Online Resources
During the Pandemic Garden Players Went Online
Sharing Day Highlights – Garden Players students perform tongue twisters, original monologues, acting improv, and favorite musical theater songs all live online! Here are some quick highlights.
We’re The Garden Players – Garden Players students sing our theme song together as part of their final online performance in June 2020.
The Show Must Go Online – Garden Players students performing the title song. Our friend and composer Denver Casado has written a musical about saving the show by putting it online. Our Garden Players and Rising Stars students were offered the challenge of learning this song in two days and video taping themselves.
Thanks everyone, for rising to the challenge! This is an incredibly fun and inspiring song for these shelter-in-place times! This song is from the virtual children’s musical “The Show Must Go Online” available at www.bbbpress.com. Book by Jessica Penzias Lyrics by Dave Hudson Music by Denver Casado
Enjoy Our YouTube Videos
Online Acting, Improv, Original Musical Theater, Camera Techniques, Songwriting
Working together online has some very exciting possibilities. What works really well online?
On-Camera Film and TV Acting Techniques
Working on character development, monologues, scenes, and acting improv online is a lot of fun. Create a costume, develop a background, learn valuable acting and singing techniques within our musical theater genre and also for TV and Film.
- Know your objective & tactics
- Keep yourself in the center of the camera
- Express yourself through the use of your face in subtle ways
- Wear something simple or designed for your character
- Keep your focus throughout the full take
- A background that is either plain or a setting appropriate to your story
Songwriting, Singing & Recording
We have an online singing and songwriting class! Email us now to see if there is space for you!
We enjoy putting together videos from our singers.
For a clean video and singing take:
- Close up
- Clean or single color, neat background
- Wide angle landscape view
- Look into the camera
- Wear earphones so we don’t hear the keyboard in the background
- Learn the song in short phrases by listening, then pressing pause and singing
Character Development Monologue Writing
Your character development questions and answers are rich in details that add so much to your characters. Your monologues are built from those questions you’ve answered. Together we are exploring how to create more dynamic beginnings, endings, and hone those fun details.
Student Theatrical Design
The process of adding character look and set design creativity to your vision. Assignments are on Google Classrooms but email me if you need more details.
- Draw your character.
- Draw your set.
- Create a costume.
- Create a backdrop.
- Make a video of yourself performing your character development monologue in your costume and in front of your backdrop.
- Keep in mind all of your on-camera technique!
Acting Improv
Another step to depth of character and a big step towards self expression and resiliency during this moment in time, acting improv gives you chances to bond with fellow actors, think off of the top of your head, reflect the current moment as different characters during different times, and to explore what’s on everyone’s minds with fun and bravery. Small groups are able to work together in break-out rooms and then present to the full class, as well as large group stories, and single and double rants.
Fun Theater Games for Acting Improv:
- Rant
- Double Rant
- Yes And
- Yes But
- It’s Tuesday
- Questions
- Conducted Story
- First and Last Line
- 3 Lines to Show Relationship
- Musical Theater Characters in Today’s Situation
- Ad Game
- Movie Trailer
and so much more…
You Choose!
We have online private lessons, semi-private lessons, private group classes, and outdoor classes available. Pick what you’d like to focus on.
- Acting Improv
- Monologues
- Scenes
- Broadway Musicals
- Original Musicals
- Create A Play
- Create A Musical
- and anything else we can dream up together…
Much love to everyone,
Betina Hershey & all of us at Garden Players
Emotional Support
This pandemic has causes many stressors in our communities, so below you can find some resources!
BOOK SUGGESTIONS:
Anxiety & Stress:
What To Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebener
Sometimes I’m Anxious by Poppy O’Neill
A Kids Book About Anxiety by Ross Szabo
How Big Are Your Worries Little Bear? by Jayneen Sanders
Body & Mindfulness
Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere by Kira Willey
Mindfulness for Little Ones: Playful Activities to Foster Empathy, Self-Awareness, and Joy in Kids by Hiedi France, Ed.D
Grief & Loss:
Slumberkins Sprite by Kelly Oriard, Callie Christensen, Theresa Thomson
Memories Matter: Activities for Grieving Children & Teen by the Dougy Center
Emotional Awareness & Self Esteem
The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont
The Cat’s Got My Tongue- A Book About Shyness and Performance Anxiety by Dr. Harmony
Listening With My Heart: A Story of Kindness and Self-Compassion by Gabi Garcia
Professional Support:
Reach out to one of these amazing sources for professional help:
NYC COVID Care Hotline : 1-844-863-9314
Thousands of mental health professionals have signed up to provide free online mental health services to New Yorkers. Open to all NY residents.
NYC COVID Worker Care Network
For NY essential workers or the family of essential workers, this NYC-based volunteer network of 1500+ mental health professionals, life coaches, spiritual care providers, organizers, and crisis line operators ready to offer free support in this time of incredible need.
Teen Counseling
An online platform where teens from ages 13-19 can get help from a licensed therapist online. Resources also available for parents. contact@teencounseling.com
Talkspace
Online and mobile therapy company based in New York City for ages 18+.
Better Help
Online counseling and therapy services for children and adults are provided through web-based interaction as well as phone and text.
Amwell
This is a good psychiatry resource for an initial assessment for people 18+.
Pride Counseling
LGBTQ+ focused counseling for people of all ages who identify as LBGTQ+. contact@pridecounseling.com
MD Live
For assessments/intakes.
Additional Hotlines for Immediate Help:
National Suicide Prevention: 1-800-273-8255
National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
National Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Talking About Race With Children
BOOK SUGGESTIONS:
For Adults:
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo
For Kids:
A Kids Book About Racism, by Jelani Memory
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness, by Anastasia Higginbotham
Racism Explained to my Daughter, by Tahar Ben Jelloun
Read-Alouds for Kids:
Woke Read Alouds
ONLINE RESOURCES:
Top 5 Reason Well Meaning White Parents Do Not Discuss Race with Their White Children
Talking about Race: An excellent online resource put out by the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Raising Anti-racist White Children: Online training for parents and educators on how to prepare white children in our increasingly multiracial society.
Raising Race Conscious Children: providing training and resources for engaging children about race.
Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup
We have a curated list of links To Online Arts Resources and Tools For Kids!
Links include Common Sense Media, New Victory Theater, Lincoln Center, Beat by Beat Press, VirtualTutors and so much more.