Kids beam with eagerness as teenagers teach songs and dances and play games with them. They admire them. Instantly, there is a seed planted in each of their minds that theater is something they could look forward to when they attend high school.

Texas High School Tiger Theatre Company hosted Drama Day Camp for Kindergarten through sixth grade students at the Sullivan Performing Arts Center on Feb. 10 at 8:30 a.m. The camp motto was “Theatre + Me = Meant to Be.” High school students instructed each age group different theater-related routines. A Valentine’s Day themed showcase for parents was held at 12:30 p.m., immediately following the camp, before picking up their kids.

CEO and planner for the camp, senior Kaitlyn McKinley, will look back on this given opportunity as a positive moment for the elementary and high school students alike.

“I think the event went well and turned out really cute,” McKinley said. “I’m really proud of it. I think the kids are absolutely adorable. I learned that these events are harder to put together than people give credit to and that these kids are incredibly talented. It was a really fun experience to get to work with them.”

Many kids that came to the event had so much fun that they want to come back next year.

“My favorite part of the day was having fun with all of the teachers,” first grader Emma Earp said. “Camp makes me want to do theatre when I grow up because it was really fun.”

Fifth grader Lauren Steele performed with a sixth grader Tyler Unger in the showcase following the camp. The whole show was a comical display of Tyler’s journey to seek Lauren’s heart.

“From the camp, I learned that even if something is awkward or uncomfortable, you have to do it anyway,” Steele said. “The teachers and helpers were really nice and they helped out a lot.”

High school leaders enjoyed themselves nearly as much as the elementary students.

“I loved being with the kids,” senior Steven Geiger said. “From this experience, I learned how to deal with younger kids. I definitely would teach again.”

This is the second year that Drama Day Camp was held, and yet again it was a success.

“The goal of this event was to help the younger kids develop a love for theater and have fun so I’m hoping that’s what happened,” Tiger Theatre Company director Melissa Newton said. “I loved watching children interact with the high school students and share that love of theatre with them.”