The winners of RLT’s youth awards for 2003-2004 were as follows. Click on the names to read their commendations.
Youth Achievement Award
Presented by past recipients Anna Gettles, Claire Moyer, and Timmy O’Connor
Youth Initiative Award
Presented by past recipients Alicia Davis and Laura Jernigan
Education Program President’s Award
Senior Recognition Awards
These people are the seniors of our program, for which 2003-2004 was their final year.
- Stephanie Cluggish
- Adam Patterson
- Ruth Berry
- Timmy O’Connor
- William Thompson
- Meredith Budlong
- Anna Gettles
Some of the winners of the 2004 youth awards (l-r): Stephanie Cluggish, Anna Gettles, Adam Patterson, Lucius Robinson, Catherine Winn, Amanda Bitler, Ruth Berry
Ruth Berry — Youth Achievement Award
This recipient has been a faithful member of RLT’s Youth program. She is busy as a teaching assistant by day and in any given booth in the building by night. Some of her backstage credits at RLT include Once upon a mattress, Dames at Sea, Smokey Joes Café, How the Other Half Loves, Honk, Diary of Anne Frank, I Hate Hamlet, Jack and the Beanstalk, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cinderella, Story Theatre, School House Rock Live, Robin Hood, Children of a Lesser God, and Dance on Widow’s Row. Some Backstage credits at Southeast Raleigh High include The Sound of Music, The Odd Couple, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
She is a member of RLT’s Honor society Storytellers Squared, and as her service project formed a Shakespeare club at her school. She is a member Southeast Raleigh’s Select Chorus which traveled to and performed at Carnegie Hall this past fall. She was an actor in the Storytellers production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The Renaissance Faire production of Little Fooleries, and in the Storytellers Squared spring tour of Anansi–Tales of the Spider Man. She was and Actor and a Director in the New Works festival 2004.
This recipient of the 2003 Youth Achievement Award is Ruth Berry.
Stephanie Cluggish — Youth Achievement Award
Recent performances at RLT by this recipient include Cinderella, Charlotte’s web, Tied to the tracks, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and Anansi–Tales of the Spider Man. Tecchnical credits include The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Once Upon a Mattress, The Crucible, Henry V, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.She is a member of RLT’s Honor Society Storytellers Squared and served as this year’s Vice President. For Enloe she has costumed many many shows such as Twelfth Night, Antigone and Big River, and acted in a variety of shows including Shakespeare’s Othello.
She is a dedicated TA, spoken of with only the highest marks as a peer, student, friend, and authority figure in any classroom she enters. Teacher and director Jess Pillmore says of this recipient, “She is a joy to watch,… she puts her energy through every pore of her body…. she has a comfort with her style and her personality that touches everyone around her… She has a grace about her in every sense of the word.” She has been an actor and director for the New Works festival for the years 2002, 2003, and 2004. She has served on different crews all around RLT technically. It is a joy to announce the recipient of this year’s Youth Achievement Award, Stephanie Cluggish.
Delia Parks — Youth Achievement Award
Maggie Rasnick started teaching this young woman at the age of 10 in our Youth Education Program. The first time this recipient sat in a booth with her father during a production of Come Blow Your Horn, she took copious notes on the whole evening, starting her very serious journey into the Theatre Arts. Maggie says of her, “She has something working all the time. She started out as the shyest kid…She is just incredibly determined. She works harder than any other kid I’ve ever taught.
RLT Performances from this recipient How Reading Came Back to Nowhere, Macbeth, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Crucible, Henry V, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Tied to The Tracks, Robin Hood, and John Lennon and me. As a Technician this recipient worked on a number of shows including The Witch of Blackbird Pond, The Most Valuable Player, Arsenic and Old Lace, Inherit the Wind, Bunnicula, OPQRS, Sleeping Beauty, Dracula, Brigadoon, Into the Woods, Little Women, and Mother Hicks. She was active in the theatre at Ligon GT Middle School including performances in Come Blow Your Horn, and Arsenic and Old Lace.
