Jonah Naplan July 30, 2023
“Theater Camp” is the gold standard for mockumentary filmmaking. Not only is it one of the most intelligent comedies of the whole year, but it’s also wildly funny. Anyone who’s a theater nerd, Broadway fan, or even has some familiarity with Bye Bye Birdie, Waitress, and Hamilton will appreciate this sharp satire. It instantly calls to mind films such as Christopher Guest’s hilarious “Waiting for Guffman,” an equally wry insider romp on the culture of musical theater, and it pokes fun at ambitious thespian students, pretentious directors, and oversaturated productions, while still being a love letter to it all.
This film, directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, from a script by the two, as well as Ben Platt and his fiancée Noah Galvin, does a deep dive into the culture of thespianship, employing a slew of talented young actors to showcase their singing and dancing chops. Platt and Gordon play acting coach Amos and music teacher Rebecca-Diane respectively, two former campers who now return annually as counselors at AdirondACTS, a small, low-funded theater company located just hours outside of New York City. After the dilapidated camp’s beloved founder, Joan (Amy Sedaris), suffers a seizure leading to a coma, Amos and Rebecca-Diane step up as the operators of the whole theatrical procedure.
We learn that the two write and direct an original production every single summer, and in lieu of a tribute to the camp’s great founder, this year’s is titled Joan, Still, an underdeveloped, barely written musical that chronicles the inception of AdirondACTS. Part of the fun of “Theater Camp” is watching Amos and Rebecca-Diane scramble to write sparse lyrics, tunes, and dialogue for this show, as they’re put under pressure to fulfill Joan’s legacy and also keep their cool against a neighboring, more privileged camp, that apparently provides each camper with an iPad, free of charge.
There’s but two problems. The duo is partnered with Joan’s finance bro vlogger son, Troy (Jimmy Tatro), who couldn’t have less knowledge about thespian culture, but has been hired for a major position in the camp’s leadership. And AdirondACTS is subject to repossession if the company fails to raise more money to pay for the land upon which the ramshackle cabins sit. But the show must go on. Through fake documentary filmmaking techniques, “Theater Camp” hilariously illustrates the three week rehearsal of Joan, Still that showcases the magnificent skills of some young talents. Luke Islam, Bailee Bonick, and Alexander Bello are granted the most screen time, belting out show tunes, and overexpressing their emotions through gleefully odd acting exercises.
The misfit campers themselves are often the most interesting thing about the whole movie, save for Galvin’s beleaguered stage manager Glenn, a tech genius who harbors a surprising secret. Other counselors include an inexperienced stage combat instructor who lied on her resume, played by Ayo Edebiri, eccentric dance teacher Clive (a wonderfully flashy Nathan Lee Graham), and costume designer Gigi (Owen Thiele).
As this set of quirky bohemians struggle to throw together a show, their energy towards the art of performing becomes infectious. They power the self-referential first act, and lift the finale into victorious territory. “Theater Camp” finds its flaws in the midsection, when you really start to feel the consequences of stretching a funny short film idea out to feature length. For all of the film’s audition montages, script read-throughs, and biting one-liners, “Theater Camp” lacks much character development.
Amos and Rebecca-Diane are long time best friends who’ve been performing together since they were younglings, as are the real life Platt and Gordon who portray them. Early footage in “Theater Camp” shows the two actors at a young age, yet that decades-long friendship isn’t delved into nearly as much as it could be, sacrificing the potential for thorough human dynamics. This is not merely a criticism as much as it is an observation. I imagine that an earlier draft of “Theater Camp” could have explored their friendship a little bit further, decoding the lengths to which the two truly care about one another.
As much as this movie is an earnest comedy, “Theater Camp” is also a clever examination of what’s perceived as normal in this world, and who gets put into the “misfit” category. Of course, it’s all conveyed through music and buoyancy, but the script allows the film to be both prolific in its knowledge of theatrical gusto, and the advent of LGBTQ representation in the theater.
Eventually, “Theater Camp” succumbs to abandoning the fake documentary style altogether and reaches for a grand finale far more ambitious. Contrary to the laid-back, often shoddily-edited set-up, “Theater Camp” resolves itself with the performance of the anticipated show itself. It’s not so much gravitas as it is sheer joy, and it’s not so much emblematic of all musical theater has to offer, as it is purely a victory lap for AdirondACTS.
Most importantly of all, “Theater Camp” is endlessly relatable for young thespians such as myself (film is of course my first and greatest love, but theater has also caught my interest in the recent years), and will resonate the most with anyone whose passion for artistic expression struggles to be heard. Not unlike the many talented young actors in the film, I too participated in a three-week long summer company exhibition that ended just a couple of days ago, and the amazing experience lifted a veil from my eyes that I had never realized was there. It was a production of The Addams Family, and I played the role of Mal Beineke, thanks for asking.
Now playing in theaters.