A documentary film crew is preparing for a summer-long shoot at Adirond-ACTS, a youth theatre camp run by Rita (Caroline Aaron) and Joan (Amy Sedaris).  When Joan suffers a seizure that puts her into a coma at the start of the season, operations fall to her son, Troy (Jimmy Tatro), an online – and self-proclaimed – business guru.  Facing pressure to sell the camp to the nearby Lakeside, it falls on the staff to create the best summer possible for the kids while Troy struggles to understand what “repossession” means and why the bank keeps calling to talk about it. 

Theater Camp is a dual-directed comedy from Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman based on a short film of the same name they co-wrote along with Noah Galvin and Ben Platt.  Premiering at Sundance where its ensemble cast was awarded a special jury prize, it received distribution through Searchlight Pictures.  The 92-minute comedy is unapologetic in its embrace of “theatre kid” tropes and culture, and while it pokes fun at the eccentricities often displayed in these environments, it does so in a loving way that is never punching down but rather, uses its comedy as a road towards broader acceptance. 

The film mostly revolves around two long-time camp alumni, now counselors, dramatic coach Amos (Ben Platt), and music specialist Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon).  There is no will they/won’t they energy in the film – and thankfully there is no co-ed summer camp horniness across the entire narrative – as it is established early on that Amos is gay so the dynamic between the two can take on one of pure friendship and support.  More so than Troy, Amos and Rebecca-Diane are the real drivers of the narrative as they develop this season’s original musical Joan, Still, a tribute to the camp’s founder and the main-stage production.  Platt’s irritable style really works well here as the easily flustered dramaturge, and possibly because he had a hand in the script, he was able to lean into his own strengths more so here than some of his previous efforts.  Gordon, likewise, excels as the spiritualist siren of the camp, and her energy matches well with Platt as the two navigate through the trails of transition in their friendship. Even though there is no romance between the two, they follow the typical ebbs and flows present in buddy comedies.   

Off stage, and back at the offices, sits Troy, totally in over his head not just because he has no relation to theatre, but because he is also a bumbling fool.  The script asks its entire staff member cast to leave pride at the door, not in a malicious way, but few more so than Troy who is an outsider to the social circles and dynamics of the camp.  Even as the oaf of the film, the script is not punching down on him, nor is it painting him out to be the villain of the story; if anything, that title goes to Caroline (Patti Harrison), from the investment firm looking to buy the camp and who is just deliciously devious, but not outright menacing.  It is such a relief to see such a genuinely lighthearted comedy that even in its barbs, it is not mean-spirited.  In the same way that it focuses on Amos and Rebecca-Diane’s relationship, Troy also grows as he befriends the tech lead, Glenn (Noah Galvin).  As the film careens into its finale, Galvin has the weight of the narrative on his shoulders, and he delivers a truly showstopping performance that is full of awkward grace.  It helps that, together, the screenwriting team was able to craft an enjoyable play-within-a-play that fits the tone of the film and leaves audiences with a great feeling of levity. 

In addition to the staff cast, there is also a large ensemble of younger campers that all seem to be having fun leaning into the tropes and getting to act wild.  The film makes ample use of its PG-13 rating, including its single F-Bomb, but the humor does not feel like the tone had been diluted down from an R from studio pressure, nor does it ever feel like it is putting the kids in any kind of questionable circumstances for the sake of a few uncomfortable laughs.  If anything, the campers are almost props in the film more than actual characters – Darla the diva (Kyndra Sanchez), Sebastian the triple threat (Alexander Bello), Alan the aspiring agent (Alan Kim), and Devon the token straight (Donovan Colan) to name a few – but the ensemble is managed in such a way that they do not feel like pure set dressing in the moment.  It is also so empowering that each kid gets their moment to shine, especially Christopher L (Luke Islam) who can hit the high notes, and Christopher S (Jack Sobolewski) who is channeling Brian Falduto’s “Fancy Pants” energy from School of Rock (2003) as the narrator of Joan, Still. 

Theater Camp is a joy to watch, and while those with some backing knowledge of the shows referenced or some experience having spent time in a theatre program during school or community seasons may find more to relate to, the humor is broad enough as not to alienate those who may have never stepped on stage.  It is a film that truly was a labor of love and it shines through in every scene.  Admittedly, the mockumentary approach was cause for some initial fear, but Nate Hurtsellers’ camera is thankfully not too frantic in its handheld approach and Jon Philpot’s editing strikes a great balance of when to use the cutaways or intertitle cards to deliver the joke and when to just let the scenes play out to great effect.  As Joan had been cited to say, what happens at Adirond-ACTS is magic, and we as the audience are lucky to experience it.