RUTH BROTHERS COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Venice Theatre Guild provides scholarships of varying amounts up to $2,000 to deserving undergraduate students who are pursuing an education in the Performing Arts at an accredited community college or university.  Annual awards are based upon the financial need, community service and the projection of success in reaching the applicant's academic goals. Applicants must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Scholarships were recently awarded to a new group of students at the Guild's luncheon on April 24, 2010.

Please contact David Lynn-Jones at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information about this scholarship program.

Congratulations to this year's scholarship recipients! Pictured here are five of our seven 2010 scholars. From left to right, Natasha Turner, Ally Tufenkjian, Katie Graves, Lauren Smith and Alexa Teebo

GABRIELA GORKA - Gabriela is a graduate of Venice High School and has been accepted at Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA as a Theatre Production and Sound Design major. She is a National Merit Scholar and was an apprentice in Venice Theatre’s Technical Apprentice Program. Her specialty, she says, is” making bangs, crashes and weird noises” for the sound department.

ALEXA TEEBO - Alexa graduated from North Port High School, and is planning to attend the University of West Florida as a Musical Theatre major. She has performed in many productions at North Port High School and Venice Theatre, where she appeared in West Side Story (as Consuelo)  as well as in  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Oklahoma. She was voted best actress in the International Thespian Society troupe at North Port High School.

KATHLEEN GRAVES - Kathleen is a freshman majoring in Theatre at Florida Gulf Coast University.  After graduation, she hopes to obtain a Master’s Degree from either Savannah College of Art and Design or the University of Alabama in Theatre Education. She is a previous Venice Theatre Guild Scholar and has volunteered in many Venice Theatre productions.

NATASHA TURNER - Natasha is from Port Charlotte and has performed in many productions with the Port Charlotte Players as well as with Venice Theatre. She has studied both music and dance and is currently studying at Manatee Community College where her minor is dance. She hopes to attend a college in the New York area and to major in Theatre and Psychology.

ALYSSA HUNEK - Alyssa is a Music major at Southern Methodist University. She has performed in numerous productions at Venice Theatre since she was eight years old. Her most recent appearance was as Maria in The Sound of Music. She has also been active in other theatre and choral events.

LAUREN SMITH - Lauren is a past Venice Theatre Guild Scholar and is in her first year at the University of Tampa where she is studying for a B.A. in Performing Arts Musical Theatre. After graduation, she hopes to start performing professionally. Lauren has appeared in many productions at Venice Theatre and at The Players of Sarasota, where her most recent role was Amy in Little Women.

ALLY TUFENKJIAN - Ally graduated two years early from Pine View School and has been accepted at the Eugene Lang College at the New School for Liberal Arts. She is a National Merit Scholar and is well known at Venice Theatre, where she has appeared in MainStage, Stage II and Generations productions since the age of eight, when she played Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker.