The Perfomers of H.O.P.E. Have Been in the Local News! Check Out Their Stories:
(Stories Written and Displayed in The Herald Mail, NBC25, The Record Herald, and Martinsburg Journal)
MarylandTeens to perform concert tonight in Hagerstown to benefit toddler with brain cancerHAGERSTOWN — A group of 18 teenagers will perform a benefit concert tonight at 8 to raise money for a 2-year-old boy with brain cancer. Corey Kitchen was diagnosed with malignant brain tumors June 27 and will begin chemotherapy next week. All of the money raised will go directly to the Kitchen family to help with medical costs. Dustin Perrott and Robbie Soto, both 18, wanted to do something charitable and when they recently learned of Kitchen's circumstances, they knew they had found the right cause, Perrott's mother, Dawn Caudo, said. The concert, which will feature music ranging from Elvis Presley and The Beatles to more modern songs and dances, will be at the Bridge of Life Church, 14 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $7.50 for students and children. Additional donations will be collected at the concert or can be given to the Corey Kitchen Fund at Health Care Family Federal Credit Union at both Washington County Hospital and Robinwood Medical Center. Free parking is available at the Arts and Entertainment Parking Deck, accessible from both East Washington and Antietam Streets
Music and Dance Group Raise money for Teen with Cancer
HAGERSTOWN, MD - Some might call it "good music" for a "good cause."
"The Performers of H.O.P.E." are hoping to provide the community with "A Night To Remember." Proceeds from the show will go to the family of Josh Forsythe, a 15-year-old boy fighting a rare form of cancer. Thursday night's performance will feature many students from throughout Washington County and a few from the surrounding area. They'll be singing and dancing to a variety of tunes from the 1940s to the present day. "We're not going to be able to pay all their medical bills, but we'll let them come out for a night, put a smile on their face, give them some money for a car payment or mortgage. Every little bit helps," says Robbie Soto, the group's director and founder. Thursday's performance will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Kepler Theatre on the campus of Hagerstown Community College. "H.O.P.E." stands for "Helping Our People Everywhere." Chorus Performs for Cancer Survivor
WASHINGTON COUNTY, MD - A group of high school students are gearing up to perform for a special faculty member. Members of North High's Chorale Department took to the stage Wednesday evening to practice for a "Rock and Roll" themed show. The students said they are honoring the school's head secretary, Marge Gossard, who has been battling breast cancer for years. She told students she enjoys watching them perform, so the chorale group decided to put on a show in her name. Gossard wants the funds raised from Thursday's performance to be given back to North High. Students said although she won't be able to attend the show, they are planning to have it taped for her to watch. "It's tough to see her going through all this pain. I just wish her the best and I hope that this brings her some happiness," said director Robbie Soto. The Chorale Department's show will be held on Thursday, May 31st at 7 p.m. in North High's auditorium. For more information on tickets, contact North Hagerstown High School at (301) 766-8238. Adult tickets are $6, seniors will be charged $5, and children 3-years-old and under are free. NBC25 Video For Reminisce  The Herald Mail 'Reminisce' provides hope and help through theaterHAGERSTOWN — Robbie Soto knows the feeling of regret. Soto, 20, of Hagerstown, wishes he had treated his mother, Maria Mauriello, better during most of his teenage years. When he was 17, he wised up and got his relationship with her on track. Only several months later, though, she was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. “I knew I had taken her for granted,” Soto said. “And I knew I was going to lose her.” Just after her diagnosis, Soto began to work through his emotions by writing the play “Reminisce.” Three days after she passed away on Nov. 6, 2009, he cast the show and began rehearsals. “I want to change people’s mind-sets as far as how they treat their friends and family,” he said. Soto had an opportunity to influence an audience of nearly 200 people Saturday night during a performance of “Reminisce” at The Maryland Theatre. The play depicts a grandfather, portrayed by Soto’s uncle, Ralph Mauriello, telling a bedtime story to his granddaughters. The story details the journey of the character’s relationship with his deceased wife through a series of flashbacks. “I want people to leave the theater and call their mom, girlfriend, boyfriend, brother, sister, friend, whoever, and just say, ‘Hey, I love you and I am glad you are in my life,’” Soto said. This is not Soto’s first attempt at helping people through theater. The group that presented the show, Performers of H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Everywhere), was founded on the premise of helping people. As a North Hagerstown High School student, Soto was a