BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — For 19 children spending their summer at Shea's Smith Theatre, camp isn't about sports or crafts. It's about learning how to make people laugh.
Students ages 9 to 12 are participating in Shea's Comedy on Cue Camp, a weeklong program that teaches improvisation, sketch writing and comedy performance. Throughout the week, campers work together to create original characters, write scripts, and even produce theme songs and mock commercials before taking the stage Friday for a showcase in front of family and friends.
"It's building on top of other people's ideas to create one big story," Natalie Szejnar, a camper said.
Inside the classroom, ideas bounced quickly from one student to another as they brainstormed storylines, characters and comedic twists. One group pitched a sketch involving a zoo escape featuring an angry panda and a mischievous tiger, while instructors encouraged campers to think creatively and build on one another's ideas.
Alejandro Gomez, a teaching artist for Comedy on Cue, said the camp is about much more than comedy.
"Often, especially for kids, fear gets in the way of expanding our horizons and dreaming big and thinking of the best idea possible," Gomez said. "Here at Shea's, that's something we really encourage."
For many campers, the experience has been as rewarding as it is fun.
WATCH: Laughter takes center stage as young comedians hone their skills at Shea's summer camp
"I always go home and rewrite my lines to help me remember them," camper Lynnie Thompson said. "It's super fun to hear everybody else's ideas and learn about each other while making a script."
Comedy on Cue is one of several summer programs offered through Shea's Arts Engagement and Education Department. Other camps focus on musical theater and acting, but all are designed to help students build creativity, confidence and teamwork.
Gomez hopes campers leave with more than a few laughs.
"Creativity is a solution to any problem that we may have," Gomez said. "Ultimately, creativity is how we solve problems throughout childhood and adulthood."
The campers already have advice for anyone considering taking the stage themselves.
"Just get out of your comfort zone," Thompson said. "Nobody is going to judge you for who you are or what you do."
The camp culminates Friday with an original comedy showcase, where students will perform the sketches they've spent the week writing and rehearsing.
