A joyful, diverse, socially aware, original, interactive musical experience!

“Unfailingly high-spirited.” - London Times

“…an amazing group which a lot of us dreamed would happen some day where the different genres of music all get together…” - David Amram

Celebrating 20 Years of Garden Players led by Betina Hershey, along with her band The Scooches

Diverse, socially aware, high energy original, interactive, mixed-genre musical experience!

Big Takeover Magazine best described The Scooches’ fluid convergence of minds, souls and cultures as “Not just music forged from myriad sounds and cultural styles garnered from genre and geography but the music of the world, about the world.”

Presented by Garden Players. For kids, adults, and families.

Forest Hills' Garden Players Kids sing songs from original musicals which were developed right here and have gone on to audiences all around the world..

New York City’s The Scooches invite you to sing along and experience music infused with an eclectic melting pot of original music inspired by world folk traditions, global Americana, New Orleans verve and the unfettered exuberance of the 1920s. 

The Scooches feature a world-class lineup of standout musicians from New York, Suriname, the Caribbean, and more. The musicians, from New York, Suriname, and everywhere in between, have played with Wynton Marsalis, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Max Roach, Paul Simon, Cecil Taylor, and Reggie Workman. They’ve performed on Good Morning America and at Club Passim, the Kansas City Folk Festival, and venues around the world. Elmore Magazine championed the group’s “remarkable musical dexterity with songs that bask in a genuine roots regimen and a sense of timeless tradition.”

Garden Players is a small, local, musical theater program led by professional performers who love kids.

Every September-May we put on a small in-class Sharing Day in December, a concert in January with a professional band, and an original, fully staged musical in May.

Mission

Our mission is to cultivate children’s social emotional learning through community centered, socially aware, high quality theater education and performance opportunities. The results of our work are children who have learned to be brave, creative, internally motivated, and express their inner voice.

Vision

We envision a nurturing space for students, alumni, and community members to come together to make an artistic impact on each other and the world. 

We envision a world where original works with current and socially conscious themes bring laughter and fun along with deep thinking to both children and adults.

We envision a world where the development of original works is supported locally and brings joy to our community.

We envision a world where all children have access to theater. We aim to seek the participation of students who have a gift to give the art of theater and would not otherwise have theater or performance opportunities, due to economic or cultural barriers or lack of resources in their schools and communities.