Christopher J. Hughes Abington Journal Reporter
WAVERLY – In a field full of talented individuals, artists regularly find themselves spending time not only producing their works but seeking ways to finance them.
Thanks to the F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship, distributed annually since 1964 by the Waverly Community House, two artists with ties to the area are receiving a little help. Filmmaker Rebecca Marshall Ferris and Marywood University student �lan Royster have been named the 2007 F. Lammot Belin Traditional and Student Arts Scholarship winners, respectively.
Raised in Ocean City, MD, Royster said, “I was born to perform. I know it.” She began private study at age 12 through Catholic University and the Curtis Institute of Music. She is a former regional champion in the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition and has been featured on National Public Radio and at Boston’s Jordan Hall.
She recently transferred to Marywood University, having started her baccalaureate studies in vocal performance for opera at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore, MD. “My mom (Maria Womer) is originally from Scranton, and she was the one who told me about Marywood,” Royster said. “I’m performing right now as a soprano. I have a very full voice according to my teachers. It’s not small by any means.”
Royster said she was told of her scholarship award the same day performed for the Selection Committee. “I had basically just gotten back from a break when they told me. I was just elated,” she said.
Set to graduate from Marywood in May of 2008, Royster said the $10,000 grant will help pay for her education and fund her travels to workshops and competitions. After graduation, she said she plans to continue her studies privately before beginning to perform.
“My dream has always been to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House in Manhattan. That would be phenomenal,” she said. “Being a performer is a tough road to go down, but I’m ready for it.”
Scranton native Marshall Ferris, who now resides in New York City, said she splits her time between the Big Apple and the Electric City, completing work on her project, “Miller’s Tale.” The project is a documentary on the life and cultural impact of Scranton playwright Jason Miller.
She admits that documentary work wasn’t her initial dream. As a student at the School of Visual Arts, she said she was drawn to fiction films and screenwriting. While working on a script about a jazz musician, she was introduced to legendary trumpet player Jonah Jones.
“We became really good friends, and his stories were just captivating,” Marshall Ferris said. The tales produced the documentary “Jonah and the Wail,” which was broadcast on the Independent Film Channel and earned her the 1999 F. Lammot Belin Scholarship.
“Once I got into documentaries, I couldn’t get out,” she said. “For me right now, I’m in love with dealing with real people and telling their stories.”
She was drawn to the idea of creating “Miller’s Tale” through her work and knowledge of his impact on the area. Miller acted in her first student film, she said. “Even after he’s gone, people are still talking about him. He’s still very much alive in this community,” Marshall Ferris said.
Just as her own film aspirations changed, Marshall Ferris said “Miller’s Tale” began as the story of a bust of the playwright to be created by actor Paul Sorvino. As more stories about him came through, the film took on a life of its own. “Not everyone in Scranton loves Jason, so this is a very honest piece,” she said.
It can be difficult to raise funds for a project, especially films, Marshall Ferris said. “Financial support is huge, but the biggest benefit is knowing that the community is behind you,” she said. “My life now is finding a way to support my art, and grant funding is crucial to documentary work.”
The $10,000 grant could buy her a piece of Miller’s history in film. One minute of archival footage of “The Exorcist” from Warner Bros. Entertainment would cost $10,000. “You can’t make the film without that footage,” Marshall Ferris said.
Upon completion, “Miller’s Tale” is scheduled to be broadcast nationally on PBS in the fall of 2008.
Marshall Ferris has also started Cottage Films, an independent, non-fiction film company, from her home office with fellow Scranton native Stephen Scalese and her husband, Jason Ferris, behind the cameras.
Want to go?
What: F. Lammot Belin Scholarship reception
When: Friday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Waverly Community House, 1115 N. Abington Rd., Waverly
Info: Reception is free to the public. Event includes performance by Arts Scholarship recipient �lan Royster and sneak preview of Scholarship recipient Rebecca Marshall Ferris’ documentary “Miller’s Tale.”
Want to apply?
Application deadline for 2008 is December 15, 2007. Registration fee is $15. Award increased to $15,000 for 2008 grant cycle. For details, call 586-8191, ext. 2, or visit www.waverlycomm.org.
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