When was the last time you had the freedom to lose yourself in artistic play?
This is the experience we provide our students every day during the summer and we want to share it with you.
Treat yourself to a day of making art, making friends, and making memories at Usdan
Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to explore your creativity and unleash your inner child in a fun and inspiring GrownUp setting
When:
September 10 (11am - 3:50pm, and we invite you to stay and watch our Re-U-nion Show starting at 4:00pm)
Cost:
It is very important to us that GrownUp Camp is accessible to our Usdan community. Everyone is welcome and we do not want cost to be a barrier to attendance. Please pay what you can comfortably afford to join us.
Who Can Participate:
GrownUp Camp is for adult members of our Usdan community. You must be over the age of 21 to participate.
Class Options:
Classes offered in Visual Art, Creative Writing, Dance, and Musical Theater.*
If you participate in a full day of GrownUp Camp, you will participate in one morning and one afternoon class. Please note, there is one teacher for each of the artistic disciplines. Each teacher will be teaching a morning and afternoon class.
*You do not have to have any prior experience or knowledge of the discipline to register. We encourage you to try something new and outside your comfort zone. Classes are open to all regardless of physical ability.
Registration:
FAQ:
Do I need to be an artist to participate?
GrownUp Camp is available to all adults in the Usdan community regardless of artistic background or ability.
What do I bring to GrownUp Camp?
- You must download your registration confirmation to your phone or print it and bring it with you to show security. You also must bring identification such as a license or passport.
- Bug spray
- Sunscreen
- Comfortable shoes
- Reusable water bottle
- Rain jacket / umbrella if rain is forecasted. Camp is in session rain or shine, so make sure you have proper attire.
- Lunch (see below)
What should I wear?
Make sure you wear comfortable shoes or sneakers. Our campus is a beautiful 140 acres of natural, forested beauty with a hilly landscape, wooded trails and a lot of uneven surfaces. We recommend you dress appropriately for the weather. We have open air studios with no air conditioning and you will be walking around outside.
What if there is inclement weather?
Usdan is open rain or shine. Our studios are all covered, offering protection from rain. In the event that we have a storm that includes lightning, we take every precaution to keep all students, staff, and visitors on our campus safe and require that all persons on campus take shelter in a covered building during a lightning event. All persons must remain sheltered in place until Usdan administration has announced an "all clear" and has determined that it is safe to travel around campus again.
Should I bring a lunch?
Participants are responsible for their own lunch. Lunch delivery can be ordered from sites such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, etc.
Can I bring my children?
GrownUp Camp adult fun for adults only. To help you fully immerse yourself in this experience, we are offering childcare for the kiddos! While you spend the day dancing, singing, making art or writing a story, your child will be enjoying their own day of artistic fun and play. Make sure to register your child for care when completing your registration. Please note: we are only able to watch school-aged children and you must provide lunch and snacks.
How do I get to Usdan?
Our location is: 185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights, NY, 11798.
Usdan is accessible by car or the Long Island Railroad.
Long Island Railroad (LIRR):
- Coming from NYC? Consider taking the LIRR to the Wyandanch station. Uber and Lyft are available for pickup at the station.
Questions?
Contact: grownupcamp@usdan.org
Teachers:
Rebecca S’manga Frank (Creative Writing)
Rebecca is a writer, actor, story doula and culture worker skilled in the Blewish arts. She creates and facilitates as a Black, Jewish, Swazi, American woman. Her monologues, psalms, essays, comedy, poetry, and plays have been featured in Lilith Magazine, Hadassah Magazine, Hillel International, at Elm Shakespeare Co, NCORE, Society Theatre, Reboot, Lab/Shul, as well as other theaters, educational centers, and Jewish arts and culture spaces. Most recently she performed in the world premiere of “Love All,” written by Anna Deavere Smith at La Jolla Playhouse and in “At the Wedding” at Lincoln Center’s LCT3. In 2022 she premiered work from her musical play adaptation “The Blewish Dybbuk Project” (JCC Manhattan), and performed her documentary theatre piece “The Non Monog-ologues” (at the 14th st Y and CBE in Brooklyn). Fellowships include LABA New York, the New Jewish Culture Fellowship, and The Workshop. Rebecca teaches creative writing in a summer program in Ireland and she teaches Black plays in Jewish day schools with “Exploring Black Narratives” in NYC. She holds a BA from Mills College in creative writing, and an MFA from NYU's graduate acting program. Rebecca has a handful of play projects in development and will be performing next in The Berlin Diaries this October at 59E59th. Rebecca is currently an Artist in Residence at Usdan.
