By Adam Kramer
The nominees, ranging from age 8 to 19, all participate in Teach Enlighten Empower Motivate Productions, a youth-oriented theater program based in southeast Queens. The Black Diamond Awards held at IS 192 at 109-89 204th St. in Springfield Gardens were the organization's version of the Oscars and attracted more than 200 people Saturday night.
“The work that TEEM does is very important for the kids,” said Nat Washington, president of School Board 29. “The program helps the children to develop a sense of self-esteem. Without the program some of these students might be afraid to express themselves.”
He said the school board welcomes programs like TEEM, which are making a strong and successful effort to bring theater arts into schools in District 29 that lack arts education.
Claudia Aldamuy, who created the program along with her daughter Crystal, said she started the group because her home was a favorite after-school hangout for the neighborhood kids and she saw a need for a creative outlet so that the children could express themselves.
The not-for-profit, youth-oriented theater and arts program was started in 1996 and, according to Aldamuy, is the only after-school program of its kind in School District 29.
“The evening was a success with everyone winning,” said Aldamuy. “Everyone enjoyed themselves and the keynote speaker gave a profound speech of self-determination and self-awareness for the children.”
The keynote speaker was psychologist Jeffrey Gardere, who hosts a radio show on WLIB.
TEEM produces two musicals and two plays a year at PS 15 at 121-15 Lucas St. and IS 192, both in Springfield Gardens. The group's productions are a combination of plays and musicals, including an original TEEM-written and produced production.
Aldamuy said TEEM auditions children who want to participate in the program, which meets three times a week each semester and accepts between 25 and 40 kids, depending on the production.
The objective of the program was to fill the void created in the school system because of declining school budgets, which have forced the cuts in extracurricular and after-school activities, Aldamuy said.
“The evening is nice, exciting. I am really honored,” said Auset Mitchell, a 13-year-old Bayside HS student from Queens Village. She was honored with the Paul Robeson Award for general excellence.
“TEEM got me more involved in acting and made me more confident in my acting ability,” Auset said.
Previous Black Diamond winner Makedah Salmond, 13, of St. Albans, has been in four TEEM productions during the past few years. She said TEEM has enabled her to develop the confidence to become an actor. Her work with TEEM prepared her for recent auditions at Manhattan's Fiorello LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts and Talent Unlimited High School, also in Manhattan.
“TEEM helped me not to be nervous in front of an audience,” said Black Diamond winner John Cameron, 14, a St. Albans musician who attends Talent Unlimited High School. “Claudia and Crystal inspired me to go for anything you want and as long as you believe, you can do it.”
