Former soccer star turned theater standout earns Gamm Theater Fellowship for 2022–23
Former soccer star turned theater standout earns Gamm Theater Fellowship for 2022–23
September 19, 2022
Warwick, RI – Community College of Rhode Island Class of 2022 graduate and Pawtucket,
RI, native Ednilson “Eddy” Tavares is one of three theater students joining the 2022–23
Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theater’s Gamm Fellowship Program, created to provide on-the-job
training and educational opportunities for emerging artists of color.
The Gamm Fellowship is a paid, 10-month program in which fellows work alongside theater
professionals engage in all areas of creative, administrative, and educational theater-making.
Each fellow is also paired with an advanced career mentor, who will provide guidance
on how to succeed in the theater industry.
“I’m excited for this opportunity and thankful for all the help CCRI’s Theater Department
has given me,” Tavares said. “From the guidance to the script work, they were tremendous.
I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t come to CCRI.”
Tavares, 21, attended Shea High School for three years before transferring to the
Jacqueline Walsh School for the Arts as a senior to begin focusing on theater. He
also interned at The Gamm as part of the theater’s Gamm Summer Intensive (GSI) program,
a summer session for young actors to sharpen their skills, which gave him his first
opportunity to perform in front of a live audience.
Theater, however, was still a hobby for Tavares when he enrolled at CCRI. He dreamt
of playing professional soccer, but the COVID-19 pandemic canceled CCRI’s 2020 season,
so, at the behest of the college’s Theater Program Director Ted Clement (who later
nominated him for the Gamm Fellowship), joined CCRI’s student-run theater group, The
Players. Tavares rediscovered his passion as a performer, starring in Detroit ’67, I And You, Water by the Spoonful, Three Years From Thirty, and Othello.
Within the past year, he was a semifinalist for the Region 1 Kennedy Center American
College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, performed in the
staged reading of the National Playwriting Program’s award-winning play Closing Costs on 6101 Nyanza Park Drive APT D6 Flushing, NY 11351, and played his first and only season for CCRI’s soccer team as the starting goalkeeper.
Tavares credits his limited time on the field with keeping him disciplined, which,
he says, “I bring with me to theater.” During the Players’ production of I And You in October, Tavares stopped eight shots in the soccer team’s 5-1 win over Bristol
Community College on a Saturday and then four nights later hit the stage for the show’s
premiere. As pressure mounted from both sides, Tavares decided to pursue Theater as
a career and graduated from CCRI last spring with an Associate Degree in General Studies
and a Theater/Acting concentration.
“Once I started taking theater more seriously, I noticed a lot of opportunities were
coming to me more naturally,” Tavares said. “I thought to myself, ‘Why would I love
it as a hobby instead of making it a career path?’ I started to do my research, read
books, read plays, and just began studying different methods.”
Tavares will be mentored during his fellowship by Sophia Blum, a stage and film actress,
teaching artist for both The Gamm and Moses Brown School, and independent monologue
coach.
“I’m looking forward to helping in any way I can and absorbing as much information
as possible,” Tavares said. “I want to study script analysis, specifically how to
dissect a script and approach my dialogue in a certain way. There’s no better place
to learn than The Gamm.”
Michael Marrapodi has joined CCRI as the new Executive Director of Online Learning. He has been involved with education since teaching music at a private school during his senior year of college in 1976 and is now an innovative leader in the online learning sector.
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The Community College of Rhode Island's (CCRI) student-run theatre group, the CCRI Players, proudly marks half a century of participation in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 1, held this year at Central Connecticut State University. Over the five-day event, the Players distinguished themselves by securing 10 awards across various disciplines, including acting and properties design.
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Beginning today, the CCRI Players launch a four-day run of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable, produced by CCRI Performing Arts Professor Luke Sutherland and scheduled for five performances at the college’s Providence Campus Auditorium. Showtimes are 7:30 pm Thursday through Saturday with 2 pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
Michael Marrapodi has joined CCRI as the new Executive Director of Online Learning. He has been involved with education since teaching music at a private school during his senior year of college in 1976 and is now an innovative leader in the online learning sector.
Second-year Biology student, PTK scholar helps feed the homeless one sandwich at a time
November 26, 2024
Eighteen-year-old Rhode Island Promise scholar and Warwick, RI, resident Lucas Johnson revived an old family tradition this past summer with Sandwich Party Sundays – a unique opportunity to spread joy and good cheer to Providence's homeless population each weekend at Kennedy Plaza.
A Providence, RI, native, and Community College of Rhode Island Class of 2011 alumna, Flavia A. Albert, M.A., is on the verge of releasing her first children's book next month to combine her passion for behavioral health and early childhood development with her love for storytelling.
