The former Kutz Camp will be a set for Ben Platt’s new movie, ‘Theater Camp’

(JTA) — The Union for Reform Judaism shut down its Kutz Camp program for younger leaders in 2019, however now the camp is discovering a second Jewish-ish life: as a stand-in for a fictional camp in a Ben Platt film.

“Theater Camp,” a musical comedy starring the Jewish Broadway star, will movie on the location of the outdated Kutz Camp in Warwick, New York, as revealed in an Instagram submit from the movie’s manufacturing firm, Gloria Sanchez Productions.

Beneath a picture that Kutz alumni recognized because the camp, the corporate wrote, “pack your luggage and relaxation your voice, we’re going to theater camp.” The submit coincided with the Thursday announcement that the movie was greenlit. Platt has additionally stated the film would movie on the Kutz camp, in keeping with a supply with direct information.

What’s extra, the movie’s producers will assist fund enhancements to the camp in preparation for it to be absolutely opened to be used by the city of Warwick for arts and tradition and leisure actions, in keeping with an article within the Warwick Advertiser.

“This movie is a few years within the making and I’m so pleased with my collaborators and their loving, laborious work to make our dream occur,” Platt stated in his personal Instagram submit saying the movie.

It’s a becoming venue for a Platt challenge: The actor is an alumnus of Camp Ramah in California, one other distinguished Jewish camp, and in 2020 recorded a greeting message for the Basis for Jewish Camp after its annual convention was canceled because of the coronavirus.

A scene from Kutz Camp in Warwick, N.Y., in 1993. The flagship Reform motion camp closed in 2019 after 54 years. (Yair Gil)

The movie will likely be directed by Jewish actress Molly Gordon (“Shiva Child”), who additionally co-stars, and Nick Lieberman; the script and music are co-written by Platt, Gordon, Lieberman and Jewish-Catholic actor Noah Galvin, who additionally stars. It’s primarily based on the group’s 2020 brief movie of the identical identify (which was not filmed at Kutz). 

Jewish camps can actually be musical in their very own proper, as anybody who’s attended a Havdalah jam session can attest, however the precise “Theater Camp” will likely be extra Broadway-inspired. The movie will comply with the employees of an arts-focused summer season camp as they try and hold the place open following funds cuts.

Platt, whose mom is the present chair of Jewish Federations of North America, can be engaged on extra explicitly Jewish tasks. He will tackle the function of Jewish lynching sufferer Leo Frank in a stage revival of the musical “Parade” this fall.