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| From our 2020 FInal Burn and Wishes |
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Dear French Woods Families
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The quiet on the French Woods campus has been beautiful, but it has been missing the laughter, music and drama of our beautiful campers. We have taken a great deal of time this summer to make upgrades to many cabins. You can expect proper towel hooks and privacy film on the windows, not to mention upgraded bathrooms in more of the bunks next summer.
Thank you to each and every one of our Online campers and staff. Spending time with you each day singing, acting, improvising, cooking and doing magic this summer has been wonderful for me. I especially want to thank the kids in my Play Reading and Performance Workshop classes.
We know that many schools are online this fall and that there is uncertainty about after school arts classes. Please check out our Fall Online Class schedule. We hope to be adding more classes as we move forward, so keep us posted if there’s a specific class you’d like to see and keep checking the website for additions!
As always, keep us updated on what you’re doing. We love to hear from you.
Much love, Beth.
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| It's quiet enough for baby deer on the campus |
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Anouncing Fall Classes Online
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French Woods Online was born this summer as a way to connect when we could not be together in person. Our administrative and creative teams collaborated and transformed our traditional individualized summer programming into 2 three-week summer sessions that were completely online. Best of all, kids were able to laugh, learn and grow through their joy in the arts.
As school begins across the nation this fall, many schools have limited their arts and extracurricular activities. We will be here. The French Woods community of teachers will be Online providing both after-school and weekend classes.
The first Cycle of Fall Classes will run between September 28th and October 24th.
Check out our courses below and check back for updates as we add classes!
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Testamonials:
“Thank you so much for an amazing session of online camp! I really enjoyed the Performance workshop and I learned how to make my monologues more specific. It was so interesting to see the progression through other camper’s work and I was excited to come to class everyday.”
"I love online French Woods. It’s such a cool experience to be able to see everybody and still feel close like at camp but on Zoom."
"My daughter absolutely enjoyed all aspects of French Woods Online.. You achieved the impossible, in spectacularly successful internet sessions."
This online version of French Woods Festival has been a wonderful experience for our son – full of growth and fun and engagement, in a time where it would be easy to not make the effort. We are very grateful you did!
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Performance Workshop
In this class, students will work and perform in front of their instructor and peers in a workshop-style setting. Campers will be able to work on monologues or songs—any solo material that they are passionate about performing and hoping to make forward strides in their interpretation and performance. If a camper does not have a monologue or song they want to work on, the instructor(s) will help them find one that suits their age and interests.
Saturday Class at 11:00am-12:30pm EST for 4 weeks
October 3 - October 24
$259 for this course
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Play Reading
Take an in-depth approach to acting in a full play, learning character development and research, relationship building, script analysis and voice and speech. Campers will work with directors to rehearse and ultimately perform a play. Specific plays will range in style and tone and campers will send in a short audition video to be cast in one of the virtual plays. - all as an after school program!
Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 4:00pm - 5:00pm EST for 4 weeks
September 28th - October 23rd
$719 for this course
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Improvisational Theater
Through this high-energy, fast-paced class, campers will work on improv games and techniques. Campers will embrace many forms of improvisation and learn how to embrace their own ideas and bring their personal humor to the table - all as an after school program!
Tuesday Class at 4:00pm - 5:00pm EST for 4 weeks
September 29 - October 20
$239 for this course - 5% discount before September 4th
Saturday Class at 11:00am - 12:00pm EST for 4 weeks
October 3 - October 24
$239 for this course
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Pop/Rock Technique
Ages 12 and up, ideal for High-Schoolers
Class size of 15 campers per class
A performance-based participation class, this course will help campers explore how to rock their auditions for Pop/Rock musicals. Instructors will explore different Pop/Rock genres and eras, and help campers find songs and cuts that they love and suit their voice-type and age. With more and more musicals embracing this style, this is a great class for anyone interested in exploring different eras of music and looking to expand their repertoire.
