French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts WINTER OFFICE PO Box 770100 Coral Springs, Florida 33077 1-800-634-1703 in FL 954-346-7455 All the news that’s fit to print. See yourself in the French Woods Performer. We are packing up and getting ready to move from our Florida Winter Office to Camp! As of April 25, 2015, all snail mail to camp should be addressed to French Woods, PO Box 609, Hancock, NY 13783. The summer office will be up and running on Monday, May 4, 2015 where our phone number will be (607) 637-8400. And remember the third session trip to see Finding Neverland. To find out more about any of these things, call our office: (800) 634-1703. THE PERFORMER IS YOUR NEWSLETTER!!! French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts April 2015 PERFOR5MER The Informing The French Woods Community In this Issue: 4th Session Shows – Camper & Staff News – Ron, Beth & Isaac
Transcript
Fren
ch W
oods
Fes
tival
of
the
Perfo
rmin
g Ar
tsW
INTE
R O
FFIC
EPO
Box
770
100
Cor
al S
prin
gs, F
lorid
a 33
077
1-80
0-63
4-17
03 in
FL
954-
346-
7455 A
ll th
e n
ew
s t
hat’s
fit
to p
rin
t.
See y
ourself
in t
he F
ren
ch W
oods P
erform
er.
We are packing up and getting ready to m
ove from our Florida W
inter Office to C
amp! As of April
25, 2015, all snail mail to cam
p should be addressed to French Woods, PO
Box 609, Hancock,
NY 13783. The sum
mer office w
ill be up and running on Monday, M
ay 4, 2015 where our phone
number w
ill be (607) 637-8400.
And remem
ber the third session trip to see Finding Neverland.
To find out more about any of these things, call our office: (800) 634-1703.
THE PERFOR
MER
IS YOU
R N
EWSLETTER
!!! French Woods Fe s t i va l o f t he Pe r f or ming Ar ts
A p r i l 2 0 1 5
P E R F O R 5 M E RThe
I n f o r m i n g T h e F r e n c h W o o d s C o m m u n i t y
In this Issue: 4th Session Shows – Camper & Staff News – Ron, Beth & Isaac
Important ONLINE Forms and Documents:
By now you should be familiar with our CampInTouch program that gets you to your child’s Forms Dashboard where you have been filling out all the required forms and documents. Thank you to all who successfully filled out your bunk requests on time by April 1st. We are now reviewing all the medical forms and the camper confidential questionnaire form.Larry needs your transportation info input on to the travel form now. Even if you are driving your camper to camp - we need that info too. All children must be accounted for. Please help us!Many forms are web-based and just need to be filled out online. The forms that require signatures must be downloaded and printed out. Remember to fax back only to (845) 468-7078 without a coversheet. All remaining forms are due no later than May 1st. If you have not already done so, you should schedule a doctor’s appointment for your child. There are a number of informational family documents available to you at the bottom of your child’s forms and documents page through CampInTouch. You will find both the 2015 Parents and Campers Guides, CampMeds Info, shipping your luggage, ordering FW apparel, and much more. If you have any questions about getting on to CampInTouch or anything else please call us in the office at (800) 634-1703.
Camper Medication Procedures:
We require you to have your child’s daily medication pre-packaged prior to arrival at camp. This includes any herbal medications and/or vitamins!Be sure all medications are ordered through Campmeds at 954-577-0025 or www.campmeds.com prior to your child’s arrival at camp.
Please Note:
All medical forms must be signed by the camp-er’s parent/guardian and/or the camper’s doctor before you faxback or send them to the French Woods Office.
April Birthdays!
Tennis Anyone?French Woods offers private tennis lessons by our staff of tennis pros for $50 per lesson. This money is contributed to the Hancock French-Woods Arts Alliance, a 501(c) 3 public charity.
Campers who take tennis as a major are eligible for 2 free private lessons per session.
You can sign up online through your CampInTouch account. Call Rose at the office for more info (607) 637-8400.
