The winners of the awards in 2001-2002 were:
Youth Achievement Awards:
Youth Initiative Awards:
2001-2002 Youth Award Winners (l-r): Darryl Parks, Ryan Baggett, Carli Briner, Hillary Paul, Linnea Emigh
Ryan Baggett – Youth Achievement Award
This recipient has performed in many youth and storytellers and storytellers squared productions over the past few years at RLT. Recent performances include How Reading Came Back to Nowhere, Macbeth, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Anansi–Tales of the Spider Man, Charlotte’s Web, and Tied to the Tracks.
He is a member of Storytellers squared, (Raleigh little Theatre’s honor society for teenagers for service in the theatre and in the community at large) and Teen Conservatory. He was a charter member of the seriousplay tour in 2000. The bulk of his strong dedication becomes apparent in our teaching assistant program.
He has been called by his teachers and peers: lovable, goofball, a leader, one of the sweetest kids ever, genuine, patient, persistent, a clown, funny, all heart. “He has Energy through the roof. “He strives for what is not easy.” “The first time I saw him he was all arms and legs and smile.”
Maggie Rasnick says of him, “it was a joy to see him blossom. He has not always had an easy time, but that never stopped his continuous growth. He perseveres.
Darryl Parks – Youth Achievement Award
Recent performances for this recipient include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tied to The Tracks, Cinderella 2000, 2001, John Lennon and me, Macbeth, How Reading Came Back to Nowhere, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Anansi– Tales of the Spider Man
He has worked technically on 35 productions since 1997.
He has been a member of Teen Conservatory
He was in the RLT Minstrels performance troupe
He was a charter member of the seriousplay tour in 2000
He is a dedicated teaching assistant
For Bare Theatre he has performed in: Coriolanus and Much Ado About Nothing. For Burning Coal Theater Company he has done lights and sound for many productions including, Company and Night and Day. Jerry Davis, Artistic Director of Burning Coal says “He delights in discovery… A closer examination will reveal eyes that blaze with the pursuit of knowledge… he has a keen questioning intelligence… Our theatre is all the better for his work with us.”
Maggie Rasnick, said of him, “he is one of the brightest kids that has come through the program, ever.”
His peers and teachers call him. ..helpful, positive, kind, smart, perceptive, a thinker with a deep desire to learn and a relentless willingness to take risks, even at the point of completely sacrificing all levels of comfort. They say he Always goes out of his way to make everyone feel welcome, and included. One of his friends called him a young Einstein with a Razor sharp sense of humor. His heart is huge, his desire to please immense, his mind is limitless, and his eyes are windows to a great, great soul.
Linnea Emigh – Youth Achievement Award
Some of the performances you might have seen this Youth Achievement award recipient in were, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, Cinderella 1994, 2000, 2001, White as Snow, Red as Blood, Prince and the Pauper, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Jungal Book, John Lennon and Me, Lettice and Lovage, Clumsy Custard Horror show and Ice Cream Clone Review, Mother Hicks, Macbeth, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Seagirl.
Or back stage working on: Cinderella, Witch of Blackbird pond, Sleeping beauty, Most Valuable Player, Charlotte’s Web, Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and HMS Pinafore.
She is one of the founding members of the RLT Youth New Works Festival. This year for that festival, she directed a performance of Here, There or in The Air, (a play about 3 women on death row) and was also a produced playwright with her script Which Floor Mr. Walken?
In 1997 she started to assist teachers at RLT at the age of twelve. Maggie Rasnick calls her one of the foundations of the Teaching Assistant program at Raleigh Little Theatre today. She was the youngest founding member of Storytellers squared, an organization dedicated to service through theatre to the community. This year that organization raised over 2000 dollars for scholarship monies and the general fund and performed for over a thousand people in the triangle.
At school and in the community she has been involved in such productions such as Animal Farm, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Oddessy. She is involved heavily with Amnesty International, the Drama Club, The Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and she was also nominated for the National Honor Society. She has decided to actively pursue her studies overseas at the conclusion of her senior year.
Her peers and teachers have called her, deep, creative, a student, a scholar, a bright light. brilliant, eccentric, fiercely independent, fiercely behind what she believes in, bold. wonderful, playwright, artist, friend, poignant, funny, present, she chips away at what she’s afraid of. In adversity her resilience is astounding. She leads with her heart. And her heart is huge.
Hillary Paul – Youth Initiative Award
Words used by teachers and cast mates used to describe her are: Focused, patient, consistent, a joy to be around, kind, concerned, intuitive, thoughtful, enthusiastic, accurate, inclusive, steady, and talented.
Tessa Lee – Youth Initiative Award
Words used by teachers and cast mates to describe her are: insightful, empathetic, protective, proactive, fun, responsible and perceptive.
Michelle Crouch – Youth Initiative Award
Michelle cannot be here tonight, but words used by teachers and cast mates to describe her are: Real, kind, giving, maternal, dedicated, mature, visionary, watchful, calm and fearless.
Carlin Briner – Youth Initiative Award
Words used by teachers and cast mates used to describe her are wild, unique, passionate, devoted, brilliant, wise, spontaneous, assertive, fun, funny, patient, reliable, heart, daring.