Mickey Rapkin

A really lovely read. "Theater Geek" is a loving profile of Stagedoor Manor, one of the most famed performing arts camps in the world. Nestled in the Catskills, it nurtures a few hundred non-auditioned teenagers for three to nine weeks each summer, as they prepare thirteen high-quality productions of plays and musicals (often including the 'highschool premiere' of newer works, and challenging or forgotten musicals that rarely see non-professional performances). Rapkin tells two stories: the first is that of Stagedoor, from its humble beginnings in the 1970s, through conflict, corruption and controversy to its present state as a high-demand camp in a country full of fame-hungry children. The second is the more personal story of three seniors, each cast in a lead role in a Sondheim show in the summer of 2009. Rapkin chronicles both the vicissitudes of the rehearsal process, and the pain and pleasure that combine in the life of any teenage performer: the heightened drama, the insecurities, the comfort that Stagedoor gives to these kids whose 'real life' often involves difference and isolation. Most interestingly, though, he chronicles the pain of that divide. For many of these kids, spending two months doing something so professional, only to retreat back to their real life (in most cases, of course, 'real life' will consume them for the remainder of their existence), and the change can be quite jarring.

"Theater Geek" is written like a magazine article, but I mean that in a good way - - a high-quality magazine article, 'New Yorker' style. It's a slim and easy read, but one that captures the magic of rehearsal and performance, and the fascinating changes in America's attitude to performers over a forty-year period. Beyond this, the precociousness of the teenagers is enough to intrigue, delight, and make envious the rest of us theatre geeks out there. I grew up in theatre, but never did I have an experience anywhere near as challenging, adult or... integrated as these kids. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing - well that's part of the joy of reading the book.… (meer)