A 2007 graduate of Honesdale High School is the latest recipient of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Theatrical Alliance’s (NEPTA’s) annual scholarship for the performing arts.

Jackie Rose, 18, daughter of Beth and Joe Rose of Honesdale, will enter the freshman class at Indiana University of Pennsylvania this fall, majoring in music education. She was selected as the most worthy candidate during an application process that culminated in an audition on May 5 at Scranton High School. During the audition, Beth sang Pieta Signore, an Italian aria.

Beth has taken voice lessons since the seventh grade and also plays piano and flute. She was in her high school’s chorus, vocal ensemble, concert and marching bands (both as a musician and as drum major), and theatrical productions, including Bye Bye Birdie, The Wizard of Oz, and Pippin. Her senior project was helping to direct the middle school
production of Fiddler on the Roof. She plans to major in music education with a focus on performance. “So when I graduate, I’ll have the best of both worlds,” she said.

Although she’s now at home on stage, Beth admitted, “I had a big problem with stage fright.” She got over her fear when she attended the Wyoming Seminary Performing Arts Institute in Kingston during the summers of 2005 and 2006 “We performed (Kiss Me Kate) at the Kirby Center in front of 2,000 people,” she remembered. “I had the opening number and I had to stand on a stool. I just belted it out. It was the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had.”

This is the fourth year the NEPTA organization has awarded a scholarship. The grant is given to a graduating senior from a Northeastern Pennsylvania high school who plans to attend an accreditedcollege and major in either the performing arts or the education of the
performing arts.

NEPTA consists of nine community theater companies from Northeastern Pennsylvania whose mission is to promote and support all member theater companies, to foster communication among those theater companies, and to increase public awareness of its members. Besides awarding an annual scholarship, the organization holds an awards show every spring at the Hilton Hotel in Scranton to honor the achievements of its members.