Narrows Community Theater announces Betty Kash Scholarship Award winners

The Narrows Community Theater, one of Bay Ridge’s premier entertainment organizations, has announced the winners of this year’s Betty Kash Scholarship Awards.

On May 2, Sophia Imbriale of Holy Angels Catholic Academy, Reese Bannon of I.S. 201 and Samantha Diaz of P.S./I.S. 30 all received the prestigious Betty Kash Scholarship.

The Narrows Community Theater was founded in 1971 by community leaders

David Forsyth, Jim Moakler, Maureen Barry and Tony Micari, along with original board members Michael and Helen Sullivan, Emil and Rosalind Nejame, Betty Johnson, Patricia Olsen, Dawn Barry Hansen, Ray Peterson and Lola Kendzerskia among others. The first show they staged was “Anything Goes” in 1971.

Recent critically-acclaimed productions include “Mamma Mia,” “Into the Woods,” “The Pirates of Penzance in Concert” and “A Wonderful Life: The Musical.”

“One of our goals was to bring quality and affordable theater to the Bay Ridge area,” said Hansen. “And many people have worked very hard to accomplish those goals and believe that NCT has accomplished what it set out to do.”

According to Hansen, Kash was a longtime member of NCT who, in addition to performing and directing, loved working with children and sharing her talents and love of theater with them.

“She did so many things with NCT,” said Hansen. “She worked tirelessly on many shows, she directed shows, wrote plays and coached our actors. She also performed and entertained whenever she could. She brought so much joy and her wonderful talent to our group.”

Kash died in February 2012. “When she passed she asked that in lieu of flowers donations should be made to Narrows Community Theater,” said Hansen. “When we thought of what to do with the money that came in, we decided to make a scholarship in her name for eighth grade graduating students who were going on to pursue careers in theater, music, dance and vocal training.”

Since 2012, 17 deserving students have been awarded the Betty Kash Scholarship.