Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 12-17-21

Feature
Middle School Student Is Youngest Honoree For Writing, Producing And Directing Play
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
Amanda Amaris Anthony is a dynamic soon-to-be teenager. The sev- enth grader at All Saints Academy and will turn 13 in January. The talented young lady is making her mark in the play/drama world.
Amanda recently won the “Best In Show” award.
Amanda says she has known that she wanted to write and direct for a long time. In kindergarten, she would make up stories and have her friends act out the parts. Every day, Amanda would “produce” a new episode.
This year, when she got a chance to produce and direct her own play, “The Fate of Destiny,” she jumped at the chance.
Amanda says that she loves writ-
AMANDA ANTHONY
.... Youngest Black female to earn Pro- ducer/Director title.
ing, directing, and producing, and it is hard to pick a favorite. She can create the scene she wants and move charac- ters around as she sees fit with direct- ing. Writing is also fun, creating structure and using her expansive vo- cabulary to convey feelings, moods, and motivations to characters.
Amanda won “Best in Show” of the entire festival, a Superior ranking and a 100% ranking as well. She is the first child and youngest thespian to re- ceive all these awards at the district level.
Amanda will be in competition again on her birthday weekend when she takes her play to the State compe- tition on January 15, 2022.
She is a member of the Drama Club at her school and has also started her own club, The Writing Club. More importantly, Amanda is a straight ‘A’
student and plays volleyball on the school’s team.
Amanda gives big thanks to her teacher, Ms. Elizabeth Lyons, for supporting her talent.
After high school, Amanda plans to attend Florida A & M as her parents, Adrian Anthony and Erin Waller, and grandmother, Yolanda Amos did. She then plans to attend Yale University for post-graduate stud- ies.
Amanda says that in the future, she will be able to reach the stars be- cause of her talented family, friends, and support system. She admires Will Packer, Ava DuVernay, Shonda Rhimes, and Oprah Winfrey and wants to achieve a status on levels with them.
Amanda believes “With God we can do all things.”
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2021 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY PAGE 9-A