French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts
Encyclopedia
On a majestic hillside, high in the Catskill Mountain Region of New York less than three hours from New York City is French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts (http://www.frenchwoods.com). A family run camp since 1970, French Woods has been the innovative leader of individualized programming for children. Four 3-week sessions are offered for campers aged 7-17 from early June through late August. Approximately 600 campers attend each session with a staff of over 300.
More than 85 activities are offered daily in music, art, theater, dance, circus, sports, magic, waterfront, extreme sports and horseback riding. An emphasis is placed on performing arts and traditional camp activities.
French Woods has a totally individualized program which encourages campers to design a schedule that gives them the opportunity to further develop their skills and explore new avenues of interest. The youngest campers have a special program that offers them choice and exposure to all of the French Woods programs, with some extra attention and instruction from their counselors.
Frenchwoods has had many regional premieres of shows, including 9 to 5 the musical, Spring Awakening, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Camp Rock (a mix of the two movies), and many, many more.
Campers interested in technical theater can take classes and get hands-on experience in stagecraft and design, lighting, sound, video, costuming and makeup.
According to New York Times,"Stagedoor Manor
" and French Woods is considered to be the gold standard of theater camps."
Clowning, tumbling, fire twirling, wire-walking, balancing globes, juggling, stunt bikes, rings, trapeze, triple trapeze, flying trapeze, Spanish web, silks, and lyra are just some of the acts offered as part of the French Woods Circus program.
Campers can participate in a performance or try activities just for fun. Circus teaches campers the benefit of hard work, self-reliance and team building. It offers fantastic physical conditioning for dancers, gymnasts, and sports enthusiasts.
Experienced dance teachers and professional instructors expose our campers to a wide variety of dance styles. Our five air-conditioned dance studios are the hub of our extensive dance center.
Campers work on their technique and performance. Dancers participate in a dance concert featured at the end of each session. Many of the dancers also perform in the theater productions at camp.
Working conductors and musicians are at the heart of the faculty. Campers are placed in groups by skill level and instruction is offered on any instrument. Young musicians at all skill levels are welcome.
Group and private lessons are available for all orchestral instruments, piano, drums, voice and guitar.
Campers have the opportunity to perform in concert with our Classical Symphony, Jazz Band, Concert Band and various ensembles. Campers also have the unique opportunity to play as a member of a pit orchestra for the musical theater productions.
Their brand new fieldhouse boasts three indoor basketball and tennis courts. There are eleven additional all-weather outdoor tennis courts. Three additional soccer, football and baseball fields are available for day and nighttime games under the lights. French Woods hosts and participates in inter-camp games and tournaments in all sports.
A State of the art fitness center gives campers a place to work out and stay in shape.
The indoor skate park at French Woods will delight both skateboarding and rollerblading enthusiasts. The variety of jumps, bowls, ramps, half pipes and rails challenge campers regardless of the weather. Learn tricks on roller blades or skateboards.
Mountain bikers have miles of trails to explore, or challenge yourself on our climbing tower, zip line and ropes course. Fencing, weight lifting, martial arts and fitness programs are all offered as part of our sports program.
A sophisticated computer lab gives campers the opportunity to perfect their skills in Web Design, Graphic Design and Animation.
From beginner to accomplished artist, there is a place for you in the French Woods Fine Arts Center.
French Woods' Magic Program has a theater dedicated to Magic Performances. Each session campers can participate in a Magic Show or just watch in amazement as their friends perform in disappearing acts, escapes, levitation and the ever-popular sawing people in half.
The sound and lighting system in this theater improves the ability to deliver the full experience and thrill of magic. Campers may participate both on stage and behind the scenes.
Musicians form bands and write music and lyrics. Bands are organized by skill level and campers practice in eleven fully equipped rock studios.
Campers can write their own music and record it on CD’s or MP3 files in our state of the art recording studio.
Each Session, campers have the opportunity to participate in a rock concert, performing with their own bands.
Highly qualified equestrian instructors teach beginners through advanced riders, starting with lead line work and progressing to trail riding, jumping courses and dressage for days that are filled with adventure.
