By Courtney Dentch
Roll out the red carpet — the Academy Awards are coming to southeast Queens.
But this pool of paparazzi will be made up of parents and teachers as TEEM Productions hands out its own Oscars to District 29 students who have put on musicals and plays throughout the year at the annual Black Diamond Award ceremony scheduled for Jan. 4.
The nominees in the 41 categories are members of Teach Enlighten Empower Motivate Productions, a free non-profit after-school program in School District 29, said TEEM executive director and founder Claudia Aldamuy. The program was started in 1996 to help promote self-esteem and positive modes of expression among students, who range in age from 8 to 19, she said.
TEEM produces six shows a year — two each at the elementary school, middle school and high school levels — at schools within District 29, which covers Rosedale, St. Albans, Queens Village, Springfield Gardens, Fresh Meadows and Hollis. The students are responsible for everything on the shows, from acting to directing, set design to lighting, and costumes to props, Aldamuy said.
“We try to take every kid who wants to be part of the program,” she said. “We try to find a place for them.”
The Black Diamond Awards are given out annually to students who have grown and excelled under the program, Aldamuy said. The categories cover every aspect of the productions, and there are four nominees vying for each award, she said.
“It is a true Oscars ceremony,” Aldamuy said. “We try to make sure they’re all treated like gold.”
While winners go home with the Black Diamond Award, runners-up are also given ribbons, prizes and certificates of participation, she said.
This year’s nominees are being honored for their work on productions including “West Side Story,” the student-written “Tales from the Coffee Shop,” and “Close but No Cigar,” a cautionary tale about teenage pregnancy for high school students, Aldamuy said.
Award presenters slated to participate in the ceremony include community leaders such as state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans), Borough President Helen Marshall, District 29 Superintendent Michael Johnson, and school principals.
The program is also geared toward supporting school curriculum, with students putting on Shakespeare works including “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Taming of the Shrew” as they read them in class, Aldamuy said.
“The main thing we try to do is make sure they understand it,” she said. “We break it down, we sit in circle and everyone reads a part. By the time it’s over they can tell you everything about Shakespeare.”
The awards ceremony was scheduled for Jan. 4 aT 7 p.m. at Dante’s Catering Hall in Jackson Heights.
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 138.
