By Dawn Januszkiewicz and Angela Marshall
The three are longtime members of the Kids for Kids Project, a group that travels around the country performing at theaters, concert halls and schools, spreading a message of inclusion, tolerance and kindness. The focus of the project is to show that kids can make a difference something all three Long Island high schoolers are committed to.
This weekend they will be helping with another benefit, performing as guest singers at the Foundation Fighting Blindness' annual Blind Wine Tasting Gala.
When Stuts, of Long Beach, was contacted by the foundation, he asked if his friends might join him. Since we are 15 and 16 years old, we will not be tasting any wine, he said. Hopefully, we will taste the joy our music will bring to the 1,500 people expected to attend.
In addition to their community service work, all three teens have long lists of theater, film and commercial performance credits. They do all this while getting high grades in school as well.
During their time with the Kids for Kids Project, the trio has traveled to dozens of cities, performed for more than 30,000 people and touched the lives of thousands more. What could be better than doing what you love while helping others? said Rice, of Rockville Centre, during a recent CBS-TV news interview.
Diana Rice
At 16, Rice has a career history many struggling actors would kill for. She appeared in her first commercial when she was just 4, launching a career in theater and television. She has since appeared in more than 50 commercials and print ads, several theater productions and a feature film.
Rice performed in A Christmas Carol at the Paramount Theatre in Madison Square Garden when she was 7 and 8. By age 9, she had appeared in her first feature film, Barney's Great Adventure as Abby. Among other performances, she has appeared at the Berkshire Theatre Festival with stars including Sandy Duncan.
Since age 10, Rice has been committed to the Kids for Kids Project, using performances for elementary-school children to teach them about disabilities and acceptance. She has also performed for parents, children and doctors at the Parent Project Conferences. These conferences always make me realize how lucky I am to be able to use my talents to help other people, she said.
Rice, an honor student at Holy Trinity High School, doesn't let work or community service get in the way of her social life. The gregarious teen said she has a collection of friends all around the country from all of her performances. Despite the fact that I audition in New York City and California occasionally, my life is pretty typical for a teenage girl, she said.
Rice is the editor of the school yearbook, a member of the student council and an avid shopper. I think Rockville Centre is a great place to live, to eat and to shop, she said, adding that her favorite place in the world is home. I love
Long Island. It's great to live in a place that's 15 minutes from the beach and 35 minutes from NYC.
Now she is seriously considering college, and has an interest in studying neuro-psychology. I really donÔt know what the future will bring for me, Rice said, but I know it's going to be good, and I love that feeling.
Steven Stuts
Stuts has an equally impressive list of credits, and if you've ever been to a community-theater production in Long Beach, you've probably seen him. He started singing at age 2, and his mother soon realized that he had a gift. By 7, he was acting as well.
I love being up there, he said of the stage, which he prefers to TV and movie parts because he thinks there is nothing like the applause and appreciation of a live audience. Through acting, Stuts said, he is free to express his emotions. It takes you into a whole other world, he continued.
In Stuts' case it takes him around the world as well. He has performed all over the U.S. But his favorite place to perform is in his own backyard New York City. [There is] nothing better than New York City, he said.
Traveling hasn't been all fun and games, but Stuts, a sophomore at Long Beach High School, thinks of the challenges he's faced along the way as part of the adventure. He recalled how, on a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyo., his plane skidded off the runway and had to make an emergency landing. During the same trip, the venue he was to perform in was robbed the night before the show.
As for giving up his free time to volunteer for the Kids for Kids Project and other charities, Stuts said he loves helping others. It's a great feeling, he said. Definitely worth it. There's nothing better.
His father, Rick, is impressed with his son's dedication. He is proud of the many, many times Steven has asked if it would be OK to turn down a paying job to do a show for Kids for Kids.
Stuts has his own Web site, www.stevenstuts.com, and is working with a manager. He isn't sure what the future will bring but can't imagine giving up the stage. But he is leaving his options open, making sure his schoolwork doesn't suffer. He said he hasn't scored below 100 on any test so far this year.
During the wine-tasting gala, Stuts and the girls will perform a medley of songs ranging from Broadway show tunes to pop hits. To see them in person at the gala, call (631) 366-3461. The benefit will take place at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Monday, Sept. 22.