A Note from Ron 1 Madeline Mayes Maria Egorova Mary Ella Rinzler Maya Wendel Sophia Gutierrez Talia Perlman2 Alexandra Brian Angel Canzano Annali Doyle Emma Iskowitz Ian Black Joseph White Kate Levine Lydia Batten Maria Cristina Martinez Sasha Mason3 AJ Mazzucchi Aysu Williams Erin Blake Gabriella Palmisano Kate Louie Sandy Walder Yulie Rozin4 Chloe Hechter Grace Ross Laura Shollenberger Ruby shanker Samantha Schnell Tyler Altarac5 Efren Cires Evan Schachter Jack Lebersfeld Jimena Cires Vivian Stein William Branca6 Atrevis McCullough
Evan Thalheimer Isabel Botko Leonora Gogos Marina Lebowich7 Ana Bronstein Danila Demidov Georgia Rose Fraser Marley Kaliban Myriam Levy Baiden Melody8 Greenstein Dillon Mims Jacob Davis Katie Graubart Morgan Smith Zoey Mae Dillon-Levine9 Amelia Cogan Darah Barenholtz Ella Stiller Jacob Green Nicolas Jomolca Seth Stein Zain Adams10 Allison Lewis Angelina Madeline Claire Mueller Elijah Lawrence John Hearin, Jr. Kaden Sampogna Morgan Ziegler Nicklaus Smith Tobias White11 Anna Fortenberry Kaitlyn Calcagino Reese Bruning Sam Feldman
12 Alex Neighbors Cara Savoy Ella Gurfein Kiara Buscian Lena Heller Peyton Saiontz13 Anastasiia Eremkina Cassidy Lacolla Chloe Gammon Cole Friedman Lawrence Denson Maya Ferrandiz Miranda Baez14 Carly Baron Julia Manuali Kelsea Feder Olivia Gunthert Sophie Marcus-Wade Sydney Krulik Zoe Gunthert15 Evelyn Baldwin Jackson Kellerman Marissa Brotz Nicole Delsack Samantha Butwin16 Julia Lombard17 Kenzie Montoya18 Braden Ulrich Cassie Lang Dylan Ross Jack Maloney Jordan Bialik Jordyn Lichtstein Marissa Thomasen Sawyer Wolf Travis Hamerling
19 Eliana Posin Grace Halverson Katie Donenfeld Ruby Westhoff Sasha Herthel Taryn Cardone20 Campbell Kurlander Clement Pico Davide Colonna Leo Flora Libby Blair Maggie Ryan Nia Westmoreland21 Alexander Sklarz Cyd Kennard Eliza Knode Eloise Freitag Giovanna Moltrasio Hannah Novack Jeffrey Morse Maya Kares22 Kylee Soltez Remi Kauderer Zachary Kauderer Zoe Mevorah23 Caroline Morrissey Eli Rosenberg Katherine Fischer Max Moeen-Ziai24 Andrea Alfonso Izabella Ruiz Joshua Rayham Rebeca Cires25 Andrew Browne Molly Flicker26 Aiden Miller
Andrew Romano Danielle Raskin Dylan Oster Georgia Bryan Margery Leit Vittoria Conforti27 Claire O’Connell Tyler Eveland Cal Barton Caroline Miller Hannah Siegel Lika Korsounskaya Olivia Kelly Quiya Harris29 Abigail Gluck Chelsea Silver Hadley Beatrix Talty James Lambert Jimmy Hernandez Mackenzie Callicrate Sarah Thau Sophie Frusco Taylor Burgin30 Charles Dickey Jillian O’leary Jordan Tralins Kinsley Thurber Melis Guven Miles Gulley Nicole Namath Samuel Rosner SofiaSanchezGaray Zackery Abramson
It’s hard to understand how fast the year goes by. In four weeks Barbara and I leave for camp and then it’s four weeks until the start of session one.This summer holds an incredible storehouse of new things. Four new classrooms behind Video will be ready for use by Session 1. Classrooms will be available for sign-up during the day as well as after hours whereby campers can access Wi-Fi and approved sites for doing research for French Woods classes and acitivites, on-line school courses, summer homework, SAT/ACT studies and college prep.We have two Broadway shows to offer this summer with limited tickets still available. Session two features Something Rotten! for those 11 and up with very few tickets left and Session three Finding Neverland is available to all campers. Reserve your space through the permission slip on
your online CampInTouch account today.I’ve been hearing from many of you with all kinds of requests. Keep ‘em coming. See you soon.
