On Sunday, March 15th, 2009, dozens of artists gathered eagerly in Mae Mae Café to hear the announcement of the 2008 Scholarship winners. These artists work tirelessly for Great Performances as waiters, bartenders, party captains, buffet attendants and kitchen assistants all the while pursuing their artistic careers as playwrights, directors, actors, dancers, painters, singers and photographers. This year saw more applicants than ever before, and the Café buzzed with excited energy as friends and colleagues sipped wine, discussed their projects and celebrated the evening’s winners.
This year’s judges were Katie Lee Joel, celebrity food critic and chef; Tina Ramirez, Artistic Director of Ballet Hispanico; and Claudia Bonn, President and Executive Director of Wave Hill. Ms. Ramirez applauded all who submitted proposals before announcing the three winners. The evening’s program also included a performance by 2006 Scholarship Award winner Garry Novikoff who sang the title song from his recently-produced CD “Dog on the Moonâ€. (Available on iTunes)
2008 Winners:
Tim Marback – Producing his play, Mend, under the direction of Olympia Dukakis
Michael Menger – Producing his own work, The Really Big Pirate Show
Charles Wulster – Completing production on his film, The Defenders of Belfast