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

We are packing up and getting ready to m

ove from our Florida W

inter Office to C

amp! As of M

ay 1st, 2017, all snail m

ail to camp should be addressed to French W

oods, PO Box 609, H

ancock, N

Y 13783. The summ

er office will be up and running on M

onday, May 7, 2018 w

here our phone num

ber will be (607) 637-8400.

THE PERFORMER IS YOUR NEW

SLETTER!!! 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 8

P E R F O R 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 CampIn Touch program that gets you to your child’s Forms Dashboard where you have been filling out all the required forms and documents. The deadline for Bunk requests has past and we are now reviewing all the medical forms and the camper confidential form and lesson signup.Darryn 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 or simply upload them as pdfs directly to your account on CampIn Touch. All remaining forms are due no later than May 1st. If you have not 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 CampIn Touch. You will find both the 2018 Parents and Campers Guides, CampMeds Info, shipping your luggage, ordering FW apparel, and much more. If you have any questions about getting on to CampIn Touch or if we can help in anyway, 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 thru www.campmeds.com prior to your child’s arrival at camp.

Winter Address:Please address any mail sent after May 1st to the New York Address:PO BOX 609, HANCOCK, NY 13783

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.

You can sign up online through your CampIn Touch account. Call Rose at the office for more info (607) 637-8404.

A Note from Ron 1 Catarina De Luca Evangelina Belyaeva Madeline Mayes Mary Ella Rinzler Natalie Davis Sebastian Perez Shiloh Merritt Sophia Gutierrez Talia Perlman Violet Gorsuch2 Annali Doyle Chloé Neveux Madisen Humphrey Makenze Humphrey McKenna McShane Rikki Teicher Sasha Bilik Sasha Mason Tinsley Louv3 Ben Garber Carys Grabel Devin Grabel Ethan Silver Evelyn Lee Jaden Robinson Josie Jones4 Anna Kief Emily Aronson Emily Buzy Hannah Aronson Isabella Aguado Margot Weintraub

Tyler Altarac Ulises Otero Zoe Holtzman5 Efren Cires Jimena Cires Mackenzie Tammara Vishal Ganti6 Eli Berliner Isabel Botko Katelin Lobel Marina Lebowich7 Abigail Horn Liam Flanagan Noa Taieb Rachel Perl Roman Zelman Sander Lindstrom8 Breanna Futrell Collin Flanagan Gabrielle Thompson Maya Marcus Sean Lublinsky9 Amelia Cogan Darah Barenholtz Evie Schiff Jasper Nadler Kate McCall Seth Stein10 Jessica Curtin Kaden Sampogna Morgan Ziegler Nomi Livneh

Teddy Gelman Tobias White11 Anna Fortenberry Benjamin Lillis Reese Bruning Sebastian Lopez12 Ella Gurfein Rio Schneider13 Blythe Sena Coleman Brown Kylie Hammerman Marlo Alexander14 Ambroise Megel Isaac Braunfeld Max Guttman Olivia Shar15 Alexa Googel Giada O’Kane Jackson Kellerman Kerr Allan Lucy Ramirez16 Tali Orenstein17 Levi Robinovitz18 Ava Lithgow Eve Harris Madeline Kilroy Mia Landa Olga Lopez Sophie Landa19 Isadore Haviland Rebecca Besecker Sienna May

20 Bella Mordus Coco Kief Nia Westmoreland Olivia Stone21 Anna Brown Brandon Stern Cyd Kennard Kate Jacksy Leah Fridman Lia Rabinovitz Lydia Morris-Kliment22 Lily Foster Maddy Dermansky Sarah Abenante Sawyer Rolontz23 Brandon Tammara Caroline Morrissey Christina Charnin Julieta Garcia Logan Lindstrom Violette Cadet24 Cosimo Lopez Eileen Brady Eli Sherling Sasha Murray Skye Decicco25 David Zaslavsky26 Marcel Switzer Matthew Kaplan Maximilian Dring Miles Howard27 Alisa Perevozchikova

Aria Eyde Claire O’Connell Eleni Pappas Emmy Kuhn Harry Watkin-Fox Logan Lewis Noah Kriegstein Tyler Eveland28 Camden Bachochin Juliana Laskow Lauren Sternberg29 Abigail Gluck Aidan Wizeman Jamie McQuagge Jessica Tansey Julian Kuri Luka Dolgov Margaret Friedberg Megan Chipka Ryan Psarras30 Bellamy Martin Cydney Klass Kinsley Thurber Marissa Gagliano Michelle Grinberg Nicole Namath Rebecca Rosen Rose Chassard Sonja Graf Vivian Willoughby

It’s hard to understand how fast the year goes by. In three 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. New bunks start to appear on both campuses,

and a surprise that will change a huge direction of the camp.We have three Broadway shows to offer this summer with limited tickets still available. Session one The Bands Visit has very few tickets left, Session two Mean Girls, and session three, Frozen, both available to all ages of 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.

