The Teen Shakespeare Summer Intensive (TSSI) has enjoyed four consecutive summers of sword fights, standing ovations and tragic love stories. The youth theater program has become a beloved space for Greenbelt teens.
Founded in 2022 by costume designer and theater director Kate Robinson (profiled in the June 26, 2024, issue), the original goal of TSSI was to put on a high-quality, low-cost production that would also provide much-needed bonding for Greenbelt teens after the isolation of the pandemic. With the support of her husband Mark Robinson, who leads set design and lighting, Robinson fostered a space that grew into something much more than just a summer camp.
“Some teens wanted to do a show and came to me to ask if I could make that happen,” said Robinson. “I wasn’t necessarily thinking it would go on long-term, but the teens have become a family of sorts.”
That first summer, TSSI had 10 actors, five technicians and 87 audience members. This past year, participation doubled and the audience grew to 256 people.
Robinson credits the program’s growth to the sense of safety and belonging that it offers to its participants. “I respect and accept them for who they are and try to meet them where they are in life. I expect them to treat each other the same, and they do,” she said. “I’m proud of the environment we’ve cultivated.”
This year, TSSI performed Shakespeare’s As You Like It with three performances in July.
Sophia Jones has been a part of TSSI since 2023 and learned about the Intensive from his time in Robinson’s homeschool theater classes. He performed this year as Orlando, one of the male leads.
“For young queer people, this camp is really transformative. It’s good to have a space that’s just easy to be in, where people accept you for everything,” said Jones.
Rowan Kelly is another TSSI member and a part of the tech crew. Kelly learned about the camp through an older member and has been with TSSI since 2023.
“I’ve made so many friends, everyone is just so nice and welcoming,” said Kelly. “… and Kate is so supportive, she understands who we are as a group.”
Emilliano Payne is a TSSI member of three years, having played Oliver De Boys this summer. He has been with the Intensive program for three consecutive years and has since aged out but is still involved in Robinson’s homeschool classes as a teacher’s assistant.
“TSSI has meant finding a place where I can fit in and feel supported, and where I can tap into my skills as a performer,” said Payne. “I’ve gotten really confident being on stage over the years, and I can see my classmates have too. It’s been like my home away from home.”
Robinson especially wants to thank her dedicated team of volunteers and former students who have made the program possible over the last four years.
Her husband, Mark, has been her “rock,” collaborating on set design, lighting and stage combat. She also credits Zelda Chang, Lizzie Gardner, Mecca Lartigue and Hannah Alisse Collins for bringing her vision to life each summer.
For the past four years, TSSI has operated out of the Greenbelt Arts Center, where they’ve been able to benefit from a rent-free space. Though demand for space at GAC has grown over recent years, Robinson is grateful that they’ve continued to make space for the camp. Now, however, she is seeking a new “unicorn” venue for next summer – something affordable, large, safe, (and ideally) with a stage and lights. “More importantly, it needs to be a place that will support and accept my beautifully eclectic group of kids,” says Robinson.
Robinson hopes her students carry the spirit of TSSI with them even when they leave the theatrical space. “I hope they take with them that sense of community and support and strive to provide those spaces themselves,” Robinson said. “We need a lot more of that.”
Ellie Jornlin is a University of Maryland student at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism interning with the Greenbelt News Review.
