Film: “Theater Camp” with Ben Platt

“There are no small parts,” said Stanislavsky. “Only small actors.” For the purposes of this review, let’s change that to small YOUNG actors. Then it’s easy to understand why “Theatre Camp” could be the underground hit of summer 2023.

First, the back story on this gem. During the pandemic, Ben Platt (“Dear Evan Hanson”), Molly Gordon (“The Bear”) and Noah Galvin (“The Other Two” on Max) released a short film on YouTube about drama kids who attend a summer theater camp in upstate New York. After the short went viral, Searchlight invested serious money into the fleshed-out version and voila! it’s been filling up theater houses since mid-July.

So what makes it so lovable? To Jeffrey Katzenberg it, the film is a mashup of “Fame”, “Glee” and “The Prom” delivered with the deadpan snarkiness of a Christopher Guest movie. The summer camp is called AdirondACTS, founded by Joan Rubinsky (Amy Sedaris). Unfortunately she won’t be around this summer—the strobe effects in a high school production of “Bye Bye Birdie” drove her into a coma.

Even more unfortunately, the running of the camp fell into the hands of her nitwit, bro-y son Troy (Jimmy Tatro), who doesn’t understand the first thing about theater. That includes the difference between a musical and a straight play. “So what’s a gay play?” he then asks Glenn, the tech guy (Galvin). “I guess that would be a musical,” Glenn replies, deadpan.

When the theater kids arrive from New York—a motley crew of all races, body types and gender preferences—they’re given a pep talk by Rebecca-Diane (Gordon), the co-director of the camp. You’re so talented,” she says. “This summer will destroy you.” After auditioning, the campers are cast into various plays and musicals but are warned by Clive (Nathan Lee Graham), the swishy choreography coach, that only 3 percent make it to the top on Broadway. “The rest wind up in mental homes or dancing on a box in Chelsea.”

The main drama here is whether the camp can continue to operate given its financial woes. Because of this, Troy considers selling the land to an adjacent athletic camp run by snobby Caroline Krauss (Patti Harrison). Will this mark the end of AdirondACTS as we know it?

The film won Best Ensemble at Sundance this year. And with a cast that includes Platt, Gordon, Galvin, Ayo Ediberi (from “The Bear”), and Carolyn Aaron (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), it’s easy to see why. The script is non-stop yucks. Moreover, to see it along with a sophisticated audience that howls at every stage reference and joke can only add to your experience.

Very refreshing to see so many people returning to the movie houses. So after you’ve seen “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” you’ve got yet another reason to go back. Hey, the kids in “Theater Camp” are going places in life. You can say you knew them when.

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