She is an member in the theatre department at Raleigh Charter High School, as well as a member of The National Honor Society… she performed in Twelfth Night with Athena’s Train Theatre Company, She performed in Henry v in Shakespeare and Company’s Riotous Youth Program. She performed in The Lunatic, The Lover and the Poet for the North Carolina Renaissance Faire, she is an active member of Amnesty International, and is generally accepted as a Shakespeare Warrior. Because she is currently in Winston Salem attending Governor’s School she can’t be here to accept her award tonight, but the Youth Achievement award recipient is Delia Parks.
Adam Douglas Patterson — Youth Achievement Award
Recent performances at RLT for this recipient include Cinderella 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fiddler on the Roof, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead- For the Renaissance Faire, he performed in The Lunatic, The Lover, and the Poet, – For Enloe he performed a variety of shows such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Antigone, Pirates of Penzance, but most recently in Big River and Othello. He was a member of Teenco at Enloe. He has performed in a variety of ways as a member of storytellers squared, including taking part in readings, Shel Silverstirn Poems, Anansi–Tales of the Spider Man.
He has written and directed pieces for the New Works Festival for the years 2002, 2003, and 2004. He has been a member of Teen Conservatory and He is a dedicated teaching assistant. He attended Governor’s School in the year 2003. Maggie Rasnick remembers, “He came to RLT in the eighth grade- this funny little kid with a big, great, laugh. The next summer I cast him as Bottom in a Midsummer Night’s Dream- He stole the show. He is a remarkably talented kid who is also generous and kind.” As he goes on to Emerson college this fall, RLT will certainly miss our second recipient, Adam Douglas Patterson.
Lucius Robinson — Youth Achievement Award
Rlt performances for this recipient include Macbeth, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Crucible, Henry V, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and Mother Hicks. Technical credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, School House Rock Live, HONK!, and Jack and the Beanstalk. He was a technical Intern during his Sophomore year with Roger Bridges. He acted in The Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet for the North Carolina Renaissance Faire, He is a long time member of Storytellers Squared, He has been an actor in Anansi–Tales of the Spider Man during the 2002 tour. He is a teaching assistant at RLT. At Carolina Friends school he serves as an actor, and a director. Some acting credits include The Mad Woman of Chailot, The Lark, and Waiting for Godot and some directing credits include The Zoo Story and an evening of David Ives Plays. He recently played Benedick for a teen company’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. For Shakespeare and Originals he has acted in Loose Lips Sink Ships, Julius Caesar, And Faust.
He attended Governor’s School 2003, Shakespeare and Company’s Riotous Youth Program 2002, and is currently getting ready to ship out to the Summer Program for actors at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. Teacher and Director Chris Beaulieu says of him, ” He has total commitment to acting,… he is coming into his own… he is mature beyond his years.. he remains curious just about 100 percent of the time.” The Youth Achievement award goes to Lucius Robinson.
Amanda Bitler — Youth Initiative Award
This recipient has made strides in the Storytellers program for the past two years as an actor, as well as serving as a teaching assistant for many classes. She aided in the execution of this years RLT Renaissance Faire, and glides around the theatre serving as a technician for any number of shows in the season. The third recipient of this year’s Youth Initiative award is Amanda Bitler.
Allyson Packer — Youth Initiative Award
This recipient who can’t be here tonight has been a Teaching Assistant since 2001. Her enthusiasm as a teaching assistant has never faltered, as well as her patience as a leader and a student. Our first Youth Initiative award goes to Allyson Packer.
Jamie Powell — Youth Initiative Award
This recipient came to the TA program with a vast amount of experience as a camp counselor, therefore being a tremendous asset to our classes in Apex. He was a wonderful role model for the numerous boys in the classes, took the lead in any directorial jobs he was given and helped to establish a real unity among the students. Our fourth recipient of the Youth Initiative award is Jamie Powell.
Catherine Winn — Youth Initiative Award
This recipient has been a long time member of our program, proving a leader in the classroom as a student as well as a teaching assistant. She has been a member of RLT’s Honor society, Storytellers Squared and has served with energy and enthusiasm whenever her heavy academic schedule allows her to. Our second Youth Initiative award goes to Catherine Winn.
