The Palace Theatre Recognizes Student Artist from New City

The Palace Theatre is pleased to announce that Jubilee Johnson of New City, NY and senior at Greenwich Academy was awarded $500 as part of her 1st Runner Up prize in the 2015 Emerging Young Artist Scholarship.

The scholarship seeks to instill a lifelong appreciation for the arts by providing opportunities for students to produce original works of all genres. This year, competitors were challenged to write a 15 minute, one act Shakespearean play.

The four finalists will be given the opportunity to see their plays come to life as part of the Student New Play Festival on Wednesday, June 17 at 7PM, when Broadway’s Jennifer Werner, Associate Director of the Tony-winning hit The Book of Mormon, will direct a performance of each finalist’s play by a cast of New York actors Upstage at the Palace.

The Emerging Young Artist Scholarship encourages high school students to engage their creativity and artistic abilities in the unique competition. This year, 90 students across the tri-state area applied for the Scholarship, and five exceptional students were rewarded for their creations; Olivia Grossman of Ridgefield, CT was awarded honorable mention for her play, “Black Hawthorn,” Alexa LaVersa of Stamford, CT was named 3rd runner up for her play, “I Am Not A Feminist… Am I?,” Ellis Jones of Scarsdale, NY was named 2nd runner up for his play, “Loser Like Us,” Jubilee Johnson of New City, NY was 1st runner up for her play, “I Am Not My Hair,” and Stephanie Walsh of Norwalk, CT was awarded the Grand Prize for her play, “Blank”.

Jubilee Johnson’s play entitled “I Am Not My Hair” drew inspiration from both her Theater Collaboration class and from cinematic actors and actresses. Although she considers herself a performer when it comes to theatre, being a recipient of the Emerging Young Artist Scholarship has helped her to explore a realm of creativity and expression she had not recognized before. Jubilee looks forward to writing in the future, stating, “The realm of theater is vast, and I’m eager to expand my horizon!”

Jubilee Johnson and her fellow recipients were honored at The Palace Theatre’s Annual Gala on May 2nd, which was hosted by comedy legend Jay Leno. The Palace Theatre will honor the winners again in the Student New Play Festival. This incredible show gives winners the chance to see their plays performed live and also invites the community to join in the viewing and celebration of these remarkable compositions.

The event is free to the public, and parents, family, friends, and educators are all encouraged to attend. Be sure to make reservations at The Palace Box Office prior to the event to reserve a seat. The Office can be reached Monday through Friday from Noon – 5:00PM at (203) 325-4466.