Way to Go! Newfield student thrives on stage
Ally Short has performed such lead roles as Elsa in a production of Disney's "Frozen" by Hauppauge-based SoLuna Studio and Ariel in a school production of "The Little Mermaid."
Credit: Middle Country Central School District
A Newfield High School student with a passion for performing has been proving her chops in everything from community theater productions to singing competitions.
Ally Short, a senior at the school in Selden, has performed such lead roles as Elsa in a production of Disney's "Frozen" by Hauppauge-based SoLuna Studio and Ariel in a school production of "The Little Mermaid." She is also a three-time first-place winner of the Middle Country Public Library's "Island Idol" competition and placed second in a countywide contest called "Suffolk's Got Talent in 2019."
"Life itself can be stressful, but when you don't have to think about yourself for a little bit and you can become a character that you can relate to, it makes it a lot more interesting," said Short, 17.
Short is also a songwriter who has posted four original songs on platforms including Apple Music, iTunes and Spotify. In addition, she has volunteered singing for residents of Sunrise Senior Living in East Setauket and has sang the national anthem at numerous local events including a 20th-anniversary ceremony for 9/11 at the Selden Fire Department.
Her other activities include serving as vice president of her school's Thespian Honor Society, secretary of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, and being a member of three different school choirs as well as the Drum Club and Theatre Arts Club.
— MICHAEL R. EBERT
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
