The Barrington Enrichment Summer Theater (BEST) camp draws the curtain on its second summer session this week with a festival of one-act plays on Friday, Aug. 3, and Saturday, Aug. 4, nights. 

Actors from ages 8 to 18 have been working together on five shows, including a musical review, said Maurice “Reid” Eighme, Barrinton Community Theater director.  

Performances will take place in the air-conditioned Barrington Public Library auditorium starting at 7 pm each night. 

BEST is a community theater program held at the Barrington High School. 

“Young actors are fully immersed in both show rehearsals and theater workshops ranging from Movement and Dance, to Monologues and Improv, to Juggling and Flag Spinning,” said Eighme. 

“The second session also includes our infamous stage combat workshop that culminates in a chocolaty and ‘bloody’ outdoor mess,” he said.

Eighme describes BEST as a program that helps “our young actors grow through plenty of stage time and acting workshops based off college level theater courses.”

“Our staff carefully tailors these classes to work with the actors’ abilities to allow each actor to grow at their own pace in a supportive and accepting environment,” he said. “We keep the environment playful with theatre games and -- a camp favorite -- “Wacky Wednesdays.”

“Our actors are in an average of two shows and take 10 workshops each summer session,” he said. “We feel it is important that each actor has the opportunity to have both leading and supporting roles, as both will be important in an actor’s life.”

Although the summer program is ending, he said, the Barrington Community Theater's fall session will begin on Sept. 10.

The fall session will include 8 one-act plays, and more theater workshops, he said.  

“Each play rehearses only one hour a week and most students are in two shows, he said, making it a very small footprint on everyone's busy schedules.”

Actors must pre-register at the Town Manager's office in the Barrington Town Hall. Contact Eighme at Reid.CommunityTheater@yahoo.com with any questions.