Stephanie Cluggish — Senior Recognition Award
Participation at RLT Included Cinderella, A midsummer Night’s Dream, Tied to the tracks, Anansi–Tales of the Spider Man, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, New works festival 2002, 2003, and 2004, The RLT Teaching assistant program, and storytellers Squared.
Ruth Berry — Senior Recognition Award
Participation at RLT Included Once upon a mattress, Dames at Sea, Smokey Joes Café, Cinderella, Story Theatre, School House Rock Live, Robin Hood, Children of a Lesser God, Dance on Widow’s Row, New Works Festival 2004, Anansi, Little Fooleries, Tales of the spider man, RLT’s Teaching assistant program and Storytellers squared.
Timmy O’Connor — Senior Recognition Award
Participation at RLT included A midsummer Night’s Dream, John Lennon and Me, Tied to the Tracks, A Streetcar Named desire, Mother Hicks, Little Women, Anansi–Tales of the Spider Man, Macbeth, How Reading Came Back to Nowhere, The Crucible. Henry V, The New Works Festival 2002 and 2003, Teen Conservatory, RLT’s Teaching assistant program, and Storytellers Squared
William Thompson — Senior Recognition Award
Participation at RLT included HMS Pinafore, Once Upon a Mattress and heavy participation in RLT’s Teaching Assistant program.
Meredith Budlong — Senior Recognition Award
Participation at RLT included Smoke on the Mountain, The Emporer’s New Clothes, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Fiddler on the Roof, Jungalbook, Cinderella 17, 18 and 20, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 1940’s Radio Hour, H.M.S. Pinafore, Once Upon a Mattress, Henry V, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Tied to the Tracks, A midsummer Night’s Dream, and Honk. Technical credits include Tartuffe born again, I hate Hamlet, Smokey Joes Café, and A Streetcar Named desire. Teaching assistant for RLT and Recipient of a Wolfie award in 2003.
Adam Douglas Patterson — Senior Recognition Award
Participation at RLT included Cinderella 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fiddler on the Roof, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, New works festival 2002, 2003, and 2004, Anansi–Tales of the Spider Man, The Lunatic, The Lover and the Poet, Teaching assistant for RLT, Teen Conservatory, and a member of Storytellers Squared.
Anna Gettles – President’s Award
Our final award for the evening is called the President’s award. This award goes to the president of Storytellers Squared, our select teen honor society for Raleigh Little Theatre.
This recipient’s 7 years of service to RLT include roles in productions such as Mother Hicks, Macbeth, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead, Henry V, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Anansi–Tales of the Spider Man, The Crucible, The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet, Little Fooleries, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tied to the tracks, Robin Hood, and Pants and Poise. She has served as director, actor and writer in the New Works and Old Works Reworked Festivals 2002, 2003, and 2004. She has worked technically on many shows here at RLT, as well as volunteering for outside theatres as well. She has been a teaching assistant for close to four years. She is an active member of her community at Raleigh Charter High School, serving as a member of Amnesty International, The International Thespian Society, The Classical Society, and the Environmental Club. She won the Order of St. Michael award for her work in the 3 Years she has spent with the North Carolina Renaissance Faire. She has been in outside productions such as Romeo and Juliet for LiveWire Theatre Company and Much Ado About Nothing for Bare Theatre. She was a recipient of the 2003 Youth Achievement Award.
Some of the most stunning things about this incredible person are her attention to details, her constancy of energy, her incredible buoyancy of spirit, her forever need to include everyone, her mothering instincts, her striking presence on stage, whether she be clown or warrior. Her stakes are always sky high, and she is a constant grounding influence to students and teachers all around her. She is curious, joyful, extreme, careful, and wide, wide open to the world around her, her teachers, her directors and to her friends. She is an asset to any team. She is a true inspiration and Raleigh Little Theatre is truly lucky to have had her pass its threshold these many years. This year’s president award goes to Miss Anna Gettles.