Musical Theatre ProductionThe centerpiece of the Costa Rica Theatre Camp is a full production of a Broadway musical, performed in Spanish. This year, we are delighted to be presenting Fiddler on the Roof, the record-breaking 1964 hit that returned to Broadway for its most recent revival in 2015.
At Costa Rica Theatre Camp, you will spend your days singing, dancing and acting; helping with other aspects of the production; and hanging out backstage with local teens as well as other international participants. All students who want to perform will be cast in the show. You may also apply for a focus in technical theatre and production. 
HomestayMany of our international participants find that their homestay experience is the most powerful element of their time in the community. Through your new family, you will have the chance to enjoy local food and customs, see the town from a uniquely intimate perspective, improve your language skills, and make lifelong friendships that cross cultural boundaries. You will be placed with an experienced host family connected to our partner school, the Monteverde Friends School.
This is a fantastic opportunity to truly experience another culture and feel like a local. If you want to improve your Spanish fluency, your homestay will provide true Spanish immersion. However, if you not yet confident speaking Spanish, we will place you in a household where at least one family member is fluent in English. 
Monteverde, Costa RicaMonteverde is a unique rural community situated in the tropical cloud forest in the beautiful Tilarán Mountains of Costa Rica. Originally settled by five pioneering Costa Rican farming families, the town became home to a group of Quakers who arrived in 1950s and began dairy farming there. They recognized the need for conservation of the biologically-rich cloud forest and took the first steps toward protecting the magnificent ecosystem around them by establishing a reserve.
Now, researchers, students, and tourists from around the world visit Monteverde and study its extensive network of protected lands, which includes the famous Monteverde Reserve, the Santa Elena Reserve, and the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, as well as numerous smaller private reserves. Among the spectacular flora and fauna found in the area are toucans, quetzals, monkeys, coati, sloths, orchids, and strangler figs. Fees include all in-country costs: homestay, food, transportation from San Jose airport to Monteverde and within the Monteverde zone, instruction, special activities and tours. Does not include airfare.
2019 Dates and Costs
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Spanish You Can UseWhether you are a beginner or an advanced student, expect your Spanish to improve significantly at Costa Rica Theatre Camp. But you won't be cracking open a textbook and conjugating verbs. In our Spanish for Theatre classes, you'll work with a teacher several days per week learning key theatrical terms, working with the Spanish libretto of Fiddler on the Roof, and more. You'll also learn some Costa Rican slang and language norms to help you converse with your cast-mates and host family.
Outdoor AdventuresThe Monteverde Zone is one of Costa Rica’s top tourist destinations, and for good reason! It is one of the few places in the world where the delicate Cloud Forest biome can be found, and the area’s famous nature reserves give visitors a taste of this breathtakingly beautiful ecosytem. Frequent wildlife sightings include monkeys, sloths, toucans and coati, while the mountain landscape features hot springs and dramatic waterfalls. Adventure activities are also popular, including zipline canopy tours and horse-back riding.
At Costa Rica Theatre Camp, you'll participate in 1-3 ecotourism activities per week. In addition, you'll attend an overnight trip to the beach. 
The Monteverde Friends SchoolNestled high in the cloud forest environment of Costa Rica, the Monteverde Friends School (MFS) was founded in 1951 by Quaker families who left the United States in search of a non-militaristic society. Due to its strong ethics, curriculum, and dedication of the community, the school has successfully grown to its present size of 110 students, from Pre-K through 12th grade. The majority of students during the academic year are Costa Rican and native Spanish-speaking.
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