Swim Instruction at all levels, including Red Cross Lifeguard Certification is available in the Olympic Size Heated Pool at camp.
French Woods prides itself in serving healthy and varied food choices. Two hot entrees are offered at each meal with a vegetarian entree and several hot side dishes. Our extensive salad bar is a popular choice at each meal with its offering of fresh seasonal fruits, yogurt, prepared noodle and bean dishes, dips and freshly prepared salads. The chef prepares all food on-site to ensure high quality and nutritional content. The French Woods Grill is an alternative food choice at all meals. Pancakes are on the menu for breakfast and hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, chicken and cold-cuts for lunch and dinner. We can satisfy even the pickiest eater and most dietary needs.
More than 85 activities are offered daily in music, art, theater, dance, circus, sports, magic, waterfront, extreme sports and horseback riding. An emphasis is placed on performing arts and traditional camp activities.
French Woods has a totally individualized program which encourages campers to design a schedule that gives them the opportunity to further develop their skills and explore new avenues of interest. The youngest campers have a special program that offers them choice and exposure to all of the French Woods programs, with some extra attention and instruction from their counselors.
Frenchwoods has had many regional premieres of shows, including 9 to 5 the musical, Spring Awakening, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Camp Rock (a mix of the two movies), and many, many more.
Theater
French Woods has the most complete and comprehensive children’s theater program in the world. The camp produces more than eighty productions every summer in five theaters. Each theater is fully equipped with sound and lighting systems and a technical crew that teaches and designs. Professional directors teach classes in improvisation, acting technique, directing, dialects, musical theater, Shakespeare, stage combat, scene study, theater games and more. Their Cabaret and Improv Troupes perform for nearby resorts and neighboring camps.Campers interested in technical theater can take classes and get hands-on experience in stagecraft and design, lighting, sound, video, costuming and makeup.
According to New York Times,"Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor is a performing arts summer camp located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Over the past 36 years, it has trained thousands of young actors, many of whom have gone on to success in film, television, and theatre....
" and French Woods is considered to be the gold standard of theater camps."
Circus
French Woods has a 12,000 square foot covered pavilion to house its Circus Program. It features all of the apparatus in a standard circus, less the elephants. Professional artists and instructors hail from countries around the world bringing with them the tools for creating the “Greatest Show on Earth” in every French Woods Session.Clowning, tumbling, fire twirling, wire-walking, balancing globes, juggling, stunt bikes, rings, trapeze, triple trapeze, flying trapeze, Spanish web, silks, and lyra are just some of the acts offered as part of the French Woods Circus program.
Campers can participate in a performance or try activities just for fun. Circus teaches campers the benefit of hard work, self-reliance and team building. It offers fantastic physical conditioning for dancers, gymnasts, and sports enthusiasts.
Dance
Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Pointe Broadway, Hip-Hop, Pas De Deux, Belly Dance, and Stretch and Fitness are but a few of the styles offered in their dance program. Classes are offered at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.Experienced dance teachers and professional instructors expose our campers to a wide variety of dance styles. Our five air-conditioned dance studios are the hub of our extensive dance center.
Campers work on their technique and performance. Dancers participate in a dance concert featured at the end of each session. Many of the dancers also perform in the theater productions at camp.
Music
French Woods offers the finest non-competitive, comprehensive summer camp music program in the United States. Campers are given instruction on all levels and perform in ensembles based on their ability.Working conductors and musicians are at the heart of the faculty. Campers are placed in groups by skill level and instruction is offered on any instrument. Young musicians at all skill levels are welcome.
Group and private lessons are available for all orchestral instruments, piano, drums, voice and guitar.
Campers have the opportunity to perform in concert with our Classical Symphony, Jazz Band, Concert Band and various ensembles. Campers also have the unique opportunity to play as a member of a pit orchestra for the musical theater productions.
Sports
The French Woods Sports Program offers competitive team sports, as well as non-traditional adventure programs. Baseball, basketball, roller hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, soccer and tennis are played recreationally and competitively.Their brand new fieldhouse boasts three indoor basketball and tennis courts. There are eleven additional all-weather outdoor tennis courts. Three additional soccer, football and baseball fields are available for day and nighttime games under the lights. French Woods hosts and participates in inter-camp games and tournaments in all sports.
