Scholarship

The Village Players is a non-profit community theatre group dedicated to offering entertainment, training and education in the performing arts. The group has been providing scholarships to deserving students since 1972, the second year of its existence. While the amount of available scholarship money varies, in recent years the membership has been giving several $1,000.00 awards to deserving applicants every spring. We would not be able to be so generous without the support of our patrons.

2022 Scholarship Recipients:

Nate Hamilton: Graduated from Ellington High School, going UCONN School of Fine Arts.

Emily Vandall: Graduated from Enfield High School and Greater Hartford Academy School of the Arts, going to Sacred Heart University.

Madison Burns: Graduated from Greater Hartford Academy School of the Arts, going to Marymount Manhattan College.

Eliza Cook: Graduated from Greater Hartford Academy School of the Arts, going to Salem State University.

Emma Blanchette: Freshman at Emerson College.

Norma Bird: Graduated from Connecticut River Academy at Goodwin College, going to Rochester Institute of Technology.

Amelia Duval: Graduated from Greater Hartford Academy School of the Arts, going to Emerson College.

Marra Spallone: Graduated from Greater Hartford Academy School of the Arts, going to SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance.

2021 Scholarship Recipients:

Six scholarships were awarded this year. Although we were not able to stage a show, we took money from our investments to fund this important project.

Amari O’Connor (Somers, CT): A Somers High winner last year, Amari attended Quinnipiac University majoring in theatre and game design.

Caitlyn Corsetti (Broad Brook, CT): Another winner from last year, Caitlyn attended UCONN pursuing a music education degree and playing her trumpet.

Ben Mabrey (East Longmeadow, MA): Ben has been our musical director for shows and is attending UMass for Fine Arts Administration.

Kayden Behan (East Longmeadow, MA): A 2021 graduate of East Longmeadow High, he will be attending Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Sylvie Schuetz (South Orange, NJ): Sylvie will also attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. She is the granddaughter of the late Betty Domer, a long- time VP member.

Giovanna Gioscia (Somers, CT): A 2021 graduate of Somers High, she was awarded the John & Dee Moak Scholarship, and will attend Arizona State University School of Music, Dance and Theatre.

     
Amari O’Connor, Benjamin Mabrey, Kayden Behan, Giovanna Gioscia

2020 Scholarship Recipients:

Recipient of the John & Dee Moak Memorial Scholarship
Amari O’Connor (Somers) graduated from Somers High School. She will attend Quinnipiac University in a BS or BA/Communications accelerated dual-degree program.

Caitlyn Corsetti (Broad Brook) attended Greater Hartford Classical Magnet School concentrating in Instrumental Music. She will attend the University of Hartford.

Sarah Uyar (Somers) will be returning to the University of Hartford’s Harrt School of Music as a sophomore.

Sarah M. Uyar, Amari O’Connor

2019 Scholarship Recipients:

Recipient of the John & Dee Moak Memorial Scholarship
Sarah M. Uyar (Somers High School) will be attending Hartt School of Music

Seamus Butcher (Minnechaug Regional High School) accepted to both Ithaca & Emerson Colleges

Emily Weber (Greenfield Virtual School) attending Chicago College of Performing Arts

Chris Perrone (Ithaca College) will be studying in London during his junior year

David Crowell (President), Sarah M. Uyar, Seamus Butcher, Emily Weber, Chris Perrone

2018 Scholarship Recipients:

Recipient of the John & Dee Moak Memorial Scholarship
Jake Regulbuto (Somers High School) attending Suffolk University, BA Theatre

Stephani Bauduccio (Mass College of Liberal Arts) attending University of Hartford, The Hartt School, University Honors
Program, Major: Music Theatre

Aimee Meunier (East Windsor High School) attending Dean College, BA in Musical Theatre/Theatre Performance

Front row: Jake Regulbuto, Stephani Bauduccio, Aimee Meunier
Back row: Scholarship Committee: Gus Rousseau (Chair), Angela Taylor, Shirley Warner, David Crowell (President)

2017 Scholarship Recipients:

Taylor Rose Mickens (Springfield, MA) graduate of Springfield Central High School, studying Theatre at Hofstra University

Jarod Bakum (Wilbraham, MA) graduate of Minnechaug Regional High School, studying Musical Theatre at Hartt School of Music

Dan Kelly (East Longmeadow, MA) graduate of East Longmeadow High School, studying Theatre at Purchase College SUNY

Recipient of the John & Dee Moak Memorial Scholarship
Valerie Barbosa (Somers, CT) graduate of Somers High School, studying Music Industry at The College of Saint Rose

Christopher Perrone (Vernon, CT) graduate of Rockville High School and Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, studying Theatrical Production Arts – Lighting Design at Ithaca College

Front row: father of Valerie Barbosa, Christopher Perrone, Taylor Rose Mickens, Dan Kelly
Back row: mother of Valerie Barbosa, Scholarship Committee: Gus Rousseau (Chair), Angela Taylor, Shirley Warner, David Crowell (President)

David Crowell (President), Valerie Barbosa, Shirley Warner, mother of Valerie Barbosa

2016 Scholarship Recipients:

Abigail Golec (Tolland) studying Technical Theatre and Design at University of Connecticut

Olivia Weber (Ellington) graduate of Ellington High School with plans to attend Keene State College majoring in Film Production

Recipient of the John & Dee Moak Memorial Scholarship
Michael Schober (Somers) recent graduate of Xavier High School in Middletown, attending DePaul University majoring in Jazz Studies (trombone)

David Crowell (President), Olivia Weber, Michael Schober, Sue Moak (Scholarship Committee)

2015 Scholarship Recipients:

Kayleigh Droney (Enfield) – Western Connecticut State University majoring in Theatre Performance

Recipient of the John & Dee Moak Memorial Scholarship
Mark Ceppetelli (Somers) – The Hart School of the University of Hartford majoring in Music Composition

Abigail Golec (Tolland) – University of Connecticut majoring in Technical Theatre & Design with a concentration in Sound Design

Stella Rivera (Windsor) – Ithaca College in the Music Program majoring in Vocal Performance