Ready to take your first step on stage? This camp is perfect for first-time performers or those wanting to build their confidence. Campers will dive into the basics of acting, including character development, voice, movement, and stage presence. Through interactive games, scene work, and group collaboration, participants will develop essential theater skills while having fun and making new friends. No experience needed—just bring your creativity and willingness to try something new!
Parent or guardian must read the summer camp manual and complete the registration forms by the first day of camp.
Kayla Earnest is the Theater + Media Assistant at the ARTx3 Campus, where she has been a dedicated part of the organization since she first began volunteering as a teenager in 2008. Over the years, she has contributed to nearly every aspect of theater, including directing, costume and set design, stage management, lighting and sound design, voiceover work, and performing onstage in productions across Arkansas as well as in many virtual theater projects.
Her directing credits include Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: A Virtual Fractured Fairytale, The Miracle Worker, Charlotte’s Web, The Secret Garden, Peter Pan, and Miracle on Main, among others. Kayla has also played a key role in organizing creative initiatives such as ARTx3’s storybook videos for children. She is a 2012 Good Egg recipient and has received honors for Best Costume Design (Finding Nemo Jr.) and Best Stage Manager (Matilda the Musical) at the organization’s annual Volunteer Night celebration.
Kayla’s passion for theater is rooted in the sense of community it fosters—one where creativity, collaboration, and storytelling bring people together. Having grown up at the ARTx3 Campus, she experienced firsthand how the arts can shape confidence, spark curiosity, and create lifelong friendships. That experience has inspired her deep commitment to giving back, mentoring, and guiding the next generation of young performers. For Kayla, sharing her knowledge, skills, and love of the arts isn’t just a job—it’s a way to pay forward the encouragement and opportunities that shaped her own journey, helping each student find their voice and discover the joy and magic of theater.
She wears many hats and plays many roles, but Kayla's favorite role of all is being a mom to her 12-year-old daughter, Rory, a talented young performer who can usually be found happily buzzing about all of the spaces at the ARTx3 Campus, always ready to lend a hand and have fun. Together, they live in White Hall with their three cats.
