There’s no denying it: Fall has officially arrived. But for our summer-loving gals who aren’t quite ready to swap s’mores for scarves, may we recommend binging a show that’ll whisk you right back to peak sunny season?
Enter: A Week Away, a new musical series from Angel, set at a Christian camp…one where teens break into song and dance at a moment’s notice. The season finale dropped just last week—which makes now the perfect time to curl up and live vicariously through the Camp Aweegaway crew.
View this post on Instagram
Luckily for dancer/actress/singer/go-getter Ava Jean, she never really had to kiss those camp days goodbye. Not only does she star in A Week Away as the sassy-yet-secretly-sensitive Savannah, but she’s also recently been cast in Disney’s upcoming Camp Rock 3.
“I’m so happy,” Ava says. “I literally joke about it all the time: I’ve spent all year at summer camp.” For someone who grew up attending musical theater camp, church camp and pottery camp (one year she even got sent to soccer camp, where she says she won the award for “Most Distracting”), she’s right at home.
Ava’s got more than a few stories to share about her journey so far—and what’s next. So gather around the bonfire and let her spill at least a little of her lore.
Girls’ Life: Which part of A Week Away was most fun for you to film?
Ava Jean: There’s a scene in Episode 7 that I did with Cozi [Zuehlsdorff], who plays Lennie. I’ve been mean to her the whole time and then, in this scene, she confronts me and fights back. I got to yell. I got to cry a little bit.
GL: And do you have a fave musical number from the show?
Ava: “That’s What I’m Here For,” which is in Episode 2. It’s fun because parts of it were a oner, where everything is a continuous shot. And that piece also has a ton of the dancers in it so we’d each wait for the camera to pass us. It was kind of like a community-building exercise.
GL: When did you first get into acting?
Ava: Well, I started dancing really young and around nine, I started taking it more seriously. I trained in ballet, jazz and tap. I wanted to be a dancer so bad.
But around the time of COVID, I turned more towards acting. I started taking classes online, found my own agent and got my own headshots. I did everything: background work, I PA-ed a couple times, every little tiny thing in the hope of getting where I am now.
GL: Could you tell the story of how you were cast as Savannah?
Ava: For A Week Away, I was originally on it as a dancer. But when I heard about this part, I called the director and said, “Hey, I know there’s this Savannah role. I want to audition.”
He knew me as a dancer and had never seen me act, but it was up to me to change how I was perceived. It’s up to you to be in charge of that.
GL: Why were you drawn to that character in the first place?
Ava: All of us have had a Savannah in our lives. I really wanted to make her feel authentic. I didn’t want to stereotype her and I didn’t want to judge her.
I think a lot of people can relate to the idea of their parents putting pressure on them—whether it’s through faith, school, the arts, how much money you’re making. I fell in love with her because I saw some of my friends, and some of myself, in her.
GL: We have to ask. Anything you can spill about Camp Rock 3?
Ava: I’ve been a Day One Camp Rocker, so I know how special it is to see this world be brought to life again. I think people will be happy with how we’re going about [the next movie].
And let’s just say I think audiences will have a lot of fun with my character Madison…
View this post on Instagram
✨ Four fast facts with Ava Jean ✨
Earliest musical memory? “When I was three, Hannah Montana was playing an outdoor concert. But it was pouring rain and we couldn’t get a seat, so my mom ran into a bakery right by the venue and asked if we could watch from upstairs. And the chef let us come in and watch from a window!”
Camp activity you’d always sign up for? “There was this thing called ‘Octo-ball’ where you’re inside a fence, trying to hit other people’s feet with a dodgeball. I was actually quite good at it, which was rare for me.”
O.G. Camp Rock song you’ve got on repeat? “Hasta La Vista. Honestly, they should’ve won the Final Jam…”
Words of wisdom for prospective actors? “Don’t think about it. I mean, think about it, but don’t obsess over the small details. Take actionable steps. You can book a headshot session, you can Google acting schools near you—sometimes you just gotta *do*.
Binge A Week Away on Angel HERE and
follow us on IG @girlslifemag for more recs!
Wondering what your fave celebs are up to rn? Right this way…
🌟 Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl: Every Track, Every Vibe
⭐ Singer/songwriter Grace Humphries tells us what it’s *really* like to chase your biggest dreams
🌟 Is there anything Swayam Ranjeet Bhatia, star of Zombies 4, can’t do?
Photos by Aubrie Danae
