Portland Playhouse Summer Teen Production 2026: Beetlejuice Jr.
July 13-25, 2026
Monday – Friday, 9am – 3pm
Performances:
July 24th @ 7:00pm
July 25th @ 2:00pm
(tickets will go on sale in June)
Who: Students aged 13-18
Where: Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott Street, Portland
Cost: $650/student*
*a limited number of scholarships are available
ABOUT
The “Ghost with the Most” is coming to Portland Playhouse for the summer!
Adapted from the smash-hit Broadway musical, Beetlejuice JR. brings the irreverent humor and heartwarming story of Tim Burton’s iconic film to life.
Lydia Deetz is a strange and unusual teenager, still grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with the whole “being dead thing.” Lucky for Lydia, she and her father move to a new house haunted by a recently deceased couple and Beetlejuice, a delightful demon with a real zest for life. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium.
With music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominee Eddie Perfect and a book by Tony Award-nominated pair Anthony King and Scott Brown, Beetlejuice was nominated for eight 2019 Tony Awards including Best New Musical. A viral “sucks-yes” on social media, this musical struck a chord with young theatre lovers who adored its unabashed humor and emotional honesty.
Beetlejuice JR. is a wacky theatrical party for all, and this Portland Playhouse Summer Camp puts young actors center stage – for both the performances and the technical elements!
Portland Playhouse Summer Camp provides instruction and experience for both Acting and Technical Theatre students:
Actors: Take the stage! Audition, Rehearse and Perform Beetlejuice Jr. –everyone gets a part in the show! Learn choreography and music, dive into scenework and character development, and perform on the Portland Playhouse Main Stage!
Tech: With the guidance of our Technical Director, design, build, and operate all technical aspects of the Beetlejuice Jr. From painting, to building, to costuming, to stage management, you’ll gain experience bringing a show to life from start to finish!
REGISTER FOR CAMP!
MEET THE TEACHERS
Voni Kengla
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POLICIES, SCHEDULES, & ADDITIONAL INFO
PAYMENTS, CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS:
Summer Camp is $650 per student. This fee covers 25 hours per week of professional-level musical theatre training, along with show materials and supplies.
A non-refundable deposit is due at the time or registration. Payment is due in full by June 1st 2026. Any students who withdraw from Portland Playhouse Summer Camp on or prior to June 13, 2026 will receive a full refund, minus the deposit and processing fees. If a student must withdraw from Summer Camp after June 13 due to an illness or medical issue, a full refund may be considered with a doctor’s note or message from another medical professional. No refunds are offered after June 13, 2026.
SCHEDULE:
Camp begins every morning promptly at 9:00 AM for both Acting and Tech campers. Both groups will start and end the Camp day together, and will break for lunch together daily at Noon. Camp concludes at 3:00 PM each afternoon.
At the end of Camp, our schedule changes slightly to accommodate our final performances: after regular dismissal at 3:00 PM on Friday, July 24th, all students have a 3-hour break before needing to be back at the theater for a 6:00 PM call time ahead of their 7:00 PM performance that evening. On Saturday, July 25th, all students have a 1:00 PM call time at the theater ahead of their 2:00 PM performance.
MATERIALS & SUPPLIES:
Each Summer Camp student is expected to arrive at the theater each day wearing movement-friendly clothing and closed-toed shoes that you are able to dance or move freely in (no flip-flops or high heels, please). Water and snacks (and sometimes other treats!) are provided, but students should bring a nutritious packed lunch and a refillable water bottle with them every day. You will also want to be sure to have:
- pencils with functioning erasers
- a highlighter or two
- (actors) a recording device to help learn musical parts
- (techies) clothing that you don’t mind getting a little dirty
- (anyone with hair past their shoulders) a hair-tie or two
OTHER FAQs:
Q: Who can participate in Portland Playhouse’s Beetlejuice Jr. Summer Camp?
A: Any student aged 13-18. No previous theatre experience is required.
Q: Where is this Summer Camp located?
A: At Portland Playhouse – 602 NE Prescott St. in close-in North Portland.
Q: How many students will be attending this Camp?
A: We are able to accept up to 22 Acting students and up to 6 Tech students.
Q: How do arrival and dismissal work?
A: The morning drop-off window is 8:45-9:00 AM and the afternoon pick-up window is 3:00-3:15 PM. Campers can be dropped off and picked up from the Playhouse Courtyard on Prescott Street. If you are running late or need to arrange an early pickup, please call the Portland Playhouse Box Office line at 503-488-5822.
Q: Is Camp indoors or outdoors?
A: Beetlejuice Jr. Summer Camp will primarily be held indoors, though Tech students may be frequently working in our indoor/outdoor Shop area. Lunches and snacks will also be eaten outside (as weather permits), and we will take breaks throughout the day for some outdoor games and activities (again, weather permitting).
Q: What if my student has asthma, food allergies, or another medical condition?
A: Portland Playhouse collects allergy and medical info as part of Summer Camp registration. If your student has asthma, food allergies, or another medical condition, please communicate an action plan that Portland Playhouse can implement when registering your student. If you have additional concerns or would like to discuss this directly with a member of staff, please contact Portland Playhouse at 503-488-5822.
Q: When can I come watch the show?
A: Two performances of Beetlejuice Jr. will take place: Friday, July 24th at 7:00 PM, and Saturday, July 25th at 2:00 PM. Both performances are open to the general public, and tickets will go on sale in June. Seating for all performances is General Admission; if you require accommodations, please indicate how we can help care for you when you are reserving your tickets.
SCHOLARSHIPS
A limited number of partial and full scholarships are available. To apply, please click the link below to fill out our application form.
Note: there are application sections for both parent/guardian and student to complete!
MORE ABOUT BEETLEJUICE JR.
The Junior Theatre Festival (JTF) annually brings together student musical theater troupes from all over the world for a weekend of musical theater mayhem and madness, with each troupe performing 15 minutes from a Broadway Junior show. In 2024, the JTF troupe from North Texas Performing Arts premiered sections from Beetlejuice Jr, which had just been published – watch their performance to get a taste of this wacky musical ride…
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