On April 28, three high school students will experience the joy of live theatre in a whole new way – as playwrights. Christopher Cesarano, of Tarrytown, New York; Mia Plugh, of Mamaroneck, New York; and Sydney Healey of Rye, New York; were named winners of The Palace Theatre’s 2025 Ernie DiMattia Emerging Young Artist Awards for their writing of an original one-act play. All three will witness their voices and visions come to life with a staged reading by professional actors at The Palace in Stamford.
Cesarano was awarded $500 for his play, “A Thousand Missed Messages;” Plugh, a junior at Rye Neck High School for “Ithaca Unspoken;” and Healey of Rye for her play “Breathing Room.” Plugh and Healey also both received $500 for their winning plays.
The Palace has brought in award-winning international director, choreographer and educator Luis Salgado who will direct the staged readings, which will be attended by the playwrights’ parents, teachers and friends as well as Stamford Center for the Arts board members.
“Congratulations to Christopher, Mia and Sydney for their excellent work,” said Michael Moran, president and CEO of The Palace. “Arts education is extremely important to The Palace. We are thrilled to welcome director Luis Salgado as well as all the actors and are excited to see how they will bring the unique vision of each young playwright to life.”
The Emerging Young Artist Awards was established in 2010 and is open to all high school students from Fairfield and Westchester counties. In 2015, the award was renamed for Ernie DiMattia, former president of The Ferguson Library in Stamford and a longtime Stamford Center for the Arts board member.
The staged reading on April 28 will begin with beverages and charcuterie at 6:30 p.m. with the reading beginning at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made by contacting Carol Bryan at cbryan@palacestamford.org.
The Palace Theatre is located at 61 Atlantic St. in Stamford.
The 1,600-seat Palace Theatre is dedicated to performing arts of all genres – music, dance, theatre and comedy. In addition to hosting world-renowned performers in each of those fields, the Palace partners with arts organizations like Orchestra Lumos and the Connecticut Ballet for their performances. The Theatre’s three floors encompass a deeper-than-typical Broadway-size stage, a café, a Learning Center, a theatre-long art gallery and a magnificent glass-walled promenade. The Palace is dedicated to providing exciting entertainment that enriches the cultural, educational, economic and social life of the community.
