Camp Getaway is the newest Bravo show adding some well-needed entertainment to our Monday night lineup.
The show, which revolves around an adult camp located in the Berkshires, is a refreshing change for reality tv viewers – giving us a sense of nostalgia when we need it most.
Monsters & Critics spoke with Camp Getaway owner and director David Schreiber.
He spills the beans on past episodes, the expectations he has for his camp counselors, and shares how the COVID-19 lockdown affects Camp Getaway.
M&C: Tell us how you came up with the idea for an adult camp.
David: My wife, Gayle, and I were directors at a premiere summer camp for children. Parents would ask us all the time if we would run a summer camp just for the parents.
We thought it would be a great idea! Why should camp be just for kids?
While searching for properties, we found a singles resort that was a converted summer camp hosting camp-like activities. The rest is history.
M&C: What do you want guests to take away from the experience, and how do you ensure that this happens?
David: I want guests to live in the moment. I want them to forget about everything else, put their worries aside, and just have fun for 48 hours. The four pillars of our program are fun, freedom, friends, and adventure.
Guests should be leaving Camp Getaway with a feeling of all of these pillars. Our counselors are the backbone of this philosophy. They should be having so much fun that the guests want to join in.
Our counselors bring them into the mix, they set the tone of the weekend. The counselors create the experience.
M&C: What do you look for when choosing your camp counselors?
David: The most important trait I look for in a counselor is that they care — care about other people, care about the Camp Getaway vision, and care about getting things done. Caring is something you cannot train.
The next thing I look for is a fun, zany, and contagious personality.
Our guests need to be drawn to our counselors, learn from our counselors, and want to be friends with our counselors. I then look at what skill sets and talent they can teach, and finally, if can they commit their weekends to being at camp.
M&C: Have you seen anything in the episodes so far that you didn’t know about during filming?
David: I have always stayed away from anything that happens in the cabins, so it has been quite interesting to see.
I have been cringing a lot at my mentors! Over the years Adam and Monica have been fantastic social coordinators. Monica cares so much about camp and our guests, she is so well-spoken and is a great listener, and she always had Getaway’s best interest, which is why I made her a mentor.
My jaw dropped when she did not stop Nile from taking a group of girls night swimming in the lake. She should of ripped off those blinders, and STOPPED him immediately.
I have also been extremely disappointed how awful of a role model, Adam has been so far.
M&C: Who are you quarantined with and where are you spending your quarantine?
David: I’m quarantining at home with my family. I live about an hour from the camp, so I head up there often.
The silver lining, is that I would never have spent so much time with my two teenage children. I do not know if they feel the same way, though we have been having fun.
M&C: How has the quarantine affected Camp Getaway?
David: Camp Getaway and social distancing are two polar opposite concepts. It’s the middle of May, and we should have 800 kids on property during the week, and kicking off our Camp Getaway for Adults program on Memorial Day.
It is really hitting home, that we are currently not open. It’s very surreal, especially watching the show and seeing it in action, then going up to camp and it is just me, 300 acres and geese!
As of now, we are planning to open for July 4th weekend, and every weekend afterwards until November 1st, though we are making decisions week by week.
We are working very closely with the American Camping Association, Connecticut Lodging Association, and both the local and state Board of Health on protocols to keep our crew and guests safe.
The core of our decision-making process is the safety of our guests and employees. We will only open camp when it is safe to do so.
Camp Getaway airs Monday nights at 10/9c on Bravo.