We are all geared up for the summer of 2015 - the staff is better than ever. With many returnees, including a few returning from a year or two off, the 2015 staff is sure to excite with both familiar and new exciting programming.
The theater schedule is shaping up nicely and a performance date
schedule will be posted in next month’s newsletter. I’m very excited about next summer’s show selections, as we are including several French Woods premiers including: Sister Act, Shout!, Billy Elliot, Bonnie & Clyde, Big Fish, Suddenly Last Summer, Out of My Comfort Zone and Sunset Boulevard.We are so excited to get up to camp next month and even more excited for you to get to camp too! See you soon!
C am p e r & St af f Ne wsTais Torres was cast in the role of Charlotte Sowerberry in Leman Manhattan Prepatory School’s production of Charles Dickens’ Oliver! Jordan Kulick was just cast as Nancy in the King Low Haywood Thomas School prodution of Oliver!Aaron Simons and Charlotte Krieger who played opposite each other last summer in Anything Goes, are now playing Evan and Patrice in a local production of 13 the Musical in Stuart, FL.Hannah Laham played Sue Snell in the City Stage Co production of Carrie the Musical. She is currently playing Paulette in Legally Blonde at Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, NC. She was cast for the summer at Dollywood in Tennessee as a performer in the Little Engine Playhouse Shows. David Littlefield and Rachel Weibart will be starring in Carrie the Musical at the White Plains Performing Arts Center as Tommy Ross and Margaret White. In May, David will be playing J. Bruce Ismay, the owner of the Great Ship Titanic in Titanic the Musical at his high school - Regional Center For the Arts.Brielle Bercy appeared as Tabitha in the independent feature movie, Yearly Harvest, based on the book by the same title. Zoey Mae Dillon Levine played Phoebe in the world
HOMESICKNESS...Many first year campers have never been away from home for an extended period of time. Homesickness is a natural result of the changes in a child’s environment. Parents can take courage from the fact that many campers do not experience this, and those that do recover swiftly. All of the camp staff, from the director down, are prepared to help the youngster with the adjustment, expedited with the cooperation of the parent. These suggestions are designed to help you prepare your child for the enriching experience that French Woods provides.At Home...If your camper exhibits concern about going to camp, encourage him/her to talk to you about it. It is helpful to tell your child that such concerns are normal and that many other campers feel the same way. If there are specific worries about bunkmates, clothes, or anything else, let your child call the camp office and speak with Isaac. Often specific answers are not necessary after the child has had the opportunity to express himself/herself to a receptive ear. Don’t be ambivalent about the length of your child’s stay at camp. There should be no trial periods. He/she is there for a full session or a full summer and should understand this. A “try-out” approach is a sure loser, certain to create a serious homesickness problem at camp. On the other hand, don’t make your child feel he/she must go to camp, no matter how enthusiastic you may feel about the benefits of the experience. Send a note or care package (Remember-No Food) ahead of time to arrive the first day of camp. Acknowledge, in a positive way, that you will miss your child. For example, you can say “I am going to miss you, but I know that you will have a good time at camp.”Reassure your child that everything at home will be the same as when he left; that pets will be cared for, possessions protected, etc. If, for some reason, this is not possible, let Isaac know so that he and his staff can effectively be supportive. Don’t bribe. Linking a successful stay at camp to a material object sends the wrong message. The reward should be your child’s new found confidence and independence.Please notify Isaac of any upsetting event which may have occurred prior to camp, or is to occur during the summer. This might include illness or death in the family, poor school grades, divorce, or moving to a new house or city. When seeing your child off at the bus, make your parting brief and pleasant. Long goodbyes and floods of tears are upsetting. The same applies for visiting days.