A State of the art fitness center gives campers a place to work out and stay in shape.
The indoor skate park at French Woods will delight both skateboarding and rollerblading enthusiasts. The variety of jumps, bowls, ramps, half pipes and rails challenge campers regardless of the weather. Learn tricks on roller blades or skateboards.
Mountain bikers have miles of trails to explore, or challenge yourself on our climbing tower, zip line and ropes course. Fencing, weight lifting, martial arts and fitness programs are all offered as part of our sports program.
Fine Art
Creativity and expression come alive at the French Woods Fine Arts Center. Professional instructors lead classes in our 16 studios. Featured areas include: Ceramics, Silk Screen, Leather, Drawing and Painting, Woodworking, Needlecraft, Jewelry, Stained Glass, Multi-Media Mosaics, Photography, (Both black & white and digital).A sophisticated computer lab gives campers the opportunity to perfect their skills in Web Design, Graphic Design and Animation.
From beginner to accomplished artist, there is a place for you in the French Woods Fine Arts Center.
Magic
Everyone can be a magician! Learning to perform in this area presents a challenge to even the most experienced actor. Professional magicians on our staff teach everything from simple card tricks to state of the art illusions.French Woods' Magic Program has a theater dedicated to Magic Performances. Each session campers can participate in a Magic Show or just watch in amazement as their friends perform in disappearing acts, escapes, levitation and the ever-popular sawing people in half.
The sound and lighting system in this theater improves the ability to deliver the full experience and thrill of magic. Campers may participate both on stage and behind the scenes.
Rock and Roll
The French Woods Rock Shop offers lessons in acoustic and electric guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and other rock-and-roll instruments, as well as song writing and vocal performance.Musicians form bands and write music and lyrics. Bands are organized by skill level and campers practice in eleven fully equipped rock studios.
Campers can write their own music and record it on CD’s or MP3 files in our state of the art recording studio.
Each Session, campers have the opportunity to participate in a rock concert, performing with their own bands.
Horseback
Hundreds of acres of riding trails, plus indoor and outdoor riding rings provide an incredible foundation for our horseback riding program. French Woods offers instruction in English and Western styles of riding and in Natural Horsemanship, (Horse Whispering).Highly qualified equestrian instructors teach beginners through advanced riders, starting with lead line work and progressing to trail riding, jumping courses and dressage for days that are filled with adventure.
Waterfront
Experience the French Woods Waterfront while, Sailing, Waterskiing, Kneeboarding, Tubing, and Banana Boating on its beautiful lake. Have fun using our Floating Trampoline, Climbing-wall Iceberg, Canoes, Kayaks, and fleet of Sailboats.Swim Instruction at all levels, including Red Cross Lifeguard Certification is available in the Olympic Size Heated Pool at camp.
Bunks and Food
Spacious modern bunks, with a large common area house French Woods campers. All bunks have interior bathroom facilities and plenty of electricity for personal items. Computers are available in every cabin for e-mail.French Woods prides itself in serving healthy and varied food choices. Two hot entrees are offered at each meal with a vegetarian entree and several hot side dishes. Our extensive salad bar is a popular choice at each meal with its offering of fresh seasonal fruits, yogurt, prepared noodle and bean dishes, dips and freshly prepared salads. The chef prepares all food on-site to ensure high quality and nutritional content. The French Woods Grill is an alternative food choice at all meals. Pancakes are on the menu for breakfast and hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, chicken and cold-cuts for lunch and dinner. We can satisfy even the pickiest eater and most dietary needs.
Notable alumni
- Marc AcitoMarc AcitoMarc Acito is a United States novelist, humorist, and screenwriter. His comic novel How I Paid for College won the Oregon Book Awards' 2005 Ken Kesey Award for Best Novel, was voted a 2005 "Teens Top Ten for favorite young adult book" of the American Library Association.In April 2008, Acito...
