The Southwestern Michigan College Educational Talent Search and Dowagiac’s Beckwith Theatre have teamed up to put on a free two-week summer youth theatre that will attract 38 participants.

“Gravestone Manor,” a seven-skit comedy, will be performed at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 28, and 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 29 at the Beckwith Theatre in Dowagiac, Michigan. The production is directed by Ryan Murray, who has experience in theatre and has been leading this type of camp for the past decade.

The cast is made up of students from grades 6-12 from across Niles and Marcellus, Michigan. Some of the actors are doubling up on roles, with Payton Courtney from Marcellus playing both Funny Stella and Johnny, the announcer for the “Monster Date” game show.

Amari Gaston and Savannah Sears play two of the Stellas, and Griffin, portrayed by Ely Davis, is an ogre with an accent. Carter Mikel from Marcellus also plays an ogre with an accent, while Gwen Lucas screams.

Calvin Diamond from Dowagiac is set to play Glen, a vampire dating the daughter in a family of werewolves. He is in his final year of high school and has participated in these camps since the fifth grade. He hopes to learn music in the future.

Trent Allen, 13, from Marcellus, is experiencing his first camp as a sound and lighting technician. He says that he has stage fright and is interested in backstage work.

“I’d rather be backstage,” Allen said, headphones slung around his neck. “The technological aspect, such as sound effects, interests me. I like messing with electronics and coding.”

The two-week camp culminates with free public performances at the Beckwith Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday, June 28, and 2 p.m. Saturday, June 29..