Remember, our staff will always be there to help make you and your child feel comfortable.Every camp asks for parents to fill out medical and profile information. Be sure that you complete the online health history, confidential camper questionnaire and activity profile forms as completely and as soon as possible. While the camp is designed to provide instruction and recreation in many areas, certain youngsters may have a more rewarding time if encouraged in specific activities. The camp staff’s knowledge of your child’s interests (and phobias!) can be helpful in arranging the most appropriate program from the wide variety of activities offered.At Camp...Your cooperation is needed to ensure a successful summer for your child. Most children are resilient and adapt successfully to new situations. Parents, however, sometimes find it difficult to adjust to the youngsters being away from home. To prevent any negative effects on your children, write or email frequently with good news and a cheerful tone - chatty and pleasant. Try not to telephone except in an emergency. Contact Isaac if you have a special concern. Be assured we will contact you if your child is experiencing difficulties. Remember children have access to phones should they need to call you after the first week of each session.If a “rescue call” comes from the child, offer calm reassurance and put the time frame into perspective. Avoid the temptation to take the child home early. Should you receive an upsetting call or e-mail, telephone Isaac immediately. Isaac and his staff will help. MAKE NO PROMISES. This is a sure route to failure.Talk candidly with Isaac or your child’s head counselor to obtain his/her perspective on your child’s adjustment. Don’t feel guilty about encouraging your child to stay at camp. For many children, camp is a first step toward independence and plays an important role in their growth and development.Conclusion...Camp is an experience that cannot be duplicated in any other environment, offering the opportunity for your child to achieve the poise and confidence that comes with the mastery of skills and the sociability developed as a vital participant in a structured and democratic community of his/her peers. French Woods works diligently to assemble the best staff possible. Countless hours throughout the year go into preparation and evaluation of the camp program. With your help, we are well prepared to serve the needs of your child.
As many of you know, French Woods will be taking campers to the Broadway show, Finding Neverland, during Session 3 of the 2015 summer season. Spots are still available for the trip. Please reserve your space through the permission slip on your online CampInTouch account today.
Isaac’s Cornerpremier of the musical Out of My Comfort Zone She also performed in her middle school musical The Little Mermaid. And she just played Dragon and Mama Ogre in Shrek the Musical at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater in NYC.Madeline Dick will be performing in the Benedum Theatre this summer in the Pittsburgh CLO production of Gypsy.Ben Zabin was asked to headline a magic show with some of the top teen magicians in America to benefit the New Rochelle Fund for ExcellenceJulia White and Emmy Glick performed this month in a Kids of the Arts (KOTA) performance of Broadway Kids in NYC.Emma Silverman will be among the first violin section of the Greater Westchester Youth Orchestras Association’s Junior String Orchestra performance at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center on May 3rd.This month Eva Gutt will be starring in Aladdin Jr. at Mahopac Middle School as a Narrator. She has also been chosen to perform and be a Junior Director for Kids For a Cause with Random House. Rachel Grubman will be performing this month in North Broward Prep’s middle school production of A Christmas Story.Desi Friedberg just finished playing Danny in Grease and is currently playing Marc Antony in his school play Julius Ceasar and is currently rehearsing to play Fiyero in Wicked. Kate Stiene is performing in PS/IS 276 Battery Park City School’s production of The Music Man.
That’s the News and we’re out of here!
Fourth Session Shows 2015!***Schoolhouse Rock (7-9 year olds) The Emmy® Award-winning Saturday morning educational cartoon series is now the basis for one of the most fun, energetic musicals ever to hit the stage! Perfect for young performers of all ages and experience levels, Schoolhouse Rock Live! Junior will be a hit.
Willy Wonka (7-9 year olds) Willy Wonka, for years a recluse in his factory, announces that five lucky people will be given a tour of the factory, shown all the secrets of his amazing candy, and one will win a lifetime supply of Wonka chocolate. Charlie, along with four somewhat odious other children, get the chance of a lifetime and a tour of the factory. Along the way, mild disasters befall each of the children, but can Charlie beat the odds? Willy Wonka is a delight for children from 7 to 9 years old.
