So it’s no wonder that a group of Los Angeles-area alumni banded together to create a scholarship to help a current student.

They held cabaret performances, titled “The L.A.ker Effect,” which featured a variety of formats, ranging from short films written, performed and directed by Oswego alumni to sketch comedy, readings and musicals.

“I was able to attend the event each year and the connections they all make with each other — with their Oswego years as a common bond — are impressive,” said Theatre Professor Mark Cole ’73. “The events were very successful, not only in providing a reunion venue but also in raising significant funds for the scholarship.”

This year, the endowed scholarship was awarded to its first recipient: Nicholas Pike ’13.

“He is an excellent example of the type of major this scholarship celebrates: a versatile student, who has honed his performance skills and worked crews in several areas, someone who has demonstrated dedication and accomplishment and drive,” said Cole.

Pike is a theatre major with a concentration in acting and directing. A member of Blackfriars, he is also a member of the Oswego State diving team. After graduation, he hopes to go on to earn a master of fine arts in acting and stage management. He dreams of a career as a stage manager for a major entertainment event or for professional theatre.

“The SUNY Oswego theatre department has helped me grow as a performer, establish an understanding of most technical aspects of theatre, discover new passions as well as remembering old ones,” wrote Pike in thanking the committee for the scholarship.

“I am very lucky to be receiving this award and to be able to go to Oswego to learn more about what I love to do. One day I hope to lead by your example and return the favor to the program,” he added.

“We know of the long hours and tremendous dedication it takes to have an active part in theatre [at Oswego],” said Natascha Corrigan Aldridge ’96, one of the organizers of the effort. “Maybe with the help of the scholarship, a student who would have a part-time job to pay for books, might be able to perform [instead] and gain that priceless experience.”

Rehearsing for the upcoming production of “Speaking of Sheldon” are from left, Jessica Quindlen ’12, Rebecca Horning, Mark Cole ’73, Robin Curtis ’78, Michael Beshures ’12, Nicholas Pike ’13 and Clarissa Bawarski ’15.

Alumni unable to visit campus can still enjoy the show. The college plans to stream a performance on the Web in February.

“When the opportunity arose for the Theatre Department to participate in some way in the Sesquicentennial celebration, Tim Nekritz M ’05 suggested that I look at this text and I was immediately drawn to Sheldon’s ability to describe his life and times —particularly his rural upbringing which must have shaped his work ethic — in ways that not only offer a portrait of his development, but also fascinating bits of information about social life and education in the 19th Century,” Cole said.

A reader’s theatre approach to performance places a writer’s text in the foreground so that character and description — the writer’s style and voice — can be appreciated. In this new production, four student performers, Jessica Quindlen ’12, Michael Beshures ’12, Nicholas Pike ’13 and Clarissa Bawarski ’15, joined by Curtis will bring Sheldon’s words to life — from descriptions of his parents and farm life to his early experiences as a student, to his tender description of his courtship and marriage, and his sister’s record of his last days.

“I’ve known and admired Robin’s work for many years — having first seen her in shows at Oswego and later in musicals at Springside Inn Dinner Theatre, and then of course in film and television. We happened to work together for a Reader’s Theatre presentation I adapted for a dinner based on the story of the Titanic, presented by the Marine Museum in Oswego several years ago. Then through ARTSwego, we were thrilled to present a reading of her one-woman show, ‘A Good Girl,’ here in Waterman. When I approached her about participating in this performance she immediately said yes. It will be a great opportunity for our student performers to work with her.”