Better Than Good
Monday, July 14th, 2025
RAINBOW THEATER circa 9:30pm—“Hi, I’m Rose, and I’m collecting bugs,” says Singing Instructor Rose Goyette from center stage to a crowd of excited, squirming campers. She steps to the side, gesturing toward a teenager who has entered the stage from behind the large metal rainbow.
“Hi, my name is AnnaLee, and I’m a cool caterpillar,” says the teen. She too steps to the side as a young camper emerges.
“I’m Sophia, I’m an aphid, and this is my leaf,” says the camper, holding up some sort of green stuffy. More and more campers enter the stage in this fashion, declaring their bugginess and subsequently joining the stage right clump—a ladybug, a fly, a Junebug.
A camper then hops into view enveloped in a sleeping bag, giggling at her own antics.
“I’m Yoshiko, and I’m a worm!” she proclaims.
The final camper takes center stage and pauses for dramatic effect.
“I am the only bug that no one can catch: a butterfly!” The display elicits a smattering of claps and wooo’s. The group then fans out into a line for the big reveal.
“And we are… the Gold Bold Bug Catcher Tipi!” they chime in broken unison.
“Alright, let’s give six big claps for our six-legged friends from the Gold Tipi!” says Clowning Instructor Riley Soloner as transition music begins playing over the PA. Tonight Riley is performing the emcee function for Camp’s traditional opening night entertainment, Tipi Skit Night.
“Okay, can I get another volunteer to pick the next slug?” he asks. Over a dozen hands shoot up. “Yes, you there.” A camper approaches Riley and reaches blindly into a Seussian hat filled with plastic banana slugs, selecting one. “Can you please read the slug into the microphone?”
“Red Tipi,” says the camper.
Chappel Roan’s “Hot To Go” is queued up, causing the already squirmy crowd to explode with dancing and singing. As the chorus comes in, every child starts performing the prescribed arm movements. The song is faded out as Red Tipi begins their skit. Three counselors sit on the edge of the stage, all pretending to read from a large picture book.
“Once upon a time there was an awesome Tipi who drank lots of water,” recites Singing Instructor Val Le. Suddenly a camper pops their head into view from atop the metal rainbow. In quick succession, the eight-or-so campers introduce themselves from this lofty perch. “And they all lived happily ever after, because they were the well read TIPI!” The punny punchline elicits a mixture of groans and giggles.
Before Riley can even ask for a new slug selector, twenty campers shoot their hands up, many literally jumping out of their seats in the hopes of being chosen. This rhythm of stilted acting, ravenous slug selection, and pop-music transitions will continue until each of Camp’s fifteen tipi groups have had a chance to introduce themselves. Slightly before the end of the program arrives, I surreptitiously make my way over to the toothbrushing zone where I wait to collect my daily quota of camper quotations.
“Camp is really good because I like coming here again,” says Lily, 10, Gold Tipi. “I’m excited to my friend, Juliana. What I liked best about today was the skits. Our skit went good. I don’t think anyone messed up. I’d definitely recommend this camp.”
“Microwaving limes was a funny topic,” recalls Felix, 11, Blue Tipi. “Touring around was nice to have a refresher. The new lighting system is really cool, the way the lights can make the rainbow look like any color, it can make different moods.”
“Today was pretty nice, pretty decent,” estimates Eloise, 9, Yellow Tipi. “Some of the tipi skits were funny, but I don’t remember which ones. This session I want to try silks, and I’m also going to try to keep my slice of the tipi cleaner than last year.”
“It’s funny how hard it is to remember your name when you’re on stage,” points out Lifeguard Milo Costello. “Some of the tipis who were trying to go as fast as possible, the kids kept forgetting their own names, and that was pretty hilarious.”
“Our skit was a ‘W’,” says Teen Staff Ash, 15, Indigo Tipi. “The tipi skits were fire. Ours was not the most fire, but we did okay.”
“Camp is better than good,” says Cav, 10, Yellow Tipi. “This is my favorite place on Earth. Everyone is laughing, having fun, and doing their own thing. This session I’m gonna try and do stilts, improv, clowning—everything! I’m always prepared with emergency mustaches,” he says, producing a small pouch full of differently shaped lip wigs, and demonstrating his favorite.
Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor
LINKS:
Session C 2025 Photo Album [LINK WILL BE ADDED SOON]
Blog Archive 2025