A bold new chapter in the Kidstock! journey — and a return to our original signature programming for middle school performers!

THE JESTERS offers performers in Sixth, Seventh & Eighth Grade an immersive weeklong experience that recreates the excitement and challenge of a traditional SUMMER STOCK tour, expanding their “Passport to Play!” beyond our walls and out into the community.  We have added a NEW program as well, ACT OUT: Theater Bootcamp, that focuses on developing yourself as a performer, not just performing in a show!

THE JESTERS features a fully scripted parody production, written in advance and inspired by our season’s destination-themed adventures. During the first three days, performers rehearse, memorize lines, refine character choices, and collaborate with Kidstock!’s professional teaching artists to bring the story to life with energy and imagination.

The final two days of each week take the company “on tour”, where their Passport to Play becomes a passport to perform. Jesters present their show at local libraries, senior centers, and summer programs — adapting to new spaces, setting up their own scenery and props, and engaging audiences through interactive storytelling.

Everything you loved about Kidstock! when you were younger is now scaled up in creativity, independence, and performance challenge — offering older students a summer experience unlike any other in the greater Boston area. The Jesters don’t just tell stories… they take them on the road!

ACT OUT: Theater Bootcamp will take your performance skills to the next level with an intensive week designed for actors of any experience level who are ready to train like real performers! Guided by guest artists from the Boston theater community, students dive into a series of fast-paced, high-impact workshops that challenge, inspire, and unleash their full creative potential.

Throughout the week, young actors rotate through sessions in audition technique, physical expression, character development, improvisation, comedic timing, musical theater styles, scenes from Simon to Shakespeare, vocal performance, and dance audition preparation. Each workshop builds confidence while developing the tools every performer needs — from reacting truthfully to making bold choices to commanding the stage with presence and power.

Whether students dream of starring in school shows, stepping into community theater, or simply building new creative skills, ACT OUT: Theater Bootcamp offers a supportive, exciting environment where they can push boundaries, take risks, and discover what they’re truly capable of as artists. It’s five days of focus, fun, and fearlessly “acting out” — the Kidstock! way.