The Vanguard Theater Company

VTC identifies and helps develop the next generation of playwrights, composers, lyricists, performers, and stagecraft artists from races and communities that have historically faced institutional and structural barriers to mainstream musical theater. VTCs ongoing educational and training programming, which reaches more than 500 students annually, includes DREAM VTC,an education and performance program for ages 12-18 that emulates a professional production experience as well as VTC Kids, our foundational program for students ages 7-12. All of the education programs emphasize using the arts to give back to the community. The VTC signature mentorship programs are of critical importance in the efforts to challenge narratives.

Summerstock, a 3-week residential camp is an intensive, by-audition, performing arts experience for serious musical theater students, ages 12-19, in residence at Camp in NJ. Students learn critical theater skills and life lessons. For many it is their first experience living and working outside of their socio-economic and demographic bubbles. For some, it is their first opportunity living in nature and engaging in traditional camp activities. The staff is led by professional actors and directors, and approximately 60 campers perform three fully produced shows in three weeks time. In addition to show rehearsals, campers take workshops in a variety of areas including: Songwriting, Shakespeare, Musical Theater Dance, Music Theory, Sight Reading and Character Analysis. Recreational activities such as: swimming, boating, archery, hiking, and nightly campfires, perfectly round out the camp experience.