St., N.W.) and the other groups meet at the gallery’s downtown campus (500 17th St., N.W.). Studio A has campers experimenting with a variety of materials as they investigate themes in art. Studio B allows campers to explore a variety of artists and themes while developing their artistic skills. Studio C has campers concentrating on skill development and they get to try out things like fashion illustration and cartooning. Studio D has campers building their skills in figure drawing, digital photography and fashion illustration. Campers can be signed up for one to eight weeks. Prices vary based on age and session. For more information, visit Corcoran.org.

TIC Summer Camp (4620 Dittmar Rd.) in Arlington is a technology- and sports-based camp for children 7 to 16 at three locations. The technology choices are programming, robotics, web design, animation, filmmaking, digital arts and digital music. All campers get a sports period each day and their choices are soccer, basketball, gymnastics, dance, team handball, street hockey, ultimate frisbee, flag football, softball, capture the flag, volleyball and crazy games. Campers can also choose drama or tennis for an additional cost. Campers are expected to provide their own lunch. There are four sessions throughout the summer starting June 20. The base tuition is $820 per session. For more information, visit ticcamp.com.

Woodland Horse Center (16301 New Hampshire Ave.) in Silver Spring has two summer camps available this year. There’s the Pony Pals Summer Camp for children ages 5 to 7 and the Horsemanship Summer Camp for children ages 8 to 15. Horsemanship campers get two riding lessons, horsemanship lessons, interactive lectures and do arts and crafts. A two-week sessions costs $760 and the first session starts June 13. Pony Pals are given a daily riding lesson, horsemanship lessons, interactive lectures and do arts and crafts. A single week costs $380 and the first session starts June 20. Both camps will have special activities such as pizza day and water games day. For more information, visit woodlandhorse.com.

Jonah’s Treehouse (2121 Wisconsin Ave., C-1 Level) has a summer camp for children ages 3 to 6 that runs from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Registration is done by week with a different theme each week. For more information, visit jonahstreehouse.com.

The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory (1501 14th St., N.W.) has summer workshops for young actors ages 12 to 17. The Young Actors Ensemble will run from June 27 to July 21. The curriculum includes theater games, pantomimes, improvisations, ensemble work, monologues and scene study. Actors acquire better skills in concentration, observation, response and interplay. Placement auditions are June 18 so instructors can better develop individual students to their fullest potential. The program costs $550. Scholarships are available. For more information, visit studiotheatre.org.

Cleveland Park Club (3433 33rd Place, N.W.) has a summer camp that runs from June 13 to Aug. 12 for children ages 5 to 9 and counselors-in-training ages 11 to 16. Campers participate in a variety of activities including stilt-walking, tumbling, kickball and chalk drawing. Camp prices vary based on session and membership in the club. For more information, visit clevelandparkclub.org.

Photos

PHOTOS: Denali at Pitchers

‘Drag Race’ alum performs at Thirst Trap

Published

8 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Michael Key

Denali performs at the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show at Pitchers DC on April 9. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Arts & Entertainment

In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI

‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Last year, Baltimore Center Stage refused to give up its DEI focus in the face of losing federal funding. They've tripled down. (Photo by Ulysses Muñoz of the Baltimore Banner)

By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.

Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.

“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

Books

Susan Lucci on love, loss, and ‘All My Children’

New book chronicles life of iconic soap star

Published

2 days ago

April 13, 2026

Terri Schlichenmeyer

(Book cover image courtesy of Blackstone Publishing)

‘La Lucci’
By Susan Lucci with Laura Morton
c.2026, Blackstone Publishing
$29.99/196 pages

They’re among the world’s greatest love stories.

You know them well: Marc Antony and Cleopatra. Abelard and Heloise. Phoebe and Langley. Cliff and Nina. Jesse and Angie, Opal and Palmer, Palmer and Daisy, Tad and Dixie. Now read “La Lucci” by Susan Lucci, with Laura Morton, and you might also think of Susan and Helmut.

When she was a very small girl, Susan Lucci loved to perform. Also when she was young, she learned that words have power. She vowed to use them for good for the rest of her life.

Her parents, she says, were supportive and her family, loving. Because of her Italian heritage, she was “ethnic looking” but Lucci’s mother was careful to point out dark-haired beauties on TV and elsewhere, giving Lucci a foundation of confidence.

That’s just one of the things for which Lucci says she’s grateful. In fact, she says, “Prayers of gratitude are how I begin and end each day.”

She is particularly grateful for becoming a mother to her two adult children, and to the doctors who saved her son’s life when he was a newborn.

Lucci writes about gratitude for her long career. She was a keystone character on TV’s “All My Children,” and she learned a lot from older actors on the show, and from Agnes Nixon, the creator of it. She says she still keeps in touch with many of her former costars.

She is thankful for her mother’s caretakers, who stepped in when dementia struck. Grateful for more doctors, who did heart-saving work when Lucci had a clogged artery. Grateful for friends, opportunities, life, grandchildren, and a career that continues.

And she’s grateful for the love she shared with her husband, Helmut Huber, who died nearly four years ago. Grateful for the chance to grieve, to heal, and to continue.

And yet, she says of her husband: “He was never timid, but I know he was afraid at the end, and that kills me down to my soul.”

“It’s been 15 years since Erica Kane and I parted ways,” says author Susan Lucci (with Laura Morton), and she says that people still approach her to confirm or deny rumors of the show’s resurrection. There’s still no answer to that here (sorry, fans), but what you’ll find inside “La Lucci” is still exceptionally generous.

If this book were just filled with stories, you’d like it just fine. If it was only about Lucci’s faith and her gratitude – words that happen to appear very frequently here – you’d still like reading it. But Lucci tells her stories of family, children and “All My Children,” while also offering help to couples who’ve endured miscarriage, women who’ve had heart problems, and widow(ers) who are spinning and need the kindness of someone who’s lived loss, too.

These are the other things you’ll find in “La Lucci,” in a voice you’ll hear in your head, if you spent your lunch hours glued to the TV back in the day. It’s a comfortable, fun read for fans. It’s a story you’ll love.

The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.