Adyson SchwalbAitan DorskyAJ CivelloAjene ThompsonAlessandra CagninaAlexandra VygovskiyAllynmarie CreelAmalia San Juan AlboresAmine AddouAndre DunnAndrea GonzalezAngelina GreenAngelina LeyvaAnna BhograAnna CallenderAnnabella PotenzaAnthony QuintanaAnya BernsteinArdyn WalesAria EydeAriana WilsonAshley LeyvaBeatriz LindemannBenjamin LillisBluesy BurkeBreanna FutrellBrendan HamiltonBrianna KlodaBrigid AllenCadyn O’HalloranCarla Di CarpegnaCarson AltmanCarter SolomonCasey BeidelCash CreelCeleste AndersonChad DuncanCharlotte LessarChiaki Gardiner Nagai

Chloe FinnChloe LewisChloé NeveuxChloé San-HorstmanChristian SosaChristopher RiderDaniel SiegelDaniel SkvortsovDanson ParisDarien HouseDeclan KatesDounia CherifEden BottonElaine BaezElana AltmanEleanor IannoEleni PappasEli BerlinerEli JacobsonElias RaffulEline LehlandElise JungEliya ChaseElla CucunatoElla HaywardElla HindsElla MorganElla MunozElle mazorEmerson HarrisEmilia BustamanteEmma DalessioErik GalatiEsther BottonEthan PalmerEuvgenia FedorovaEva BrowningEvan ChangarEve Budd

Fiodora VinsonGabriel HawkinsGabriela EttingerGabriela PerelGianfranco BatoniGrayson WashingtonHailey SchwalbHalena BakerHalle KleinHarrison LambertHarry WattersHayley HausnerHayley McCaffrey-ShapiroHolden GoldbergHolly MarcellHope HamersloughHuck Rose-MarshallHudson YouIsabelle MurphyJack LeyvaJack MooreJacqueline NewmanJade VauclinJaden MartinezJadyn JacobsonJames CicccarelleJara JacobsonJared AronsonJasmine JenkinsJasmine YouJayden EllisJeffrey “JJ” GouldJeremiah OrtizJiayin KralikJoao CostaJocelyn WhiteJohn VidalJordan Feigenbaum

Joseph MoralesJoshua PearlsteinJules KaufmannJulia RavennaJulian GalkinJuliana LaskowJuliet PerelJustice MuhammadJustin BranganzaKailey FretwellKasseem DeanKate McCallKatelin LobelKatherine LurieKeaton EvansKendall SladkyKenza AddouKiera CucunatoKierra ThamesKinsley WashingtonKmari ThompsonKylie HammermanLaney RakofskyLeina GoldmanLeo RapaportLia MurphyLia RabinovitzLiam AtteburyLiberty StantonLily VenturaLinnea DabresciaLire Marie BoldenLondon KellerLorenzo MasiLouis BaileyLoulou GoldfarbLuca GrendeneLuca Scarpati

Luis LafaurieLulu OliveriMaddy DermanskyMadelena CagninaMadisen HumphreyMadison AmisMaeve FeinblattMaia CagninaMakenze HumphreyMaple CarocciMaren KrasnerMargherita MignanelliMargot WeintraubMaria YatskoMarina BrossMarkian DanylivMarlo AlexanderMarta ParraviciniMartin SealsMason DuMaya FiggMcKenna McShaneMegan ChipkaMegan NowikMIa CiccarelleMia FreemanMia LandaMia LanphearMia RobbMichael TaylorMila HaffarMila MurguiaMira BieberMira CasrielMiranda MedintzMolly McCrackenMorgan Epstein-O’Halloran

Morgan LynchMorgen ThompsonMoshe BottonNaomi JosephNasir ClarkNatalie DavisNate RimalovskiNate SchachterNeomi EfratNicholas PotenzaNicholas TantaleanNikkilyn FieldsNina DiwanNina HutchinsNoa TaiebNora SilvergleidPaul HuggetPeter CohenPeyton GalpernPhilip FletcherPreston WashingtonQuinn Epstein-O’HalloranRachel CooperRaphael RoblesRaven TerwilligerRay KaoRebecca MestelRebecca RosenRed WertheimerReese O’HalloranRiley VillazorRoman MalendaRuby ShermanRyan IsenmanRyan PsarrasSam McCarthySam ScheinerSam Weston

