The Friends of Gwen Freeman Lehman Foundation, a non-profit 501c(3), will award one theatre arts scholarship in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) to a qualified senior graduating from Stephen Decatur High School each year. Students awarded a scholarship may reapply for a scholarship renewal in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) until their senior year of college.

Eligibility:
Applicants must be seniors graduating from
 Stephen Decatur High School in the current academic year
 who wish to pursue academic study at the college level in theatre. All graduating seniors with a desire to pursue the study of theatre at a college, university, or specialized school are eligible to apply.

The Scholarship must be used for enrollment in an accredited college program toward a degree in theatre. Scholarship monies may be used for tuition and fees only.

Application Process:
Applications may be accessed through the SDHS guidance department. See your guidance counselor or Keith Hall, Guidance Secretary. Applications must be submitted to the Friends of Gwen Freeman Lehman Foundation, in care of Philip Cropper, 108 Tail of the Fox, Berlin, MD 21811.
Application deadline is 2 pm, April 14, 2023. No late or incomplete entry will be accepted.

Complete entry will include:

  1. Application: May be typed or word processed. If handwritten, please write or print legibly, using black or blue ink.
  2. Recommendations: Please submit 2 letters of recommendation from teachers, artists, or theatre professionals who are familiar with your work.  The recommendations must be in a sealed envelope.
  3. Academic Transcript: Please attach a copy of your high school transcript.
  4. Personal Essay: Please tell us why you have chosen theatre as your arts field, what theatre means to you, and its importance both in your life and to your future goals.  Please limit your response to one typed page.
  5. Sample work: Applications must include a sample of your work in accordance with your primary interest in performance, scriptwriting, or technical theatre. See further description below.

Please be sure to complete both the entire application form and the necessary accompanying materials.

Sample Work Guidelines:
Applicants must submit sample work in accordance with their primary interest:

  • If your primary area of interest is performance, please submit online through YouTube a performance of a monologue.  The monologue must be taken from a play written for the stage, and not a monologue from television or film.  The monologue may be dramatic or comedic, and classical or contemporary.
  • If your primary area of interest is scriptwriting, please submit an electronic copy of a ten-minute play script.  Minimum number of pages should be 5 pages in 12-point type, or 10 pages in 14-point type. and a maximum of 10 pages.
  • If your primary area of interest is technical theatre, please submit no fewer than 3 renderings in the area of your choice; for example, costume designs, lighting designs, set designs, etc. These renderings may be from assignments given in a technical theatre class or from a specific script provided by the Scholarship Committee.

Selection Process and Scholarship Award:
Applications will be reviewed by members of the Friends of Gwen Lehman Foundation Board of Directors. Applicants should be available for an interview if requested. The Board of Directors will make the final decision and award the scholarship at the Stephen Decatur High School Community Senior Awards Ceremony. A check will be forwarded directly to the scholarship winner’s college or university.