TCTC is pleased to announced the winner of the 2010 Jean Samford Scholarship: Kayla Belk, who is graduating from Winona High School as class salutatorian.
 
The Samford Scholarship was established in 2009 by Jean's daughters, Sara Dean and Sunday Hooper, in memory of their mother and the contributions she made to community theater during her lifetime. To read more about Jean's activities as a board member, actress, and backstage worker, please click here.
 
The scholarship is given to a graduating senior who, in the opinion of members of the education committee, has made significant contributions both backstage and onstage. Kayla has amply demonstrated her growth from the time she first came to TCTC in 2006. She volunteered for backstage work for A Christmas Toy Shop, Animal Farm, and the 2009 revival of Best of Broadway and learned tech, all the while continuing to audition and honing her acting skills.
 
Rewards came in the form of the principal woman's role in House of the Seven Gables in spring 2009. Kayla showed her comedic ability as the heroine, Lindy Lu Cindy Sue, of the December 2009 British pantomime, Chipper, a Texas Cinderella. She's also been seen onstage at TCTC in A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Arabian Nights, A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, and most recently, The Chalk Garden, in which she played two roles. In the summer of 2008, she sang and danced in Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Lake County Playhouse in Mineola. She has volunteered as a teacher's assistant with STAR, TCTC's summer program, in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
 
Her activities at Winona High School include the presidency of the International Thespian Society and membership in the National Honor Society and student council. A letter from President Obama testifies to her President's Service Award for community service.
 
To develop her dance skills, Kayla attended the Beginnings Workshop in New York City, where she performed off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre. She teaches dancers ages 3-8 at Steppin' Out and Turning Pointe Dance Studio, where she was a member of the drill team for 2009-2010.
 
Kayla's long-time goals are theater-based, starting with an associates degree in musical theater from Tyler Junior College. She hopes to go on to a four-year university with a strong theater program to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theater.
 
And, as is the dream of any theater major, Kayla hopes to move to New York City and act professionally!
 
Kayla is the daughter of Lisa and Robert Kennedy and Tim Belk. Her siblings are Barrett and Bryan Gribble and Stephen and Zachary Belk. In the past, she has shared the TCTC stage with Zach, and in July 2010 both Kayla and her dad, Tim, will be seen in the cast of the Lake Country Playhouse's Man of La Mancha.

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TCTC is honored to be the recipient of the Jean Samford Scholarship, created in memory of the late Jean Samford by her daughters, Sara Dean and Sunday Hooper. This scholarship is to be awarded annually to a qualified graduating high school senior.

In 2008, Jean’s granddaughter, Caitlin Dean, received a scholarship from TCTC. Jean’s daughters have pledged to continue this tradition of providing scholarship funds to deserving TCTC student volunteers in memory of their mother’s fervent advocacy of community theatre and children’s theater education.

Jean’s stage debut in the Tyler Little Theatre stage at age 16 whetted her appetite for participating both onstage and offstage throughout the years. She saw Tyler Little Theatre become Tyler Civic Theatre and worked hard to promote the change to Tyler Civic Theatre Center, which encompasses both the Rogers Theatre as well as the larger Braithwaite Theatre, both in the round.

She was proud to be a member of the theater’s board of directors for 39 years and served in many capacities. Each year, she always tried to be in one play onstage or work on a production in some manner.

Some of her favorite plays in which she appeared were The Loretta Young Show, Arsenic and Old Lace, Blithe Spirit, Janus, See How They Run, and Social Security. During the 1983-1984 season, she was thrilled to perform in the melodrama Gold in the Hills with her daughter, Sunday Hooper, and grandson, Dr. Justin Hooper.

She loved to educate the community about TCTC. She and her dear friend and fellow board member, Joyce Paro, would take their one-act play, "Meet Me at Forest Lawn," to different civic organizations in East Texas to entertain and educate the members about TCTC and the importance of community theater.

After Jean’s death in 2006, her generosity continued as her daughters loaned valuable pieces of antique furniture for sets, knowing their mother would have unhesitatingly done so. Jean’s family continues to serve the theatre as donors, actors, choreographers, producers, and backstage support.

Because of the Samford Scholarship, this year there will be two winners of $500 scholarships: Jared Clayton and Audrey Tarbutton, both of Tyler. As required of a scholarship winner, both young persons have worked backstage and in the tech booth as well as appearing onstage.

Jared, son of Bud and Becky Clayton, comes from a family that, like Jean Samford’s, has been immersed in theater. He, older brothers Heath and Ben, and younger sister Laura have all acted in To the Point, a group that performs plays written by their mother with a Christian message. The Clayton brothers are founders of the Fellowship of Christian Swordsmen. Jared has been an assistant instructor for the theater's stage combat workshops, and with his brother, Ben, he taught a stage combat workshop for the Texas Nonprofit Theatre Association.

Jared is a member of the theate’'s 2009 U.K. Troupe. He has successfully taken LAMDA exams in both 2008 and 2009. Beside onstage appearances, Jared has assisted with STAR and Acting Conservatory for the past five years, often operating the Rogers’ robotic lights (a skill very few people have). His onstage appearances include Rogers season productions, summer musicals, Acting Conservatory productions, New Play Festivals, and both productions of Poe’s Midnight Dreary, which was successful at the Texas Nonprofit Theatre Association's youth convention.

Jared, 17, is homeschooled and took courses at TJC as he finished his senior year in high school, maintaining a 4.0 GPA.. He plans to CLEP his initial college degree, using testing by examination and distance learning to achieve his first degree. His interests include karate, volleyball, hanging with his friends, and theatrical stage combat.

Audrey Tarbutton, daughter of Andy and Michelle Tarbutton, has participated in the performing arts not only at TCTC but through her church, Green Acres Baptist. She is a member of the Praise Alive youth choir, manager of the drama team for the 110 student ministry, and a volunteer with the children's choir. She's been on mission trips to Toronto, Chicago, Mississippi and Indonesia.

Audrey has been onstage at TCTC in season, Conservatory and STAR productions and volunteered as a camp assistant for STAR. Her first season show was The Miracle Worker, and since then she’s been seen in The Christmas Toyshop, The Princess and the Pea, Poe’s Midnight Dreary, Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella.

When choosing scholarship recipients, TCTC looks at contributions made backstage, where there may be little credit and no applause. Audrey has been a stage manager and box office manager and has run sound and lights in the tech booth. She co-produced The Secret Garden and The Little Prince.

Audrey, who has been homeschooled, will enter TJC to begin work toward her elementary education degree, fulfilling her long-term ambition of teaching children. She hopes, at the same time, to pursue an A.A. degree with concentration in theater, with the goal of teaching theater outside the school setting.

Formal presentations to Jared and Audrey were made at the theater’s annual meeting on July 14.