Recipients of this year's Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship are, from left, Rylee Amaral, Emma Layton, Addison Morgan, and Victoria King.
CHP awards four scholarships in 2026
The Court House Players awarded four $500 scholarships this year to applicants who met all the established criteria, excelled academically, and have actively participated in the organization over multiple years.
The Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship was given to Gloucester High School seniors Rylee Amaral and Emma Layton, Mathews High School senior Addison Morgan, and University of North Carolina School of the Arts junior Victoria King, a 2023 graduate of Gloucester High School.
“We were thrilled to have so many qualified and outstanding applicants for the Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship,” said CHP Children’s Committee Chair Aryah Williams. “After extensive review by our judges, it was determined that the four top-scoring applicants were all deserving of a scholarship. With the support of our community donors, we were able to give a scholarship to all four of these applicants—something we have never done before. We look forward to seeing all of these graduates continue to pursue their educational goals during their college years.”
Amaral is actively involved in soccer, various clubs and honor societies, and the theater. She will attend the University of Virginia this fall to study biology.
Layton has been performing since the age of 3 and is a member of the GHS band, choir and theater programs. She has been in many CHP productions, both on-stage and backstage. She will attend the College of William and Mary this fall, majoring in chemistry while continuing to pursue her passion for the arts.
Morgan has been a member of CHP since the age of 8, performing in numerous productions. She will attend Rappahannock Community College this fall to pursue an associate degree in education. By staying in Mathews, she hopes to continue following her passion for theater while working toward a career in teaching.
King is studying music composition at UNCSA, collaborating with artists of all disciplines, from the performing arts, to film, to the written word. Her pieces have been performed and recorded by multiple ensembles and orchestras, and she has gained experience in orchestrating and music directing for musical theater. She is a member of UNCSA’s ArtistCorps, working at Title I schools in Winston-Salem, N.C., as well as engaging with elders living with dementia, primarily through music.
The Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship was given to Gloucester High School seniors Rylee Amaral and Emma Layton, Mathews High School senior Addison Morgan, and University of North Carolina School of the Arts junior Victoria King, a 2023 graduate of Gloucester High School.
“We were thrilled to have so many qualified and outstanding applicants for the Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship,” said CHP Children’s Committee Chair Aryah Williams. “After extensive review by our judges, it was determined that the four top-scoring applicants were all deserving of a scholarship. With the support of our community donors, we were able to give a scholarship to all four of these applicants—something we have never done before. We look forward to seeing all of these graduates continue to pursue their educational goals during their college years.”
Amaral is actively involved in soccer, various clubs and honor societies, and the theater. She will attend the University of Virginia this fall to study biology.
Layton has been performing since the age of 3 and is a member of the GHS band, choir and theater programs. She has been in many CHP productions, both on-stage and backstage. She will attend the College of William and Mary this fall, majoring in chemistry while continuing to pursue her passion for the arts.
Morgan has been a member of CHP since the age of 8, performing in numerous productions. She will attend Rappahannock Community College this fall to pursue an associate degree in education. By staying in Mathews, she hopes to continue following her passion for theater while working toward a career in teaching.
King is studying music composition at UNCSA, collaborating with artists of all disciplines, from the performing arts, to film, to the written word. Her pieces have been performed and recorded by multiple ensembles and orchestras, and she has gained experience in orchestrating and music directing for musical theater. She is a member of UNCSA’s ArtistCorps, working at Title I schools in Winston-Salem, N.C., as well as engaging with elders living with dementia, primarily through music.
About the Court House Players
Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship
The Court House Players Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship is a purely donation-funded scholarship which supports graduating high school seniors and recent graduates who are continuing their education by attending a 2- or 4-year college or university or a vocational/technical school and have been active in the arts during high school. Recipients will be selected based on arts involvement, CHP participation, recommendation letter, transcript, volunteerism, and essay.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Student Type: Graduating high school senior or recent high school graduate
Minimum GPA: 2.0
Resides In: Middle Peninsula
School Type: Any
Affiliation: Prior involvement in the performing arts (theatre and music)
Major/Career: Any
College: 2-year, 4-year, community college, college, university or technical/vocational school
Degree Type: Undergraduate
Application Method: Online
Personal Essays: 1
Recommendations: 1
DONATIONS ACCEPTED FOR SCHOLARSHIP FUND
If you would like to help us support the youth of Virginia's Middle Peninsula who are involved in the arts, please click the following link to donate to the Court House Players Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship Fund:
https://tinyurl.com/Lusher-Scholarship
Donations may also be sent via check or money order to The Court House Players, PO Box 643, Gloucester, VA 23061 ATTN: Scholarship Fund.
The Court House Players is a 501(c)(3) organization. A financial statement is available upon written request from the Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218, or OCRPregulatory@
Past scholarship winners
Taryn Legg, a graduate of Gloucester High School, received the Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship of $1000 for the 2025-2026 academic year.
2024-2025
Avery Watkins, a Gloucester High School graduate, was the first recipient of the Court House Players Dick Lusher Memorial Scholarship. She received $500 for the 2024-2025 academic year.
While in high school, Avery received awards and honors in academic, athletic and artistic areas, and was continuously involved in a wide range of activities, including the arts since early childhood, several sports, a part-time job, and her church. She was an outstanding example of selfless volunteerism. She matriculated to the University of Lynchburg in 2024.
Best of Virginia four years in a row!
For four years in a row, CHP has been voted among the top three in the category of Best Professional/Regional Performing Arts Company in the Eastern Region of Virginia in "Virginia Living" magazine's Best of Virginia annual ratings.
