PORTAGE | Natalie Franks sees the Children's Theatre Camp as an experience that grows along with young thespians.

"We're trying to offer different things each year," said Franks, who is in her third year as director of the annual summer camp offered by Portage Community Theatre and the Portage parks department.

Children's Theatre Camp is offered to youngsters 6 to 12 years old, so children conceivably could attend the summer week-long camp for seven years, Franks said. To keep them coming back year after year, organizers try to mix things up.

Campers spent this week learning to sing and dance for their roles in "Beyond The No-Character Zone," a musical featuring secret agents also known as Count On-Character and Ivanda B. Rude. They'll put on a show at 10:45 a.m. today for their families and friends.

"Last year, we wrote a play," Franks said. "This year, it's different to perform a musical."

Nine of the 35 children enrolled in this year's camp are returnees from last year. Four of them are attending Children's Theatre Camp for the third time.

Among the three-timers is Cole Finch, 10.

"I just like the part of acting and playing and just having fun acting, playing a character," Cole said.

Seven-year-old Avery Edmonds, who is attending her second year of Children's Theatre Camp, said she liked the process of writing a play during last year's camp, and she also enjoys the singing and dancing that go along with staging a musical.

"I just like it," she said.

Cole liked writing the play, too, but said he prefers the musical.

"All of the music and choreography is just really fun," he said. "Last year, we learned how to make up characters and to put characters into a play."

"There was a lot that we wrote," Avery said.

Eventually, Franks said she would like to see the summer camp split into two sessions, by age groups. The camp is growing steadily, she said, so that's a possibility.