Summer is often a time for camp, in the case of the new 2023 movie, Theater Camp. One of the indie movies that What to Watch wants you to be on the lookout for this summer, Theater Camp is a film that wants to hit you with the one-two punch of catchy Broadway musical tunes and a bunch of belly laughs.
Theater Camp was one of the breakout titles from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and features a cast of young actors and actresses that have made names for themselves in some of your favorite TV shows but are now getting the chance to really shine in this potential indie hit.
Here is everything that you need to know about Theater Camp.
How to watch Theater Camp
Theater Camp is now streaming on Hulu in the US and available for digital on-demand rental or purchase.
Theater Camp plot
Here is the official Theater Camp synopsis from Searchlight Pictures:
"Tony Award winner Ben Platt and Molly Gordon star in the original comedy Theater Camp as Amos and Rebecca-Diane — lifelong best friends and drama instructors at a rundown camp in upstate New York. When clueless tech-bro Troy arrives to run the property (into the ground), Amos, Rebecca-Diane and production manager Glenn band together with the staff and students, staging a masterpiece to keep their beloved summer camp afloat."
The screenplay was written by Platt, Gordon, Noah Galvin and Nick Lieberman, based on their previous short film.
Theater Camp cast
As mentioned Ben Platt and Molly Gordon star in the movie. Platt is probably best known for playing Evan Hansen both in the Broadway and movie productions of Dear Evan Hansen, though he has starred in Pitch Perfect and The Politician. Gordon's past credits include You People, Winning Time, Shiva Baby, Good Boys, Booksmart and Animal Kingdom.
The other actors playing camp instructors and other adults include Noah Galvin (The Good Doctor) as Glenn, Jimmy Tatro (American Vandal) as Troy, Patti Harrison (The Lost City) as Caroline, Nathan Lee Graham (Zoolander) as Clive, Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) as Janet, Owen Thiele (Dollface) as Gigi, Caroline Aaron (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Rita and Amy Sedaris (Ghosted) as Joan.
The group of kid actors appearing as the campers include Alan Kim (Minari), Alexander Bello (And Just Like That…), Bailee Bonick (Young Rock), Kyndra Sanchez (Christmas with You), Donovan Colan (Chapelwaite), Vivienne Sachs and Quinn Titcomb (Christmas with Arwen).
Theater Camp trailer
It should probably be no surprise that the camp instructors in Theater Camp are taking things a bit more seriously than the kids in the trailer, which you can watch directly below:
Theater Camp reviews
Theater Camp became a "Certified Fresh" movie on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 85% positive critic score.
Theater Camp awards
Here are the awards that Theater Camp has been nominated for or won to date:
Film Independent Spirit Awards
- Best First Screenplay — Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt (nominee)
- Best Supporting Performance — Noah Galvin (nominee)
- Best Editing (nominee)
Sundance Film Festival
- US Dramatic Special Jury Award for the Theater Camp ensemble
Theater Camp director
In addition to writing the screenplay, Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman are the directors of Theater Camp. Lieberman directed the short film that Theater Camp is based on and has worked frequently with Ben Platt, directing multiple music videos for the actor. For Gordon, this marks her first time as a director.