Samantha CohenSamara LittleSamuel LandaSarah JoeSaril BhagatSasha MurraySean VinasSeth KelawanShoshana LevineSofia RobbSofie MaisSophia GutierrezSophie LandaSutton GreenbergSydney HirschSydney SorianoTalia HirschTalia KohnTaryn GerlachTheodore DematatisThomas DayThomas FreilichThomas WongTom Gardiner NagaiTommaso Di CarpegnaTyler AltaracValeria BrossVeronica BenarrochVictoria PertsovskyViolet GorsuchViolet StearnViolette CadetVirginia BoccanelliVittoria MignanelliVivian WilloughbyWalker DoveXavier BracyYasmeen BestZhadaya Marrain

Just Registered!

De a r Fre n c h Wo o d s Fam i l i e s : We are all geared up for the summer of 2018 - I have been putting finishing touches on the staffing and it looks like we will have an incredible group of counselors and teachers. I am still looking for full summer staff members for Woodworking, Cooking, Tech Theater, as well

as one more nurse in sessions one and four. Please let me know if you or someone you know might be interested and qualified!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 this summer’s show selections, as we are including several French Woods premiers including: Heathers, Freaky Friday, Newsies, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Battle of the Boat, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and Bright Star.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 wsBraeden Lenehan recently played Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls with the Yorkville Youth Athletic Association’s theater program in Manhattan.Michelle Künzli was selected out of 11,000 applicants from 8-15 years old to participate in the Blind auditions of The Voice Kids.Sawyer Chan played Lumiere in Deerfield Middle School’s production of Beauty and the Beast. Viola Young, a student at the School of American Ballet, has been cast in the New York City Ballet’s production of Circus Polka that is part of the NYCB’s Jerome Robbins 100 festival. Sienna Post was cast as WendyJo in Footloose

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 camp.At Home...If your camper exhibits concern about going to camp, encourage them 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 me. Often specific answers are not necessary after the child has had the opportunity to express themselves to a receptive ear. Don’t be ambivalent about the length of your child’s stay at camp. There should be no trial periods. They are there for a full session and should understand this. A “try-out” approach is a sure loser, certain to create a serious homesickness problem at camp. 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 they left; that pets will be cared for, possessions protected, etc. If, for some reason, this is not possible, let me know so that we can be effectively 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 me 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 form and activity profile forms as completely and as soon as possible. Don’t forget to include a photo! While the camp is designed to provide instruction and recreation in many areas, certain campers 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 that French Woods offers.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 their children being away from home. To prevent any negative effects on your campers, write or email frequently with good news and a cheerful tone - chatty and pleasant. Try not to telephone except in an emergency. Contact me if you have a special concern. Be assured we will contact you if your child is experiencing difficulties. Remember children can 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. Above all, avoid the temptation to take the child home early. Should you receive an upsetting call or email, telephone me immediately. My staff and I will help. MAKE NO PROMISES. This is a sure route to failure.Talk candidly with me or your child’s head counselor to obtain our 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 replicated in any other environment. It offers 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 their 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.

Isaac’s Cornerand as Leaf in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.Nathaniel Igby is guest starring on Blue Bloods which will air on April 13, 2018 at 10:00 pm EST (CBS).Jayson Goldner is playing Kurt in his middle school production of The Sound of Music.Juliana Laskow recently played Fruma-Sarah in Spanish River High School’s production of Fiddler on the Roof.Leilani Roberson will be in an upcoming episode of the Netflix series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt where she is featured as a principal performer in the Beauty and the Beast villager scene. She just received her SACS card and will be playing a basketball player in the 2019 movie, High Flying Bird.

8th Annual 4K Race for the ArtsEach session we hold a 4k Race for the Arts that benefits the Hancock-French Woods Arts Alliance. The funds raised will be used for college scholarships granted to needy & deserving French Woods counselors committed to a career in the arts. Whether sponsored or not, everyone gets involved as either a runner, walker, volunteer or cheerleader and all receive a participatory race wristband. Sponsored campers receive a commemorative t-shirt. You can sign up your camper by filling out the race form on your CampIn Touch dashboard.

