Cameron Carter, 16, isn't returning to high school this fall.
Not a local high school anyway.
Carter auditioned for, and was accepted to the Chicago Academy for the Arts. He will complete his junior and senior years there, studying musical theater.
"I thought that it was great that a high school specifically for the arts would accept me to come and be a part of their school in the musical theater department," Carter said in an interview Tuesday afternoon.
Besides seeing Carter in a Warsaw Community High School show, people may remember Carter for his appearances in about eight shows over the years at the Wagon Wheel Theatre. His biggest role to date at the theater was that of Eugene in the 2009 production of "Brighton Beach Memoirs".
"It was a fun show," Carter said of "Brighton Beach Memoirs". "The whole cast was great."
The cast in the Neil Simon play included Carter, Jennifer Dow, Jennie Sophia, Tara Rusinack, Ashley Travis, Adrian Aguilar and Mike Yocum.
It was a Wagon Wheel show that first got Carter interested in performing on stage.
Cameron, the son of Tom and Michele Carter, moved to Warsaw from Missouri with his family after Cameron completed first grade.
In 2001, the Wagon Wheel was putting on "The Music Man" for its Christmas show and Carter landed a role as an ensemble kid. He said he liked doing it right away.
"It was a new thing. I didn't even know about theater until that experience," he said.
He kept doing theater, landing parts at the Wagon Wheel and in school productions. He played a variety of roles at WCHS, from the Beast in "Beauty & The Beast" to Chino in "West Side Story".
But, again, it was a Wagon Wheel tie that got led him to the Chicago Academy for the Arts.
"Brighton Beach Memoirs" was co-directed by Ben Dicke and Andy Robinson. Carter said Robinson works at the Academy, teaching musical theater there and other classes.
"He was the reason I heard about it," said Carter. "I shadowed there a day to see what it was like and I prepared an audition. I wasn't sure I wanted to go, but after my audition and I got accepted, I was excited to go."
Carter auditioned in January and found out about his acceptance before the 2009-10 school year ended.
Carter said classes at the Academy start Aug. 25, but he probably will leave a week prior to get situated with his host family.
When he shadowed at the Academy, Carter said he learned students come from all over to study there.
"I've always kind of wanted to see what it's like to live near and in the big city a lot, so this will give me that feeling," Carter said.
While some people don't leave home until they go off to college, Carter is getting a jump start.
"I think it is weird. I wasn't expecting to go away before college, especially for something I wanted to do. But it'll be a good experience to be around others who want to do the same thing as me for their life careers," Carter said. "I'm pretty excited."Before Carter moves on to the Academy, he's taking part in the Wagon Wheel Workshop. Saturday at 1 p.m., the students in the workshop will perform "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying". Carter plays Mr. Biggley, the CEO of a company. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. The workshop is directed by Dicke and Robinson.
Carter said, "I think, for the most part, Ben and Andy have helped me do a lot of things. Just being in practice with them and being in shows where they directed. You learn how to develop a character. They've taught me a lot of great things. Andy's been really encouraging about the upcoming year."
On the Net:
Chicago Academy for the Arts, http://chicagoartsacademy.org/
