Scholarships Awarded to Theater Students in Quogue

Six students who participated in the Quogue Junior Theatre Troupe’s production of High School Musical — On Stage were awarded on Friday night with scholarships.

The students, who performed at Quogue Village Hall earlier this month to four sold-out audiences, received a total of $9,000 in scholarships. The scholarships were funded through the Amanda Winklevoss Scholarship Fund, created by Winklevoss' parents after their daughter tragically died in an accident in June 2002 at the age of 23.

Winklevoss was an active member of the Quogue Junior Theatre Troupe.

Among those awarded were Jesse Eaton, performer, a recent graduate of Eastport South Manor High School who will attend Tufts University; Laura Fitzgerald, performer and tech crew, a graduate of the Horace Mann School and a student at Swarthmore College; Colby Herbst, performer, a recent graduate of Westhampton Beach High School who will be attending Five Towns College; Frank Marcincuk, performer, a recent graduate of Westhampton Beach High School who will be attending Suffolk County Community College; Katey McElroy, tech crew, a recent graduate of Eastport South Manor High School who will be attending Suffolk County Community College; and David Sucherman, tech crew, a recent graduate of the Riverdale School., who will be attending Occidental College.

“This is a very nice reward for students who spend so many summers dedicated to the troupe,” said Susan Prior, director of the troupe.

The Quogue Junior Theatre Troupe, in its 33rd year, is open to students in fourth grade through high school and each summer the students, under the direction of paid professionals, put on two productions at the Quogue Community Theatre.  The first of the productions is performed by high school students and the second by middle school students. High School students practice 28 hours a week for five weeks and middle school students 15 hours a week for seven weeks.  

Prior says the program continues to become more popular with a waiting list of at least two years.

“Everyone gets a chance to participate. They just have to be patient,” said Prior.

The registration fee for the program is $540, which helps fund professional instructors.

While the high school students already showed off their talent, middle school students have yet to perform this summer. They will take the stage on August 23 with their production of Beauty and the Beast. Tickets are still available through OvationTix at QJTTonline.org.