Produced by Branch Out Theatre at Sweet Action Theatre in Toronto, and following its June 2026 premiere, Camp tells the stories of Lila at a contemporary summer camp in Ontario and Greta amid the horrors of Auschwitz.
The set’s structure reflects the play’s structure. Two simple bunk beds are side by side on an otherwise bare stage. The ‘Ontario’ bunk is made up with colourful, cozy bedding, while the ‘Auschwitz’ bunk is bare wood, devoid of any comforts.
As we enter the theatre, the girls are in place on the top tier. Lila appears relaxed and floppy amid the jumbled sheets; Greta is stiff and cold, lying on her back as if in a tomb. The contrast is clear from the opening.
As the girls awaken, they begin to tell stories of their youth, their families, and their present experiences at the contrasting camps. The stories range from school issues to family pressures, from tales of love to sexual violence.
Lauren Mayer, as Lila, masterfully plays the giddy 15–year–old. Her shoulders hunch, and her hands flutter as her smiles grow silly and frivolous. With a malleable face, she can often be coquettish or fearful. She speaks of friends and school grades – boys and mean girls – the trifles on which a young girl should be focused.
Naomi Tessler, as Greta, has a harder task portraying a teenager thrust into unspeakable conditions. Most of her teenage exuberance is worn out – she is dealing with atrocities and fears that would cripple the strongest of adults. Ms. Tessler demonstrates a wide range as she portrays sunken eyes; her hands are claw-like and shaking. Her efforts at remembering better times are noble but ultimately buried by brutal forces.
For Lila, the camp is a place of solace, comfort and safety – for Greta, it is clearly the opposite. It is unimaginable to consider that the petty worries of a schoolgirl would compare to the existential horrors of the holocaust.
That said, as dark clouds begin to surround Lila, even in her place of assumed ‘safety’, grim comparisons are made between the two girls. Sexual aggression is horrid in any environment. The need to belong and survive is universal.
As the play continues, the girls begin to move into the other’s space – Lila feels the pain of the grave wooden bed. They mimic each other’s movements and eventually reach across decades and wars to find solace.
Music becomes their escape and source of calm. Tessler’s play is dotted with beautiful, whimsical, soulful songs. ‘Around Me’ (that may not be the actual title) is poignant. ‘Never Again’ (also, perhaps not the actual title) is rousing and a testimony to survival and defiance.
A guitarist and violinist added touches both haunting and soothing.
This is a bruising story – Greta can speak for both girls, saying ‘a lot of parts of me are missing.’
Without glossing over the outrage of Auschwitz, Ms. Tessler’s story is told with both elegance and defiance.
Now on stage at 80 Shaw Street, #106, Toronto.
‘Camp’ by Naomi Tessler
Performers: Naomi Tessler, Lauren Mayer
Directed by: Alice Fox Lundy
Production runs through: November 14, 2026.
Tickets: www.universe.com
