Campers recycle for 'The Jungle Book'

Hundreds of empty plastic water bottles, toilet paper rolls, egg cartoons and colored paper scatter a tiled floor.

While it sounds like a recycling center, it's the making of the play "The Jungle Book," presented by campers at the Summer Musical Art Camps for Kids (SMACK) at Concord First Assembly.

About 70 volunteers and 140 campers in the first through 12th grades are spending two weeks creating the set and rehearsing for two performances.

This is the first year the camp has gone "green" for a show, said Patricia McTigue, director and choreographer.

"(Recycling) serves so many purposes and it allows us to keep our costs down, which allows us to scholarship more kids," said McTigue. "It's the right thing to do and the materials are readily available. The great thing is that it gives kids an idea of things they can do at home."

Elephant costume accessories were made by covering old hats with silver duct tape and using recycled posters to cut out elephant ears. Bananas and coconuts for the monkeys were molded from paper mache, and cardboard boxes were used to create the base of the stage.

Recycled earth-toned fabrics and twisted paper were attached to used nets to make trees that will hang on stage.

As for costumes the cast will be wearing, there is about 50 hours in making the elephant costumes alone, said Randi Skaggs, musical director and costume designer.

"You can do a summer camp and put kids up there in T-shirts, sew simple things together and pay a staff, but we want the kids to experience a Broadway show as close as possible," said Jerry Skaggs, producer and set designer.

Performances will be 7 p.m. July 2-3; doors will open 6 p.m.

Expected attendance is to be about 1,100 people at each show, said McTigue.

Tickets are $10 and $5 for children under 5. Tickets can be purchased at the Concord First Assembly office, 150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N., Concord, 9 a.m.- noon Monday-Thursday or by calling the SMACK office at 704-793-4744 ext. 219.

During the performances there will also be prize give-a-ways, including a spa package to CC & Co. Salon and Spa, and a water park pass to the Great Wolf Lodge.

"I can't tell you the energy in the room on performance night, it's unbelievable. I always find myself a little weepy because you work so hard, the kids work so hard, and they're so excited," said McTigue. "They're exhausted after two weeks, but they just shine, their faces light up when they get up on the stage."