41°
Ariel Abergel of Fort Lee, N.J., a student at Solomon Schecther school of Bergen County in New Jersey, won the Emerging Young Artist Scholarship. The scholarship seeks to instill a lifelong appreciation for the arts by providing students with opportunities to produce original works of all genres.
More than 80 students from across the tri-state area applied for the Scholarship, and five exceptional students were rewarded for their creations.
Other winners were:
- Jaylen Walls of Bronxville honorable mention, “Odalisque"
- Eddie Godino, Newtown, Conn. honorable mention, "Pronounciation"
- Meghan Townsend, Chappaqua, N.Y., third runner-up, "Make A Wish"
- Yona Dervshi, Stamford, third runner-up, “That Was Then, This Is Now.”
- Michael Busani Greenwich, second runner-up, "Faux Pas"
- Isabelle Pierce, Katonah, N.Y., first runner-up, "The Bedroom"
Abergel and has been involved in numerous productions for about eight years. He presides over his school’s Culture Club at Solomon Schecter, and has been instrumental in advocating for and promoting arts appreciation in the school.
Abergel said he submitted a play to The Palace that did not get selected. His second effort ended up being the grad prize winner.
"That really inspired me,'' Abergel said. "I didn’t really succeed at the first time but I work as hard as I can."
The Palace honored the winners in the Student New Play Festival in early June. This show gave winners the chance to see their plays performed live and also permitted the community to view the winning compositions.
Kristin Huffman, an actor who appeared in the Tony award-winning musical "Company" by Stephen Sondheim, directed the performances of each of the plays. The cast included actors from Upstage at The Palace in New York.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Stamford and receive free news updates.
