Camp Sunshine
2008 · Crossroads Center, Pittsfield; Theatre in the Park, New Salem
Camp Sunshine is a Christian-themed musical comedy set at a small bible camp tucked into rural Arkansas. Over a single camp session, a band of mismatched teenagers wrestle with the ordinary agonies of growing up — a timid boy convinced he isn't funny; Skip, whose whole summer is a campaign to meet girls; rebellious Margo; Nadine, an overzealous memorizer of scripture; and Ted, who can't make peace with his own name. Watching over them are Gloria, the camp's irrepressibly enthusiastic social director, and Uncle Ernie, a former Marine who manages to find God in everything military.
With humor, heart, and a steady stream of songs, the show turns the familiar comedy of summer camp — bird watching, camp activities, awkward religious discussions — into a warm meditation on faith, self-acceptance, and the question that runs beneath all the laughs: Is there a place I belong? Sister Lagasi, a fast-moving nun, and the rest of the camp's cast of characters help the campers stumble their way toward an answer.
A Ken Bradbury original, Camp Sunshine premiered in the summer of 2008 with book and lyrics by Bradbury and music by his longtime collaborator Roger Wainwright. The show proved beloved enough to return for a second season the following summer.
Musical Numbers
- Welcome to Camp Sunshine
- Oh Sweet Camp Sunshine
- Hell Bent or Heaven Bound
- Mr. Romance
- Welcome to Camp Funtime!
- Go, God, Go!
- The Letters
- Gentile Girls
- I Love You
- Michael Row
- Junk Food
- Sometimes Love Just Means Love
- Uncle Ernie's Dream
- The Girl I Used to Be
- Who I Am
- Sister Lagasi's Blues
- Song of Hope
Cast
- Uncle Ernie — Brad Barnes
- Gloria — Cathy Doyle
- Skip — Charlie Smerz
- Lucille — Jonna Kauffman
- Margo — Hope Kyrouac
- Micah / Mark — Travis Deaver
- Ted — Grant Estes
- Nadine — Jessica Manker
- Sister Lagasi — Barb Gatlin
Singers and dancers: Logan Bobb (Zip), Jessica Lotz (Annie), Laura Roth (Marty), Michael Roegge (Slick) and Laura Young (Josie).
Production Staff
- Director: Ken Bradbury
- Book and Lyrics: Ken Bradbury
- Musical Director: Roger Wainwright
- Choreographer: Jessica Manker
- Production Coordinator: Linda Van Aken
- Assistant Production Coordinator / Stage Manager: Logan Bobb
- Costumes: Janet Long
- Set Design and Construction: Chuck West and Steven Varble
- Vocal Coaches: Lynda Locke and Roger Wainwright
- Props: Colette Kauffman
- Lighting Design: JB Meier
- Light Operator: Brennan Vahle
- Sound Technician: Allan Harris
- Publicity: Kristin Jamison
- Programs: Kristin Jamison, Steven Varble and Ken Bradbury
- Website: Michael Savage
- House Manager: Steve Moore
- Tickets: Martha Bangert
Orchestra: Roger Wainwright (keyboards/conductor); Roger Davis (keyboard); Sam Roth (percussion); John Hume (trumpet); Mark Levalt (bass); Jeff Helton (guitar); Marty McCandless (saxophone and clarinet); and David Tiffany (trombone).
The program was provided courtesy of the Ken Bradbury Foundation.
Production Notes
The show was staged in the summer of 2008. The following summer it was remounted for a second season, traveling between the Crossroads Center in Pittsfield and the outdoor Theatre in the Park stage at New Salem. Bradbury's production journals from that revival capture the cheerful improvisation behind the scenes — a Pittsfield stage so small the set came down to a couple of bunk beds, a decision to go "totally Karaoke," and the cast's shared rallying cry: Make It Work.
In April 2024, Camp Sunshine returned to Ken's home stage when Triopia Jr./Sr. High School and the Ken Bradbury Foundation presented it for a new generation of student performers.
Photos
See the full production record at JTG Memories.