Rye Student Awarded Emerging Young Artist Scholarship

On June 4, Rye Neck High School senior Kristina Dignelli was one of three students awarded The Palace Theatre’s 2018 Ernie DiMattia Emerging Young Artist Scholarship Award for writing original one-act plays. Each winner gets to see their work come to life during staged readings by professional actors at Stamford’s Palace Theatre.   

Dignelli was recognized, along with two students from neighboring Fairfield County, with a $500 second-place scholarship for her work, Nervous. The talented trio was celebrated at The Palace’s 9th annual gala in May.

Nervous reflects the playwright’s personal experiences, touching on how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. Dignelli, who is majoring in psychology and theater at the University of Rhode Island, says that writing has helped her throughout her life and is a huge part of who she is as a person today.

Launched in 2010, The Emerging Young Artist Scholarship Award is eligible to all high school students in Westchester and Fairfield Counties; recipients may include instrumentalists, composers, vocalists, actors, and playwrights.