Jack Iole, right, sings a song Tuesday alongside Dori Shearer at a rehearsal for the Summer Dramatics Project production of “Oklahoma.” Eddie Trizzino/Butler Eagle

In a quick search on the benefits of summer theater camps, the terms “empathy,” “team work,” “self esteem” and “encouragement” pop up again and again.

As the Summer Dramatics Project prepares to present “Oklahoma” later this month, Eagle staff writer Eddie Trizzino offered a preview of the show that presented a view of the project that’s as much about the buzz words above as it is about learning and having fun.

On that note, this isn’t just a production of a musical work; it is a presentation of skills developed over the course of the project.

For somewhere around 60 years, the Summer Dramatics Project has been preparing actors, singers, dancers and related folks for more than just an annual production.

Marissa Wagner, assistant director of this year’s project, said many people who participate in one production with the group return year after year, which helps them grow as actors through watching the older participants, and they learn more about theater in the process.

“It also gives the older kids the opportunity to start teaching the little ones acting, responsibility, being on stage,” Wagner said. “It gives you the chance to do what you want to do on stage and help the younger ones learn.”

Because, for many involved, this production is about building skill and self-esteem and confidence, and sharing stories — good and bad — with fellow thespians. Those stories serve as inspiration not just for aspiring theater folk, but for anyone wrestling with issues of self esteem and confidence.

For those who come into such a project with a serious drive, the discipline required to succeed in such a cooperative project can make a big difference.

Jack Iole, who leads the cast as Curly in the musical, said he likes “Oklahoma” because it mixes a historical tale with stories of personal journeys, and the production offers a challenge in its quick shifting of tones.

“It’s a lot more than a play; you have to learn music and dialogue,” Iole said. “You have to be able to switch back and forth between acting lines to singing them.”

If he’s so inclined, with the right training and discipline, Iole could be the next Tom Cruise.

And he’d be able to say Summer Dramatics Project helped get him there.

— RJ

“Oklahoma” plays at 7:30 p.m. July 26 and July 27 and at 2 p.m. July 28 at the Succop Theater at BC3. Tickets can be purchased at summerdramaticsproject.ludus.com.