(opera singer, novelist) - Doug BestermanDoug BestermanDouglas "Doug" Besterman is an American orchestrator, musical arranger and music producer. He is the recipient of three Tony Awards out of five total nominations and two Drama Desk Awards out of six total nominations, and was a 2009 Grammy Award nominee.- Career :Besterman found work in New York...
(Tony Award-winning orchestrator The ProducersThe ProducersThe Producers commonly refers to Mel Brooks' series of comedic works about two con-men who attempt to cheat theater investors out of their money, only to have the scheme improbably backfire:...
, FosseFosseFosse is a three-act musical revue showcasing the choreography of Bob Fosse. After 21 previews, the original Broadway production, conceived and directed by Richard Maltby, Jr...
, Thoroughly Modern MillieThoroughly Modern Millie (musical)Thoroughly Modern Millie is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan, and a book by Richard Morris and Scanlan. Based on the 1967 film of the same name, Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of a small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York City to marry for...
) - David BlaineDavid BlaineDavid Blaine is an American illusionist and endurance artist. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance, and has made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic. He has set and broken several world records...
(Magician) - Jason Robert BrownJason Robert BrownJason Robert Brown is an American musical theater composer, lyricist, and playwright. Brown's music sensibility fuses pop-rock stylings with theatrical lyrics...
(composer) - Andrea BurnsAndrea BurnsAndréa Burns in Miami Beach, Florida, She is an American actress, singer and songwriter, primarily featured in theatre, recordings and television. She is married to Director Performer Peter Flynn, whom she met while touring in West Side Story...
(actor "In the HeightsIn the HeightsIn the Heights is a musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights....
") - Jesse CarmichaelJesse CarmichaelJesse Carmichael is an American musician who is the keyboardist for Maroon 5....
(keyboardist of Maroon 5) - Alex CharakAlex CharakAlexander Paul "Alex" Charak is an American soap opera actor. He played the role of Elwood Hoffman on the daytime soap opera As The World Turns....
(actor As the World TurnsAs the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
) - Zooey DeschanelZooey DeschanelZooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous...
(actress) - Max EhrichMax EhrichMax Ehrich is an American actor singer and dancer. He made his film debut starring in One Easy Job , then had a supporting role as principal dancer in High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Breaking into television, Ehrich was a recurring guest star in Ugly Betty's Season 3, playing the role of Randy...
(actor, singer, & dancer, "High School Musical 3" Dancer, starred in 2004 film "One Easy Job", recurring role as Randy in "Ugly Betty season 3Ugly Betty (season 3)The third season of the American dramedy television series Ugly Betty was confirmed in the ABC lineup, which was picked up for a full season on February 11, 2008. The season premiere aired on September 25, 2008 and ended with a special double-episode on May 21, 2009.In Australia, Season 3 premiered...
") - Melissa ErricoMelissa Errico-Biography:Born in Manhattan, Errico moved to Manhasset on Long Island at an early age. Her parents, a sculptor and a physician/concert pianist, supported her early interest in ballet, and gymnastics, and Melissa competed nationally as a gymnast...
(actress My Fair LadyMy Fair LadyMy Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
) - Jon FavreauJon FavreauJonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
(actor SwingersSwingers (1996 film)Swingers is a 1996 comedy-drama film about the lives of single, unemployed actors living on the 'eastside' of Hollywood, California during the 1990s swing revival...
) - David FirstDavid FirstDavid First is an American composer. His music most often deals with drones and interference beats, the latter aligning his music with that of Alvin Lucier...
(composer, guitarist of Notekillers) - Barrett FoaBarrett FoaBarrett Foa is an American actor. He portrays Eric Beale on the CBS television series NCIS: Los Angeles.-Early life:...
(actor The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley...
, Avenue QAvenue QAvenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
) - Eamon Foley (actor, "13 the Musical13 (musical)13 is a musical with lyrics and music by Jason Robert Brown and a book by Dan Elish, with Robert Horn newly joining as co-librettist. The story concerns the life of 13-year-old Evan Goldman as he moves from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, and his dilemma when the move conflicts with the...
", "Everyday Rapture") - Gideon GlickGideon GlickGideon Glick, born June 6, 1988 is an American stage performer and movie actor. His Broadway work includes the role of Ernst in the musical Spring Awakening.-Biography:Glick graduated from Lower Merion High School.Glick is Jewish, and openly gay...
