The California Alliance for Arts Education announced last week that Maya Erskine of Santa Monica, a senior at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, has won the 2005 Emerging Young Artist Award in Theatre.
Maya took the award with two dynamic monologues – one from Macbeth and other from Parallel Lives based on the Kathy and Mo Show.
The finals showcase was held at the Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater on the campus of California State University, Long Beach.
Erskine plans to attend the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She said, “…I started to discover that theater was much more rewarding when I acted to discover, learn and feel, than when I acted for approval… I now know that I want to pursue acting because there is no other career for me.”
The statewide scholarship program drew hundreds of applicants in the areas of dance, music, theatre and visual arts. One winner was named in each of the four artistic disciplines.
Winners receive up to $20,000 over four years while enrolled in a degree or professional training program. Additional awards of $1,000 are provided to each of finalists.
The awards are administered by the California Alliance for Arts Education. They were conceived and are funded by the Herb Alpert Foundation, with additional funding and support from Carol and Dom DeLuise.A statewide network of organizations, agencies and individuals that support and advocate for arts education, the California Alliance works to promote and support quality visual and performing arts education for students in California schools. It is a member of the national Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network.
