STUDENT GETS ACTING AWARD

LaSondra Zarif, a Los Alamitos High School junior, was one of three recipients of the fifth annual Ira Aldridge Awards for acting.

Zarif, 16, was selected in the youth category of the awards named after the 19th-Century black Shakespearean actor. Zarif’s mother is singer-actress Windy Barnes.

Also honored in the ceremonies at the Beverly Theatre in Los Angeles were actors Beebe Smith and Geoff Rivas, both of Los Angeles.

The Aldridge awards, aimed at promoting minority actors, were created by the Inner City Cultural Center and actor-director Ted Lange.