Fame Jr. (9-11 year olds) An unmistakable title from the unforgettable film and television franchise, Fame The Musical, inspired generations to fight for fame and light up the sky like a flame! Now this global phenomenon has been adapted for younger performers with Fame JR. Set during the last years of New York City’s celebrated High School for the Performing Arts, With its contemporary pop-score, Fame JR. is the bittersweet but ultimately inspiring story of a diverse group of students who commit to four years of grueling artistic and academic work.
Guys & Dolls Jr. (9-11 year olds) Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, Guys And Dolls Junior introduces us to colorful characters who have become legends in the musical theatre canon, Sarah Brown, the upright but uptight “mission doll”, Sky Masterson, the slick, high-rolling gambler who woos her on a bet and ends up falling in love, Adelaide, a nightclub performer whose chronic flu is brought on by the fact she’s been engaged to the same man
for 14 years and Nathan Detroit, her devoted fiance, desperate as always to find a spot for his infamous floating dice game.
Godspell (11-14 year olds) One of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes of all time, GODSPELL is based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew. The show, which is not built on a traditional plot, utilizes clowning, pantomime, charades, acrobatics, and vaudeville to tell the story of Christ.
Little Mermaid Jr. (11-14 year olds) More than anything, the young mermaid Ariel wants to be part of the human world above, but her father, King Triton, will allow nothing of the sort. When Ariel trades her voice for a pair of legs, she has only three days to get Prince Eric to kiss her or she becomes the Sea Witch’s slave forever! This thrilling and touching ocean adventure features all of the songs from the 1989 animated feature (including “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl”) as well as two new songs from the 2008 Broadway musical.
Out of My Comfort Zone (11-14 year olds) is the new rock musical that spotlights bullying and gender Identity. Out Of My Comfort Zone deftly explores issues of self-identity, gender, stereotypes, cyber-bullying, love, and friendship.
A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine (11-14 year olds) is a musical comedy consisting of two essentially independent one-act plays. The first act, A Day in Hollywood, a revue of classic Hollywood songs of the 1930s performed by singers and dancers representing ushers from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, features a significant amount of tap dance. The second, A Night in the Ukraine, is loosely based on Anton Chekhov’s one-act play The Bear, and is presented in the style of a Marx Brothers movie.
Finian’s Rainbow (11-14 year olds) Finian moves to the southern United States (the fictional state of Missitucky is a combination of Mississippi and Kentucky) from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock. The Irish-tinged music score includes gospel and R&B influences.
Chicago (11-17 year olds) Taking place in the roaring 20’s, Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband Amos to take the rap...until he finds out he’s been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and another “Merry Murderess” Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the “American Dream:” fame, fortune and acquittal. This sharp edged satire features a dazzling score that sparked immortal staging by Bob Fosse.
Big Fish (11-17 year olds) Big Fish centers on the charismatic Edward Bloom, whose impossible stories of his epic adventures frustrate his son Will. As Edward’s final chapter approaches, Will embarks on his own journey to find out who his father really is, revealing the man behind the myth, the truth from the tall tales.
Pirates of Penzance (11-17 year olds) Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance is a comic opera. The story concerns Frederic, who, having completed his 21st year, is released fromhis apprenticeship to a band of tender-hearted pirates. He meets Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley, and the two young
people fall instantly in love. Frederic finds out, however, that he was born on 29 February, and so, technically, he only has a birthday each leap year. His apprenticeship indentures state that he remains apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday, and so he must serve for another 63 years. Bound by his own sense of duty (“they’re all about duty”), Frederic’s only solace is that Mabel agrees to wait for him faithfully.
Sunset Boulevard (11-17 year olds) Aging former silent-screen star Norma Desmond plots a comeback with a remake of Salome, which she will co-write with the desperate young screenwriter she ensnares in her web of delusions and dreams.
The Importance of Being Earnest (11-17 year olds) Two wealthy London bachelors each pretend to be a fictitious man called Earnest in order to win over two eligible young ladies, despite the ladies’ avowed preference for that name alone — and the interference of the intimidatingly proper Lady Bracknell — in Oscar Wilde’s “trivial comedy for serious people.”
Our Town (11-17 year olds)The Stage Manager guides audiences through a small New England town in the early 1900s, as its inhabitants grow up, get married and discover the beauty of life, in Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