CIT Training and Leadership Retreat at Camp Memorial Day WeekendRegistered campers who are at least 14 1/2 years old are invited to sign up. You can find the form on your CampIn Touch account. The cost is $100 including bus to and from Manhattan or Newark airport. See who is coming so far:

Abigail GluckAbigail KanesAidan KlingesAlexa GoldbergBenjamin PiccarilloCaitlyn NorbutChloé San-HorstmanDarah BarenholtzFiona Johnson

Gabrielle StallwoodGrace RiedyIsabel BotkoJames FlanneryJessica CurtinJordan ZieglerJulia TannenbaumLauren GilmanMakayla Fetterman

Morgan ZieglerNoah RodusRachel GershonRiley SextonSamantha NewSarah BroderSarah GiuliantiSebasrian LopezViolet Gordon

Fourth Session Shows 2018!***Freckleface Strawberry (7-9 year olds) Freckleface Strawberry was just like every other girl – except she had bright red hair and something worse...FRECKLES! Based on the beloved book you can step inside the book’s pages with Freckleface and friends as they learn to love the skin they’re in.

Alice In Wonderland (7-9 year olds) Join Alice as she stumbles into the world of Wonderland and chases the White Rabbit, races the Dodo Bird, gets tied up with the Tweedles, raps with a bubble-blowing Caterpillar and beats the Queen of Hearts at her own game! Roles are plentiful, including three Cheshire Cats and dozens of other wonderfully wacky characters.

Seussical Jr (9-11 year olds) Seussical creates the witty, wild and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss as it has never been seen before. When chaos erupts in the Jungle of Nool, it will take the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude Mc Fuzz, and a gaggle of characters to bring harmony back to their world. Seussical is a contemporary reimagining of Dr. Seuss, which weaves together many of his most famous stories and characters in unexpected ways.

Cinderella (9-11 year olds) Cinderella is treated as a slave by her selfish step family. She dreams of going to the Prince’s ball. She gets her wish courtesy of her Fairy Godmother, who does the pumpkin-into-coach bit, then delivers the requisite “be home by midnight” warning. Thoroughly enchanting the prince at the ball, our heroine hightails it at midnight, leaving a glass slipper behind.

Grease (11-12 year olds) Join Rydell High’s senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hot-rodding “Burger Palace Boys” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical.

Annie Get Your Gun (11-14 year olds) The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley (1860–1926), a sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, and her romance with sharpshooter Frank E. Butler.Songs that became hits include “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly”, “You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun”, “They Say It’s Wonderful”, and “Anything You Can Do.”

My Favorite Year (11-14 year olds) It’s 1954, and Benjy Stone, freshman writer on TV’s King Kaiser Comedy Cavalcade, is assigned the daunting task of baby-sitting veteran Hollywood swashbuckler Alan Swann while he’s doing a live guest appearance on the show. The effort to keep the reckless Swann out of the papers during the rehearsal week nearly drives Benjy to the brink, when he’s given an unexpected glimpse into Swann’s broken heart that teaches him about human frailty, tragedy, comedy, love – and about what made 1954 his favorite year.

Funny Girl (11-14 year olds) tells the true story of legendary comedian and vaudeville great Fanny Brice. Certain she’s destined for stardom, Brice fast-talks her way into show business, and turns her breakthrough role in a Ziegfeld Follies drama into an

unexpected laugh riot, launching her career into the stratosphere. But Brice’s difficult off-stage relationship with her gambler-husband Nicky Arnstein threatens to bring her crashing back to earth.

Billy Elliot (11-17 year olds) Set in a northern English mining town against the background of the 1984 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of a young boy’s struggle against the odds to make his dream come true. Follow Billy’s journey as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and community... and changes his life forever.

Legally Blonde (11-17 year olds) It tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. She discovers how her knowledge of the law can help others, and successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial. Throughout the show, no one has faith in Elle Woods, but she manages to surprise them when she defies expectations while staying true to herself.

Violet (11-17 year olds) As a girl, Violet was struck by a wayward axe blade when her father was chopping wood, leaving her with a visible scar across her face. With enough money finally saved she’s traveling across the Deep South in 1964 towards a miracle – the healing touch of a TV evangelist who will make her beautiful. Although she may not succeed in having the scar on her face healed, Violet is able to repair those scars that are lying deeper than her

skin. On the way, she meets a young, African-American soldier whose love for her reaches far past her physical “imperfections.”

Death of a Salesman (11-17 year olds) Salesman Willy Loman is in a crisis. Heʼs about to lose his job, he canʼt pay his bills, and his sons Biff and Happy donʼt respect him and canʼt seem to live up to their potential. He wonders what went wrong and how he can make things up to his family.

And Then There Were None (11-17 year olds) Ten strangers are summoned to a remote island. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. As the weather turns and the group is cut off from the mainland, the bloodbath begins and one by one they are brutally murdered in accordance with the lines of a sinister nursery rhyme.

One Act Plays (11-17) - To be announced

***All shows are subject to availability/change