member of the chorus. He and his friend, Dustin Perrott, learned that school secretary Marjorie Ann “Marge” Gossard, an avid supporter of their shows, was ill and wouldn’t be returning to school. So they founded Performers of H.O.P.E. and did a show in her honor. Since then, the group has been producing original shows to benefit people in need. Soto said Performers of H.O.P.E. raised around $3,000 for the family of 2-year-old Corey Kitchen, who was diagnosed with malignant brain tumors. He said another show raised more than $1,000 for the family of Joshua Forsythe, a Williamsport High School student who was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma. Proceeds from “Reminisce” will be used a little differently, but still with the goal of providing assistance to someone. Most of the roughly 25 Performers of H.O.P.E. are age 25 or younger. “A lot of us are struggling to pay our way through college,” Soto said. “Money from this show will go to a fund to provide a scholarship to someone who wants to study performance.” Shalisha Nason, 25, of Hagerstown, said she went to the play to support her sister, cast member Sharayah Nason, and the rest of the Performers of H.O.P.E. “They always put on really good shows,” Nason said. “They are extremely energetic, and the shows are clever. They are really smart in the way they put it together and present it.” Jay C. Constantz, executive director of The Maryland Theatre, said the performance group approached him about using the venue in early December. |  The Martinsburg Journal Theatre group goes beyond stage By Clifford Kurt - Special to the Journal POSTED: January 9, 2010
What: Reminisce, an original play written and directed by Robbie Soto The troupe was founded as a mission to help others. But today, the four-year-old organization is honoring one of its own. Project H.O.P.E., "Helping Our People Everywhere," was established by a group of high Rather than let their efforts end with that single fundraiser, the Hagerstown-area group carried on, performing musical revue shows each year, donating proceeds to area needy families. And this year, their fundraiser is also a tribute to the founder's Mom. Robbie Soto wrote and is directing "Reminisce," which will be performed Saturday night at the Hagerstown Theater. The play was written as a tribute to Soto's mother, Maria Mauriello. "When I was younger, I took her for granted," the group's founder said. "This play is about being thankful for what you have every day (and) not taking anything for granted, no matter how small it is." Soto's mother suffered from lung cancer. He had hoped she would be able to see "Reminisce" staged, but she passed away two months ago. Fortunately, he says, she read the play a couple of weeks before she passed. Soto's uncle and Maria's brother, Ralph Mauriello, said Maria was pleased. "She was very proud of her son for what he's doing with this group," he said. Ralph was cast in the role of Old Mike just two days after Maria's death. "It's a very serious honor to be able to do this in her memory," he said. The play features Old Mike telling his granddaughters how he and their since-deceased grandmother met. His storytelling is interspersed with flashbacks to story elements as they are acted out on stage. The flashbacks take place in modern time, with the storytelling occurring many years in the future. Dustin Perrott plays Young Mike. He and Robbie have been friends for several years, and he says he appreciates the "This means more to me than what it might mean to people who didn't personally know Maria," he said. His co-star, Sharayah Nason, plays Beth, Mike's love interest. This show marks her third with Performers of H.O.P.E. "It's been really cool to see the group grow," she said. This year, the group is departing from its tradition of helping a needy family, instead putting proceeds into a scholarship fund for a student attending a performing arts school. Details are still being ironed out, said the group's business manager Britney Ellifritt. Once the group has determined the amount of money available for scholarship, they'll announce the application process, expected to occur in the fall, she said. The cast and crew are dedicated to the community service aspect of the project. Ellifritt says cast members are costuming themselves and are donating props. And they're enjoying a kinship with Maria, even those who didn't get a chance to know her. Said Ellifritt, "We keep her picture with us during rehearsals. Everyone knows we're doing it for her. Maria's picture will be on display in the theater lobby, and a special tribute to her will be included in the show's program. Even as the group's leaders prepare for this weekend's show, they're looking to the organization's future. Work is underway to obtain official state and federal designations as a charitable organization so that their public service efforts can continue. Ellifritt said, "We've gotten ourselves this far. How much further can we go?" The Record Herald Actors provide H.O.P.E in Hagerstown Hagerstown, Md. - A group of local young people with a passion for theater and helping those in need is taking those interests to a new level. | |||