(actor, Spring Awakening) - Daniel Eric GoldDaniel Eric GoldDaniel Eric Gold is an American theater, TV and movie actor. He attended Lee Strasberg's Theater Institute as a teenager, and went on to graduate from Penn State in 1996, with a degree in Theater Arts....
(actor, Matt Hartley on Ugly Betty, Ugly Betty (season 3)Ugly Betty (season 3)The third season of the American dramedy television series Ugly Betty was confirmed in the ABC lineup, which was picked up for a full season on February 11, 2008. The season premiere aired on September 25, 2008 and ended with a special double-episode on May 21, 2009.In Australia, Season 3 premiered...
and 4Ugly Betty (season 4)The fourth and final season of the American Comedy-drama television series Ugly Betty was confirmed in the ABC lineup, which was picked up for a full season on April 23, 2009...
) - Ilan HallIlan HallIlan D. Hall is an American chef, best known as the winner of the second season of the Bravo television network's reality series Top Chef.Hall is a native of Great Neck, New York...
(winner of Top Chef season 2) - Glenn HowertonGlenn HowertonGlenn Franklin Howerton III is an American actor of television and film. He is best known for his role as Dennis Reynolds on FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia...
(actor) - David JaverbaumDavid JaverbaumDavid Javerbaum is an American comedy writer and former executive producer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He was hired as a staff writer there in 1999, promoted to head writer in 2002 and attained EP status at the end of 2006. He has won 11 Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, two Peabody Awards...
(Executive Producer The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) - Adam LevineAdam LevineAdam Noah Levine is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the front man and guitarist for the pop rock band Maroon 5. He is also a coach on the American talent show The Voice.-Early life:...
(lead singer of Maroon 5) - Alisha Levine (Fashion Designer)
- Seth Levine (Season 5 of Hell's Kitchen (U.S.)|Hell's Kitchen)
- Amy LinkerAmy LinkerAmy Linker is a former child actress. Her most notable role was perhaps as co-starring as Lauren Hutchinson on the TV show, Square Pegs, in which she wore fake braces and a fatsuit.-Career:...
(actress Square PegsSquare PegsSquare Pegs is an American comedy series that aired on CBS during the 1982–1983 season. The series follows Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson , two awkward teenage girls desperate to fit in at Weemawee High School....
) - Natasha LyonneNatasha Lyonne-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
(actress) - Graham Patrick MartinGraham Patrick MartinGraham Patrick Martin is an American film and television actor. He played the older son of Bill Engvall in the comedy The Bill Engvall Show, which played from 2007-2009. He played Willie Chandler, Jr., in Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door and also appeared in an episode of Law and Order:...
(actor The Bill Engvall ShowThe Bill Engvall ShowThe Bill Engvall Show is a sitcom which ran on TBS from July 17, 2007 to September 5, 2009. The series starred comedian Bill Engvall and was written and created by Engvall and Michael Leeson...
) - Julianna Minotty-Mendelsohn (educator, arts manager)
- Delaney Moro ("13 the Musical13 (musical)13 is a musical with lyrics and music by Jason Robert Brown and a book by Dan Elish, with Robert Horn newly joining as co-librettist. The story concerns the life of 13-year-old Evan Goldman as he moves from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, and his dilemma when the move conflicts with the...
", Mary PoppinsMary Poppins (musical)Mary Poppins is a Walt Disney Theatrical musical based on the similarly titled series of children's books by P. L. Travers and the Disney 1964 film. The West End production opened in December 2004 and received two Olivier Awards, one for Best Actress in a Musical and the other for Best Theatre...
, AnnieAnnie (musical)Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
National Tour) - Tito MuñozTito MuñozTito Arturo Muñoz is an American conductor and is currently Music Director of the Opéra national de Lorraine and Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy...
(conductor) - David Nagler (singer/songwriter of Nova Social)
- Mauricio Perez (actor Altar BoyzAltar BoyzAltar Boyz is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker and book by Kevin Del Aguila . Centering on a fictitious Christian boy band from Ohio, the show satirizes, among other things, the phenomenon of boy bands and the popularity of Christian-themed music in...
