This post is in celebration for my great friend, Julia Morales. In response to the press release below this video, she called upon the support of her loving friend (that would be me) to produce a compelling video that would surely get her this much deserved scholarship. I joked with her that if she didn’t get selected then I would give up video production all together. I knew the video was a hit and show ’nuff, she got it! Love ya Jules and good luck in NYC!

NBC Universal and The PIT Partner in Diversity Scholarship

May 2, 2008: As part of their new Talent Diversity Initiative, NBC Universal is proud to announce its Improv Scholarship Program in partnership with The Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT) in New York City to support and promote diversity within the arts.

NBC Universal and The PIT will each sponsor one student for The PIT’s entire year-long improv program, which takes students from Level 1 to Level 5, and is taught by some of comedy’s newest and greatest talents including Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Rebekka Johnson and Ali Farahnakian.

“NBC is proud to join with the The PIT in sponsoring this vital scholarship that will encourage new voices within the minority community to learn valuable skills under the guidance of such an excellent program,” said Marc Hirschfeld, Executive Vice President, Casting, NBC Universal Television. “This involvement underscores NBC Universal’s continuing commitment to promote diversity.”

“I love the idea of working with NBC, it is the channel I grew up with,” said Ali Farahnakian, the owner and founder of The PIT, and former SNL writer. “To me NBC is television and the best it has to offer. To be in partnership with them in any way is an honor.”

“I am thrilled and honored that NBC has offered to sponsor a new and improved Improv Scholarship program here,” said Katie Goan, Managing Director of The PIT. “It’s exciting that more students will now be able to experience the joys of improv due to this promising partnership.”

All performers, particularly talented women and people of color with a strong desire to study improv, are eligible to apply. The candidate will submit an official Improv Scholarship application along with a five-minute DVD in which the candidate explains why he or she should be chosen and performs an original comedic work. The two scholarship recipients will be selected by The PIT and NBC Universal executives, and awarded in September.