Pioneer Press, Diversions
By Dan Pearson
March 11, 2004
For
nearly 50 years, the Sulie and Pearl Harand
Camp has offered thousands of Chicago-area
youngsters a golden opportunity each summer
to learn how to sing, dance and act in the
classics of American musical theater.
Former alumni include actors Jeremy Piven
and Billy Zane, filmmaker Andrew Davis, movie
producer Bruce Block, Slate editor-in-chief
Jacob Weisberg, Lyric Opera lighting designer
Duane Schuler, mystery author Laura Lippman,
playwright David Rush and theater critics
Todd London and Albert Williams.
For the last five decades Harand Camp has
successfully co-starred the camaraderie and
activities of traditional summer camp life
with a character-building course of self-esteem
through professionally taught classes in stage
performance skills. The Harand family believes
the combination of the theatre arts and sports
ultimately helps each camper become a well-rounded
individual.
My sister and I were both performers around
Chicago for a long time and people would ask
us where their kids could study what we do,”
said Sulie Harand, an Evanston resident since
1950. As president and camp director, the
still very active Harand shares the running
of the camp with her daughter, Judy Friedman
Mooney, and her nieces, Pearl’s daughters,
Nora Gaffin Shore and Janice Gaffin Lovell.
In the 1960s, Harand Camp hosted up to 375
campers during a four to eight week season.
Currently, it offers three and six week sessions
for boys and girls aged 8 to 17.
Each session includes productions and campers
stay in dorms/cabins named after such classic
Broadway hits as “Carousel,” ”
Brigadoon,” “South Pacific,”
“Mame,” and “My Fair Lady.”
Our kids may come singing rock tunes in their
heads, but they go home asking for Gershwin
and Berlin and knowing all the musicals, said
Harand, who got her start studying opera. We emphasize a non-competitive and caring
family environment. It is for this reason
that all roles are shared, so every child
has a chance to be in the spotlight and also
perform in the ensemble. If we are doing ‘The
Wizard of Oz,’ there may be six Dorothy’s,
three Scarecrows, Lions, and Tinmen. “The kids become a soloist whether they
are the greatest talent or not,” Sulie
said. “We give them the parts we think
will do them the most good personally. Often
we go against type. If a kid is shy, we may
give them the loudest and most boisterous
songs. If someone is all over the stage and
might need to be toned down, we might give
them a quiet song.”
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