NEYT announces the first recipients of the May Awards!

 

On May 15, 2008, NEYT was pleased and proud to announce the two winners of the first-ever May Awards.  Justin Morris, a rising junior at SUNY Purchase, in the field of theatre lighting, and Kario Pereira-Bailey, graduating from BUHS, were the worthy recipients of this first-ever award.  They will each receive a check of $10,000, earmarked for their continuing education.  Kario will be attending the Circle in the Square, New York City’s only full-time theatre school directly affiliated with a professional Broadway theatre.
The May Awards were created by an anonymous donor to honor achievement, excellence, commitment, and determination, and the intention on the part of the recipient to train for a career in the performing arts, as a performer, director, producer, designer, etc.  The hope is that this money will help the student complete their training, and give them a leg up in the theatrical world. It is hoped that if they succeed, they will give back to NEYT by lending their names, reputations, prestige, and maybe even financial support, to this wonderful organization.  The committee which carefully considered these two applicants and three others felt strongly that Justin and Kario represent all of the above qualities, and that they have a strong chance of success in their chosen fields.


Justin has been with NEYT throughout its short history, having joined for the very first summer season of Melodramas.  He quickly showed an interest in lighting, which has become a passion with him.  You have all seen numerous shows for which he has done the lighting design, execution, and operation of the lighting board.  He showed a natural aptitude and inclination for this work, and lots of artistic flair.  Under the guidance and mentorship of Jerry Stockman, he has flourished, and from early on was entrusted with the entire process of lighting shows at NEYT.  This has continued at SUNY Purchase, part of the State of New York University network of schools, and a highly rated theatre program school.  He is going through the whole technical theatre program, with an emphasis on lighting design.  He was fortunate to work with two top Broadway lighting designers, on “Steel Magnolias” and with the designer for “Lion King”.  The May Awards Committee feel strongly that Justin is a perfect recipient for this award.

Kario Pereira-Bailey came to NEYT as a 6th grader, and was an instant hit, starting with “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, and continuing with “The Picture that was turned to the Wall”, two summer melodramas.  He has since appeared in Romeo and Juliet, Mary Stuart, Scapine, Wait Until Dark, and many other NEYT masterpieces.  His commitment to his craft, to NEYT, to his fellow actors, and to the directors and other mentoring adults with whom he has come into contact have richly qualified him to share in the first May Awards.  He is enrolled in a two-year program at the Circle in the Square theatre academy in New York, which will give him a total immersion in all of the aspects of a life in the theatre.  Again, the committee considered him to be highly qualified for this award, and is very excited to have been able to select him as one of our successful candidates.

A final word about the committee’s job.  We contemplate and consider a body of work which we have seen unfold over a number of years.  We know these young people well, not just from what we see on stage. We are charged by the parameters of the donors’ wishes to select and judge candidates based on our best estimate of their chances of success.  It is an exciting and daunting task, and it may be years before we know whether we have succeeded at it.  Show business is a notoriously difficult one in which to succeed, and even success is a difficult thing to define, as it can be so subjective.  To one person, being a leader in community theatre, while holding down a job in the real world, is their definition of success.  For others, nothing but the headlines and the limelight will do.  So- we do our applications and interviews, and then we have a long soul-searching meeting before we nail our courage to that sticking place and make our selection.  To both Kario and Justin, we send encouragement, support, love, and money.  All the best to both of you.