) - David PogueDavid PogueDavid Welch Pogue is an American technology writer, technology columnist and commentator. He is a personal technology columnist for the New York Times, an Emmy-winning tech correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning, weekly tech correspondent for CNBC, and a columnist for Scientific American...
(NY Times contributor) - Zac PosenZac Posen- Early life :Posen was raised in the SoHo neighborhood of lower Manhattan, the son of artist Stephen Posen and corporate lawyer Susan Posen. His interest in fashion design started early, and as a child he would steal yarmulkes from his grandparents' synagogue to make ball dresses for dolls...
(fashion designer) - Julie Potash (musician Hesta PrynnHesta PrynnJulie Potash also known as Hesta Prynn , is an American musician, singer/rapper from Long Island, New York. She began her career in music as one-third of the all-female hip-hop group Northern State. After the band broke up she started focusing on solo material and, in July 2010, released an EP,...
from the band "Northern StateNorthern StateNorthern State may refer to:*Northern State , a female rap group from New York City*The Northern State Parkway, a limited-access parkway located on Long Island*Northern, Sudan, one of 26 states in Sudan...
") - Elena SatineElena SatineElena Marié Satine is an American film actress and singer.-Early life:Elena Satine was born on November 24, 1987 in Tbilisi, Georgia and raised on the Black Sea Coast of the Russian Riviera. She is a descendant of Georgian Nobility, "House of Orbeliani" and a classically trained pianist...
(actress "Magic CityMagic CityMagic City may refer to:*Barberton, Ohio*Billings, Montana*Birmingham, Alabama*Bogalusa, Louisiana*Cheyenne, Wyoming*Miami, Florida*Millinocket, Maine*Minot, North Dakota*Roanoke, Virginia*Florence, South Carolina*Århus, Denmark...
") - Steve Rosen (actor StorytellingStorytelling (film)Storytelling is a 2001 film, directed by Todd Solondz. It features original music by Belle & Sebastian, later compiled on an album of the same name...
", SpamalotSpamalotMonty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways, especially in its parodies of Broadway theatre...
) - Jared Scharff (guitarist for Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
) - David SheinkopfDavid SheinkopfDavid Sheinkopf is an American actor, best known for playing Danny Sharpe during the final season of the television drama Falcon Crest....
(actor) - Matthew Sinsheimer (former Casting Director; Currently Junior Talent Agent at Don Buchwald and Associates under Katherine Ryan)
- Howard StelzerHoward StelzerHoward Stelzer is a composer and live performer of electronic music whose work is made primary from sounds generated by cassette tapes...
(composer, owner of Intransitive RecordingsIntransitive RecordingsIntransitive Recordings is an independent record label for experimental music, founded in Gainesville, Florida in 1997 by the artist Howard Stelzer and currently based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Intransitive publishes electro-acoustic music, free improvisation, sound art, sound poetry, and noise...
) - David StoneDavid StoneDavid Stone was the 15th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1808 to 1810. Both before and after his term as governor, he served as a U.S. senator, between 1801 and 1807 and between 1813 and 1814.-Biography:...
(producer WickedWicked (musical)Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley...
) - Olivia Thirlby (actress JunoJuno (film)Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
) - Nat WolffNat WolffNathaniel Marvin "Nat" Wolff is an American child actor, and singer-songwriter, composer, and keyboardist. He is the frontman of Nat & Alex Wolff...
(The Naked Brothers BandThe Naked Brothers Band (TV series)The Naked Brothers Band is an American television musical comedy created by Polly Draper. The show depicts the daily lives of Draper's sons, who lead a faux rock band from New York City. As a mockumentary, the storyline is a hyperbole of their real lives, and the fictional presence of a camera is...
) - Harris WulfsonHarris WulfsonHarris Wulfson was a Jewish composer, instrumentalist and software engineer living in Brooklyn, New York. His work employs algorithmic processes and gestural controllers to explore the boundary where humans encounter their machines....
