Welcome to PLAYBILLDER Spotlight, where Playbill highlights shows from educational institutions or regional theatres and special events around the country (who have used Playbill's program-building service). By welcoming these PLAYBILLDERs center stage, we hope to give our readers a more in-depth look at theatre programs that are fostering the love of the performing arts in the next generation and the way theatre lovers are bringing Playbill along for life's big moments.
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This week's Spotlight is Usdan Summer camp for the Arts of Wheatley Heights, New York, and their world premiere productions, Aviva vs. The Dybbuk and KaBlam!
Aviva, based on Mari Lowe's book of the same name, ties the Dybbuk's mythology to the grieving process. A Dybbuk, a spirit from ancient folklore, is malevolent force that preys on the souls of the dead. In this new musical, Aviva, an 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl living in Beacon, New York, must unravel the mysteries of worlds beyond our own.
KaBlam! is a "joy bomb" that pays tribute to the charming era of '70s kids television. A chosen family of creators must come together in the face of budget cuts and rising artificial intelligence to fight for art that's human made. Along the way, they feel the power of imagination only held and harnessed by a group of artists.
Usdan's Theater Department Chair, Jim Incorvaia, shared with Playbill how his summer program gives students a festival experience and teaching his kids the art of originating a character.
Tell us a little about yourself. How many years have you been teaching?
Jim Incorvaia: I have been a faculty member here at the Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts for 36 years; for the last 29 years I have been the department chair.
Tell us a little bit about the production. What made you pick the show?
We began commissioning original musicals at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts three summers ago. Working with a single composer, who we brought on our faculty, we produced the musicals Camp U and Better Than a Bully. The program proved so popular that last summer we brought on a second creative. Summer 2025 saw us producing the world premieres of Aviva vs. The Dybbuk and KaBlam!
I first met Billy Recce, the composer of the musical KaBlam!, during the summer season of 2024. I spoke to him about many aspects of our program, but when I mentioned the commissioning of original musicals, he suggested that might be something he would like to offer. Conversations led to the development and creation of his show.
Ben Boecker, the composer of Aviva vs. The Dybbuk, has been a faculty member for a number of years. We first encountered Ben as a student in the department. It gives us great joy to support these young artists in their work as they move forward and develop their own careers.
What is your proudest moment as an educator?
My proudest moment as an educator is one that I have the luxury of re-experiencing every summer: hearing the voices of children raised in song as they thrill audiences in any one of our various performances. But the pride I take in enabling their accomplishments takes a back row seat to the tremendous pride the campers take in their own work. This summer, we even had students from the art department design the cover art for our two original productions.
How does your school’s performing arts programs impact your community?
We have three dedicated performance venues, 10 rehearsal studios, a scene shop, a costume shop, and a prop shop. Our endeavor is to provide children, second grade through 11th grade, with an experience that combines both a festival celebration and a series of theatrical performances. Students not only get to perform in a show, but they also get to see the work of their fellow campers. Our usual eight-week summer season has us producing 16 musicals and one play with a student enrollment in the department approaching 275 children.
What are the kids loving about the show?
At first, the students didn’t appreciate the idea of appearing in a less well-known production. This age group wants to do what they see: Wicked, Lion King, Mean Girls, Frozen, and Hamilton. So, the idea of creating an original character and appearing in a premiere event had never really occurred to them. As we enter the fourth season of our commissioning program, students are becoming more and more excited. They now see the value in the variety and opportunity we’re offering them.
What reactions do you expect to see in students when they see their name printed in this Playbill for the first time?
The moment when the Playbills are distributed to arriving parents and guests is a thrilling one. Students collect and cherish their Playbills as fond mementos of their summer’s work.
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