Saturday - Class at 12:45pm - 2:15pm EST for 4 weeks
October 3 - October 24
$259 for this course
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Intermediate Magic
Learn the secrets of magic using materials easily found around the house. You will be able to successfully perform an effect after the very first lesson! Learning to perform magic is an excellent way to build stage presence, confidence and social skills. This high energy class, taught by our own Magic Larry, offers tons of laughs, tons of fun and knowledge that will last a lifetime.
Thursday Class at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST for 6 weeks
October 15 - November 19
$358 for this course
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Looking back on the summer of 2020
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As summer 2020 draws to a close, let’s recap some of the more historically normal parts of the 2020 French Woods summer as well as parts less conventional!
Our French Woods administrative and creative teams collaborated and transformed our traditional individualized summer programming into 2 three-week sessions that were completely online. Our senior staff became our online staff as we pivoted into virtual camp. Zoom campers went to orientation in Zoom Room 1 with breakout rooms for each department. Head counselors assisted campers in picking out their majors for the session. And every day at lunch the campers were expected to sign up for their minors for the next day via email. Kids received their schedules and teachers received their rosters daily along with the appropriate Zoom ID’s and passwords.
Dance, Fitness, Magic, Intensive Music, Cooking, Art, and a consortium of exciting theater classes were offered that included Play Reading, Cab Troupe, Pop/Rock Vocals, Performance Workshop, Sketch Comedy, Improv, Theater Games, Musical of the Week, College Audition Prep and Shakespeare. Evening Activities for the online campers as well as additional evening activities where the entire French Woods Community was invited were held. You all received a lot of emails from us! Broadway trivia games with Isaac to making mushroom brie soup with Chef Ryan and staff magic shows with Nick, Magic Larry, Ricardo, Dillon and Cody; to alum Michael Kushner doing a master class with Ashley Kate Adams and Norm Lewis and Steven Reineke mingling with our own Brian Worsdale and the wider French Woods Community! End of session visiting days took the form of watch party performances. It wasn’t the canteen or the Pavilion, but the seats were more comfortable!
We had a lot of positive feedback from our online campers and their families and everyone learned a lot. Our staff taught from their living rooms or studies joining those of us actually in Hancock physically at camp. Along with Beth, Anne, Brian, Robson, Rose, Michael and Chef Ryan and Chef Paty, we had Matt Stern, Aaron Farenback-Brateman, Cat, Judy Schaefer, Katie Bienvenue, Roy George, Eli Schildkraut, Nick Padilla, Cathy Jacobson, Danny Feldman, Gabby Ejibe, Carson Cerney with some pinch hitting from Lee Casper and Scobes. Tech and admin support were provided by Robson, Michael, Rose, Darryn, Cam, Alice and Alex Boruff. It took a village, a bubble, the French Woods Community.
We had special guest speakers the likes of:
Caesar Samayoa and De’Lon Grant -- Come From Away
Andréa Burns -- In the Heights
Gabrielle Carriba and Asher Muldoon -- Dear Evan Hansen
John Cardoza, Lauren Patten and Elizabeth Stanley -- Jagged Little Pill
Fergie L. Philippe, Tyler McKenzie and Jared Dixon -- Hamilton
Jillian Butler and Talia Suskauer -- Wicked
Lauren Ciardullo -- Aladdin
And an impromptu walk-in to Theater Games from Lin Manuel Miranda.
The camp season closed with our customary wishes and a 2020 burnout...on Zoom. Campers who never experienced our traditional Session 4 end of camp were able to join us with a wish, with a song, a virtual s’more and cup of hot chocolate.
We are all looking forward to in-person 2021 French Woods. Until then, we will be providing after-school and Saturday online classes. Be a part of it!
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7-9 Year Olds
Free to Be You and Me
MTH A Ghost Tale
9 - 11 Year Olds
Peter Pan
Alice in Wonderland
11 - 12 Year Olds
Bells are Ringing
11 - 14 Year Olds
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
George M
Little Shop of Horrors
11 - 17 Year Olds
Silent Sky
Avenue Q
In the Heights
On The Town
Much Ado About Nothing
Falsettos
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7 - 9 Year Olds
Curious George
Aladdin Kids
9 - 11 Year Olds
Adventures of Mr. Toad
Annie Jr.
