The Plainville Choral Society (PCS) is excited to announce that the first Peter and Maryjane Peluso Scholarship has been awarded to Madison Howe, a senior at St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol.

This scholarship award is given to a high school senior who is planning on attending college in the fall with a major in music, musical theatre, performance or production. The award is in recognition of the 33 years that Peter and Maryjane Peluso ran a summer youth theatre program, with the goal of giving 8-to-13-year-olds an educational and enjoyable experience in musical theatre.

When the summer program ended in 2018, its remaining funds were returned to the Plainville Choral Society.

In the fall of 2022, the PCS Board of Directors made a decision to establish a scholarship to honor the Pelusos. The 2023 scholarship winner, Madison Howe, plans to attend DeSales University in the fall. 

The Plainville Choral Society also awards scholarships to students currently in college (sophomores and subsequent years) who are majoring in theatre, music, performance or production. These PCS scholarships are named after Isabel Watts and Suzanne Beckius, former members of the choral who were instrumental in bringing youth theatre to the community.

Earlier this year, the Suzanne Beckius Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Aneesa Aviles, who is studying costume design at Central Connecticut State University. Her design portfolio will be available for viewing at PCS’s Saturday, May 27 performance.