Theater Camp. 2023
Directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman.
Starring Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Jimmy Tatro, Noah Galvin, Patti Harrison, Ayo Edebiri, Amy Sedaris, Caroline Aaron, Luke Islam, Nathan Lee Graham, Kyndra Sanchez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Alan Kim, Jonathan Lengel, Donovan Colan, Owen Thiele, Tyrone Mitchell Henderson, Alexander Bell,o Quinn Titcomb, Bailee Bonick, Madisen Lora, Vivienne Sachs, Priscilla Lopez, David Rasche, and Jack Sobolewski.
SYNOPSIS:
The eccentric staff of a rundown theater camp in upstate New York, as they band together with the beloved founder’s bro-y son to keep the camp afloat, when she falls into a coma right before the summer session is set to begin.
While I can’t say I’ve seen writers and directors Molly Gordon’s and Nick Lieberman’s short film Theater Camp that their narrative feature debut is based on (here, co-written by co-stars Noah Galvin and Ben Platt), they have a bit of a secret weapon in Jimmy Tatro’s Troy Rubinski, a doofus crypto-bro who inherits control over the titular theater camp for children and teenagers once his mom Joan (Amy Sedaris) falls into a coma at the expense of strobe lights during a show.
For anyone that has only heard about the insanity of something like “tech week” but doesn’t know much about theater communities and, as such, might not get all the jokes or off-the-wall eccentric personalities, one major beat of the narrative is following that dimwitted character’s journey into accepting this world and understanding the empowering and therapeutic power of acting. Mind you, Theater Camp is still hilarious, but often so frenetic and hyper-focused on eliciting laughs through exaggerated or outrageous behavior (whether it be from the passionate counselors or the goofball kids) and playing to the crowd of everyone that has lived this chaotic life at some point, then it would probably feel alienating without a character like Troy.
We may not be as dumb as Troy, who lays off the staff in hopes of cutting down costs for this financially struggling camp and generally has no idea what’s going on, but outsiders to this material are still learning with him. He mostly leaves the drama and music counselors in charge (Ben Platt and Molly Gordon), longtime friends who love taking the children under their wings and encouraging them but are also reaching a point where they have different professional goals.
This year, the original play is one to honor Joan’s life, which quickly goes off the rails thanks to inexperienced new counselors (Ayo Edebiri scores huge laughs trying to teach the children things she doesn’t quite understand) and the previously mentioned friction between the primary counselors. Theater Camp is also structured and shot like a mockumentary, amplifying the random and irreverent comedic tone. The film is The Office for theater geeks, but funny enough for anyone to enjoy with a surprisingly thoughtful and emotional third act.
Simultaneously, it takes too long for the screenplay to reveal those character layers, meaning that one mostly watches jokes fly a mile a minute. It can also get mildly frustrating without a moment to slow down and get to know any of these people. The children are a diverse bunch, and all look different, but in terms of personality, many of them are indistinguishable from one another, aside from one or two that have a compelling plot point that ties into the drama between the counselors. Alan Kim also steals scenes as a cutesy and humorous child more concerned with being an agent than anything. However, watching the film take a clueless meathead like Troy and turn him into a champion of this camp, theater, and what these friendships mean to the children and counselors alike is moving.
The last 30 minutes or so of Theater Camp also happen to be the funniest, so it’s a shame the movie doesn’t fully come together and click earlier on, but it’s still a charming, frequently hilarious good time showcasing the importance of outcasts having a community and environment to be themselves, surrounded by their people and free from a judgmental outside world.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
