Hunting for treasure, daring adventure and a little make believe – what more could children want to fill all their free time in the summer, and the Brookhaven Little Theatre is here to offer just that and more.

     The BLT is in the midst of their two-week Ninth Annual Summer Drama Camp, which will culminate in a two-night performance Thursday and Friday. The children will perform Treasure Island beginning each night at 6:30 p.m.

     Joanna Sproles, camp director, said tickets will be $5, half of regular tickets.

     “It’s our bargain of the year,” she said.

     Sproles said 33 students are participating this year along with 15 counselors. The camp is for students entering first through seventh grade. Counselors are either in high school or college.

     Sproles said there are a variety of experiences with some children participating in the camp since first grade and others never being on stage before.

     Sproles said her favorite part is seeing children who start out shy actually shining by the end of the two weeks.

     “We work hard to draw them out of their shells gradually so that they don’t notice,” she said. “Some of them really blow you away.”

     The children have been working hard to put together a performance in a very short amount of time.

     Sproles said they have all memorized their lines, and now they are working on projecting and gestures. She helps teach the children to be engaging and to entertain the audience.

     However, Sproles said even if they get comfortable on stage during practice, they still will have to face nerves on the night of the performances.

     “It’s all part of the learning experience.

     All money generated by the performances, after expenses, will be put into the Save the Haven fund. The BLT Board of Directors will then decide what renovation projects the money will be applied to.