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Penn State Musical Theatre Student Wins Prestigious Award from Princess Grace Foundation

11/14/2003—Carly Hughes, a senior in the B.F.A. musical theatre program, has been awarded the Grace LeVine Theatre Award and a theatre scholarship from the Princess Grace Foundation, a national organization that annually honors and provides grants to aspiring artists in film, dance, theatre and playwriting. Established in 1982 by H.S.H. Prince Rainier and His family, the Foundation was named in honor of Princess Grace of Monaco, who sought to help young artists pursue their goals throughout Her lifetime. Past honorees include Tony Kushner, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Angels in America; Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants; and Kate Robin, writer/producer on HBO's drama Six Feet Under.

Hughes, who was crowned Miss Penn State in January 2003, has worked with several professional theatres, including Pennsylvania Centre Stage, Seaside Music Theatre, West Virginia Public Theatre and Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. She was recently in the 2003 workshop of Robin Hood, a new musical, created by Martin Charnin (lyricist for Annie) and Thomas Meehan (writer of Annie and Hairspray). Her favorite roles include Sarah in Ragtime, Brenda in Smokey Joe’s Café, Diana Ross/Ikette in Beehive and Ronnette in Little Shop of Horrors. Following graduation this spring, Hughes plans to move to New York or Los Angeles to pursue a career on Broadway and/or in film.

For more information on the Princes Grace Foundation, visit www.pgfusa.org.