James Crichton (Musical Theater)
James Crichton is an actor, singer, pianist, & theatre educator. As an actor he most recently appeared in the New York premiere of Unknown Soldier at Playwrights Horizons. Other credits include Jasper in Deadland with Prospect Theater Company, the national tour of Peter and the Starcatcher, Botticelli in the Fire at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Last Ship at Pioneer Theatre Company, and Sweeney Todd at The Rev Theater Company. Additionally, he is the host and creator of the podcast Actors: On Process, and an adjunct (associate professor) for the musical theatre program at LIU Post. He holds a BFA in Acting from Hofstra University, is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association. This is James' 18th year at Usdan, where he started in 2002 as a student and is now a beloved member of the faculty.
Jeremy Dennis (Visual Art)
Jeremy Dennis is a contemporary fine art photographer, an enrolled Tribal Member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton, NY, and lead artist and founder of the non-profit Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc. In his work, he explores Indigenous identity, culture, and assimilation.Dennis holds an MFA from Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, and a BA in Studio Art from Stony Brook University, NY. He currently lives and works in Southampton, New York on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.
Lauren Bobrow (Dance)
Lauren is a New York based actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Originally from Los Angeles, she is forever a valley girl at heart. She earned her BFA in musical theatre from LIU Post. Film: How To Make People Like You. Theatre: Cabaret (Frenchie/alto sax), Cabaret (Helga/Dance Captain), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hermia). Dance: Dance The Change (Post Concert Dance Co.), The Nutcracker (Pacific Festival Ballet Co.). Choreography: Elsewhere (world premiere), Fever Dream, Up The Cellar Door. Lauren is in her first year at Usdan as a faculty member in the Dance and Discovery departments.
Amie Harris Laino-Vine (Childcare, Visual Art)
Amie is a ceramic artist and has been working with clay for over 20 years. This year, she fulfilled her long time dream of building her own home studio. She also loves drawing, painting, jewelry making, candle making, reading, nature, bike riding, surfing, and taking care of her house plants. She is certified K-12 in art education and 5-12 in literacy education. She is a former NYC teacher and is currently substitute teaching on Long Island. Amie is in her first year as a faculty member at Usdan.
Kendell Pinkney (Artistic Director)
Kendell is a Brooklyn based theatre-artist, producer, and rabbi.
As a theatre-artist and producer, his work has been presented and/or developed at venues such as 54 Below, Joe’s Pub, LABA @ the 14th St. Y, Two River Theater, and Goodspeed Opera House. He is presently writing a new multiracial family-drama for Theater J in Washington DC.
As a rabbi, he has been featured in the acclaimed docuseries "The New Jew," with actor-comedian Guri Alfi, BuzzFeed’s Tasty channel broadcast of “Saturday Night Seder,” and Crooked Media’s religion and society podcast, “Unholier than Thou.''
In addition to his creative and rabbinic work, Kendell is the founding Artistic Director of The Workshop (theworkshopny.com / @theworkshopartist), a New York based arts and culture fellowship that supports and foregrounds the work of professional artists of BIPOC-Jewish heritage.
He is the Rabbinical Educator for the Jewish arts and culture organization, Reboot, and serves on the Spiritual Direction team at Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy. NYU-Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing, MFA.
*Subject to change depending on teacher availability. Usdan reserves the right to change or combine classes.