(composer and violinist) - Remy ZakenRemy ZakenRemy Zaken, born May 9, 1989 in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American stage and television actress, best known as one of the youngest cast members in the Original Broadway production of Spring Awakening at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, playing the role of Thea...
(actress, Spring Awakening)
Notable parents of French Woodites
- Jason AlexanderJason AlexanderJay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
- Rosanna ArquetteRosanna ArquetteRosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
- Christian AudigierChristian Audigierthumb|Christian Audigier.Christian Audigier, born on May 21, 1958 in Avignon , is a fashion designer and French entrepreneur installed in the United States. In 2010, his fortune was estimated at 250 million dollars.- Biography :...
- Edie BrickellEdie BrickellEdie Arlisa Brickell is an American singer-songwriter best known for 1988's Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, the debut album by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, which went #4 on the US Albums Chart.-Life and career:...
- Steve BuscemiSteve BuscemiSteven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...
- Sandy DuncanSandy DuncanSandra Kay "Sandy" Duncan is an American singer, dancer and actress of stage and television, recognized through a blonde, pixie cut hairstyle and perky demeanor...
- Kevin FallsKevin FallsKevin Falls is an American television writer and producer. He was the creator and showrunner of the NBC television drama Journeyman. He worked as a consulting producer and writer on Shark. He served as an executive producer for the short lived Lyon's Den. He was a co-executive producer for both The...
- Carrie FisherCarrie FisherCarrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
- David HasselhoffDavid HasselhoffDavid Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
- Edward HerrmannEdward HerrmannEdward Kirk Herrmann is a U.S. television and film actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayals of Franklin D...
- Mark JanssensMark JanssensMark Francis Janssens is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Janssens started his National Hockey League career with the New York Rangers in 1989. He also played for the Minnesota North Stars, Hartford Whalers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, and Chicago Blackhawks...
- Magic JohnsonMagic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
- Dennis Lambert (songwriter/producer)
- Jon Landau (film producer)Jon Landau (film producer)Jon Landau is an American film producer.Landau was born in New York City, New York, the son of Edie, a producer, and Ely A. Landau, a studio executive and producer, of non-practicing Jewish, German ancestry. He is one of the "famous faces" due to being a regular player on the online poker website...
- Bryan LourdBryan LourdBryan William Lourd is a talent agent. He has served as Partner, Managing Director and Co-Chairman of Creative Artists Agency since October 1995.-Career:...
- John McEnroeJohn McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
- Peter MortonPeter MortonPeter Morton was the co-founder with Isaac Tigrett of the Hard Rock Café, a chain of casual dining restaurants. His father is Arnie Morton, founder of Morton's, and his son is Harry Morton, founder of Pink Taco restaurants...
- Alfred PortaleAlfred PortaleAlfred Portale is an American chef, author and restaurateur known as a pioneer in the New American cuisine movement.-Restaurants:...
- Jordan RudessJordan RudessJordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:...
- Terry SemelTerry SemelTerry Semel is an American corporate executive who was the chairman and CEO of Yahoo! Incorporated. Previously, Semel spent 24 years at Warner Bros., where he served as chairman and co-chief executive officer...
- Paul ShafferPaul ShafferPaul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
- Janice Shaw
- Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
- Paul StanleyPaul StanleyStanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
- David A. StewartDavid A. StewartDavid Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
- Robert Townsend (actor)
- Forest WhitakerForest WhitakerForest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
- Dave WinfieldDave WinfieldDavid Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
- Debra WingerDebra WingerMary Debra Winger is an American actress. Three-times an Oscar nominee, she received awards for acting in Terms of Endearment, for which she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in 1983, and in A Dangerous Woman, for which she won the Tokyo International Film Festival...
In popular culture
- Camp'd Out: I'm Going to Performing Arts Camp is a documentaryDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television movieTelevision movieA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
running on MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
that debuted April 25, 2009. The film follows several aspiring Broadway stars as they endure nine weeks of competitive drama at French Woods Performing Arts Camp. The movie was filmed Summer 2008. - Scenes of Episode 17 (Season 9) of MTV's MADE were filmed at French Woods during the summer of 2008. The show featured Alex Mills who wanted to be made into a skateboarder.