CCRI Dental Hygiene Clinic to Host Free Sealant and Fluoride Community Day for Children & Teens
March 31, 2025
The CCRI Dental Hygiene Clinic’s upcoming Sealant and Fluoride Community Day on Friday, April 25, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Lincoln Campus will provide free dental sealants and fluoride treatments for children and teens ages 6 to 17. The event will be led by CCRI’s dental hygiene students, who will provide preventative care under the supervision of licensed professionals.
Lucas Johnson Named Rhode Island's 2025 New Century Transfer Scholar
March 17, 2025
Warwick, RI- Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) student and Warwick resident, Lucas Johnson, has been named a 2025 New Century Transfer Scholar and will receive a $2,250 scholarship.
Governor McKee, CCRI Announces Launch of Associate Degree in Culinary Craftsmanship
March 07, 2025
NEWPORT, RI – Governor Dan McKee and the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) today announced the launch of an associate in arts degree in Culinary Craftsmanship on CCRI’s Newport Campus in fall 2025. To support this initiative, Governor McKee is proposing $850,000 to create a Culinary and Hospitality hub at CCRI’s Newport Campus. The hub will serve as a state-of-the-art learning environment designed to meet the growing demand for skilled culinary professionals in Rhode Island’s workforce.
CCRI Metallica Scholars: Forging Paths to Success in Healthcare
March 05, 2025
For students like Esther Duran, of Providence, Wanda Wrobleski, of Cumberland, and Richard Garcia, of Providence, the journey to a fulfilling career in healthcare has been transformed thanks to the Community College of Rhode Island and the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI). Funded by a $75,000 grant from the legendary rock band’s foundation, All Within My Hands, this initiative provides financial support to students enrolled in CCRI’s Medical Assistant and Patient Support Specialist workforce training programs—helping to alleviate financial burdens and empower students to focus on their education and career goals.
CCRI Women's Basketball Team Punches Ticket to National Tournament
March 05, 2025
Warwick, RI- The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Women’s Basketball teamshowcased their dominance once again in the NJCAA Region XXI Conference, securing the regional title for the fourth year in a row and, punching their ticket to the National Tournament.
WARWICK, RI – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Players continue their 2024–25 season with a bold and thought-provoking production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins, running March 6–9 at the Bobby Hackett Theatre on CCRI's Knight Campus.
The Community College of Rhode Island's (CCRI) student-run theatre group, the CCRI Players, proudly marks half a century of participation in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 1, held this year at Central Connecticut State University. Over the five-day event, the Players distinguished themselves by securing 10 awards across various disciplines, including acting and properties design.
February marks Black History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans in this country; a time to acknowledge the lasting achievements of the people of the African diaspora who have shaped American history; and a time to walk alongside today’s Black leaders as they lead the work to create a truly anti-racist, inclusive community for all.
The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Fall 2024 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher this semester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
World Languages student and Rhode Island native wins fifth Emmy Award for film-editing technology
December 13, 2024
Cranston, RI, native Thomas Ohanian, a World Languages & Cultures student completing his independent study, recently won his fifth Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award for co-inventing the Avid Multicamera System, a technology that has revolutionized the film-making and editing industry.
College's Division of Workforce Partnerships earns 2024 PACE-RI Academic Partnership Award
December 12, 2024
The Community College of Rhode Island’s Division of Workforce Partnerships has won the 2024 PACE-RI Academic Partnership Award for its work in developing free training programs to help upskill more than 50 employees through online trainings and in-person courses at PACE’s East Providence, RI, headquarters and CCRI’s Providence Campus.
CCRI Players tackle themes of doubt and uncertainty with final production of fall semester
December 12, 2024
Beginning today, the CCRI Players launch a four-day run of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable, produced by CCRI Performing Arts Professor Luke Sutherland and scheduled for five performances at the college’s Providence Campus Auditorium. Showtimes are 7:30 pm Thursday through Saturday with 2 pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
Michael Marrapodi has joined CCRI as the new Executive Director of Online Learning. He has been involved with education since teaching music at a private school during his senior year of college in 1976 and is now an innovative leader in the online learning sector.
Second-year Biology student, PTK scholar helps feed the homeless one sandwich at a time
November 26, 2024
Eighteen-year-old Rhode Island Promise scholar and Warwick, RI, resident Lucas Johnson revived an old family tradition this past summer with Sandwich Party Sundays – a unique opportunity to spread joy and good cheer to Providence's homeless population each weekend at Kennedy Plaza.
A Providence, RI, native, and Community College of Rhode Island Class of 2011 alumna, Flavia A. Albert, M.A., is on the verge of releasing her first children's book next month to combine her passion for behavioral health and early childhood development with her love for storytelling.
September 19, 2022 