Bugsy Malone Jr.
We Will Rock You
11 - 12 Year olds
Honk
11 - 14 Year Olds
Highschool Musical
Crazy for You
Do Re Mi
Beehive
11 - 17 Year Olds
A Funny THing Happened on the way to the Forum
Parade
Sunday in the Park with George
Big Fish
The Old Man and the Old Moon
Stop Kiss
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7 - 9 Year Olds
Snow White
Flat Stanley Jr.
9 - 11 Year Olds
The Cat in the Hat
Moana Jr.
Schoolhouse Rock Jr.
Freckleface Strawberry
11 -12 Year Olds
Tarzan
11 - 14 Year Olds
Zombie Prom
Elf
Into the Woods
Me and My Girl
11 - 17 Year Olds
Shrek
Blood Brothers
Sense and Sensibility
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Other Josh Cohen
The Prom
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7 - 9 Year Olds
Pinocchio
Dr. Doolittle
9 - 11 Year Olds
Pinkalicious
Captain Louie Jr.
11 - 12 Year Olds
Once Upon a Mattress
11 - 14 Year Olds
Damn Yankees
Children of Eden
Crybaby
11 - 17 year Olds
Peter and the Starcatcher
Dearly Departed
Ragtime
Spring Awakening
Cinderella
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11 - 14 Year Olds
Be More Chill
11 - 17 year Olds
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
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From The Music Department
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Music finds a way. Music creates opportunities. Music sparks creativity. While we were not in person this summer, The Music Department at French Woods offered a myriad of opportunities for campers to remain connected. We offered an inclusive online chamber class and private lessons to our French Woods community.
The cornerstone of this offering was a popular Virtual Concert Band attended by campers who were mostly new to French Woods. They received coachings by members of the Pittsburgh Symphony, The New York Pops and The New York Philharmonic.
Additionally, we offered an intensive chamber quartet that explored the music of Dvorak and Mozart. Students were engaged and submitted recordings of their progress at each rehearsal.
I look forward to the summer of 2021 where we will welcome new and old music campers back into Knipe Hall as we bring music into the lives of so many. For all my music kids, stay in touch with us and let us know how we can help you throughout the year.
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It was a very difficult summer without all of the beautiful children, parents, and staff that pass through my life all summer long. It is the reason that I love camp, come to camp every year, thrive at camp, and look forward to camp each and every year for over the past 42 years.
I always have measured my life in summers. The people I have met, the children who have thrived and endeared themselves to me, the staff that helped me and assisted us in giving the campers the most special summer in camping, the incredible activities, the campers’ accomplishments and achievements that thrill me and bring tears to my eyes; the love that those around me have for each other, the lifetime friendships that are formed here. I cannot believe that this summer passed by without the children, their parents and our staff. Boy, did I miss you all.
I now am looking forward to a new year, a year that will be filled with a better and brighter and safer future. I know that the summer of 2021 will be our most special summer, a reunion of the wonders and greatness of French Woods, a coming together of the kindest, most caring, most talented young people in the world, pushing to reach great heights again. I can’t wait to be a part of that.
We missed you, we love you and we can’t wait to see you. Remember, with all the beauty of French Woods, the uniqueness and wonder of our activities and the outstanding facilities, French Woods is nothing without YOU and that is what makes French Woods great.
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As I write this, my thoughts are totally on next season. If it wasn’t for the steady stream of emails and calls from you guys, I would have spent a totally wasted summer. As it is, I have planned all sorts of shows and events. So many of you are coming back. I think most of you feel like me - you want to make up for lost time.
Looking around camp, it is incredible what we have accomplished. Six more of the bunks have been refurbished. Creative Cooking has been completely redone, and all the bunks have had a little TLC.
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The Performer is Your Newsletter
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The Performer is only as good as the contributions we receive from the French Woods community. Let us know what is going on in your life.
Your camp friends love to hear what you are doing.
email admin@frenchwoods.com call 1-800-634-1703 or write us at P.O. Box 770100, Coral Springs, FL 33077-0100.
We love hearing from you.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter
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