Vacations

By Susie Rempfer

Vacations are the perfect time to sit back, relax, and smell the roses. While vacations can be soothing to the senses, they can also be damaging to the checkbook, credit cards, and wallet.

Vacations don’t have to be expensive. Whether its spending a day at Six Flags or the Baltimore Aquarium, spending a few days visiting loved ones in California, or spending a week in Europe or Mexico there are simple ways to eliminate the amount of money spent.

When planning a vacation, research is essential to cutting back on cost. Researching things such as the locations of the cheapest gas stations and the airlines with the cheapest airfare can start saving you money right away. Another quick trick to budgeting for a vacation is to go on the Internet and look up prices for hotels and restaurants you want to visit. By doing so you will be able to estimate how much money to set aside each day for meals, and you will be able to relax about finding a four-star hotel without ridiculous pricing.

 Another key thing to remember when planning a vacation is to spend what money you do bring wisely.

Although it may be the kids’ first trip to Disneyland, spending hundreds of dollars on souvenirs that will soon be forgotten at the bottom of a toy box is unnecessary. And although you may see something and say to yourself, “I have to buy this,” remember to shop around first. Some stores offer the same merchandise for less, or may offer something else that will make the first spontaneous purchase seem asinine. One tip for shopping for souvenirs is to pick an amount you’re willing to spend in total on every souvenir you buy. After each purchase of a shot glass or stuffed animal subtract that from the initial souvenir fund and budgeting money for trinkets will be worry free for the remainder of the vacation.

Another thing to think about when buying souvenirs is to stop buying something for everyone. Although a co-worker might have sent you a post card and key-chain from Hawaii, that doesn’t mean you have to buy him a twenty-dollar Mickey Mouse paperweight. Buy souvenirs for yourself and forget about everyone else; let pictures show off all the places you visited to interested friends and family members.

 VacationBy considering these few things, planning that dream vacation is no longer out of reach. Spend an evening researching where you want to go, and get estimates on everything you can think of; it may surprise you to realize that you could already have enough money saved up for that trip to Bermuda you’ve been dying to go on.

Actor Spotlight on Amanda Padro

Cumberland County College actor Amanda Padro

 

By AARON RILEY

Staff Writer

Aaron: I’d like to welcome actress and CCC student Amanda Padro.

Amanda: You know my major isn’t theatre, right?

Aaron: What is it?

Amanda: It’s Liberal Arts/Humanities.

Aaron: What about those who haven’t seen Beauty and the Beast and didn’t see how you were as Belle?

Amanda: I believe they’ll be releasing DVDs of the opening show. So for anybody who didn’t see it, you could see the opening night show on DVD.

Aaron: Ok, can you tell us about your acting style?

Amanda: With Belle, I had the Disney movie to go off of. I studied her movements, how she spoke, and the characteristics of a princess. I had to study and develop the characteristics very early so I could almost become the character. I tried not to watch too much of the movie because I didn’t want to become the character completely. I wanted to retain some of myself in the performance. It takes a lot of observation. Also, when reading the script and the songs, I find that you have to look at the context as much as the lines so you can portray the emotion of the words. And then the rest will follow. It’s observing when you have something to observe. When it’s something like The Crucible, when you obviously can’t observe the characters, or when it’s based off of a nonfiction event, I studied history. I looked to see how Puritan women acted, how quiet they were, I looked at paintings to see how they would sit or walk. It’s research and observation. I haven’t taken any acting classes yet. I’m taking my first class next semester with Deborah Bradshaw. But I’ve been able to come and sit in on a few of her classes. You want the audience to feel something, whether it’s happiness or sadness or even pity. You want to touch their souls. And you don’t ever want to let them know that what you’re doing is acting. You always want them to see you as the character you’re playing. Never act, feel.

Aaron: What are your favorite performances from other actors? I mean, both “celebrity” or “famous” actors and Cumberland County College actors.

Amanda: Goodness. Give me a moment to think. The man who played John Proctor in The Crucible here at CCC. The Crucible was a very good show. It was my first show here. It being such a serious play, we had a responsibility to portray events in Puritan times accurately. The witch trials did happen and hangings did take place. The actor who played John Proctor was Mark Yecco. I played his wife and we had to play off each other’s energy. And I think my performance was better because of his performance. A specific performance I like is Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta. I loved her performance and I thought it was wonderful. There are so many movies I like. Man, I can’t even think of them right now. I’ll get back to you on that.

Aaron: Did you act at all in high school?

Amanda: Yes. In 9th grade I was in a funny play. It was called A Midsummer Night’s Teen, a spin on the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was my first lead role. In 10th grade I had a lead role in a play called Robin Hood: The Next Generation in the 9-10 building [at Vineland High School]. It wasn’t a musical, it was a street show. I played the daughter of Robin Hood. It wasn’t serious at all. In 12th grade I was in the chorus in Singing in the Rain. I got a callback for one of the leads but I didn’t get the part. So The Crucible was my fourth show. Actually it was my fifth show because I did a show in middle school but that doesn’t count. So Elizabeth Proctor was my first dramatic role ever, and I was very blessed to get a lead. So I haven’t been in theatre for my whole life. It’s just something I love to do. 

Aaron: Are you acting right now?

Amanda: I’m going to audition for Bye Bye Birdie.

Aaron: Right now?

Amanda: Well, within the next two weeks.

Aaron: Were you in the “Night of Scenes” last semester?

Amanda: I was not. I believe only people in the Acting class can do Scene Night. Since I’m not, I can’t be in Scene Night. I would have liked to though. But in the Scene Night coming up I’m going to be an extra in one of my friend’s scenes. Hopefully.

Aaron: What are your favorite memories?

Amanda: First of all, when you and a bunch of actors are together almost everybody has that passion for it. And this is something I’ve just experienced now in college. I think these shows are Grade A quality while high school shows are like…B minus. Even though they were good shows, in college you’re usually working with people who want to pursue this as a profession. Everybody has that energy that is just like “wow.” During The Crucible, it was coming up on stage and being able to perform something that was adult and having that feeling of serving a purpose. It was being able to show to the audience what happened: something that was such a tragedy and something that was so sad. There were people in the audience crying or commenting that they felt as if they were eavesdropping on a conversation between a husband and his wife. Knowing that the audience felt like they were watching living history was incredible. Acting is not just entertainment. It’s a message you’re trying to evoke for the public. It was an amazing experience. Curtain calls are great too. Coming out, bowing and taking in the applause is a high that can’t be explained. I was talking to one of the women who was working with me during Beauty and the Beast. Since I was the last to come out I told her that it was like an incredible high that can’t be duplicated. She said, “I know. They should put addicts on stage and see if it’d give them applause addictions that’d break their drug addictions.”

Aaron: Out of all the roles in the world, in history, in all the plays in existence, what do you want to do?

Amanda: I’m a very young actor and I don’t even know if I want to pursue this as a profession. I’m wading the waters. But I guess I’m good at it. I’ve played such diverse roles I don’t even know who I’d want to play. Elizabeth Proctor and Belle are two completely opposing sides of the spectrum. I don’t know. If I continue to study and continue to practice and experience more shows, I know in my heart I can play even more diverse roles. I can’t tell you what I’d like to do next until I saw a script and saw it performed. I think any role is possible. Maybe not a man.

Beauty and the Beast: A beloved story takes the stage

Amanda Padro as Belle in the beloved classic "Beauty and the Beast."

 

 

By MELISSA PILEIRO
Editor-in-Chief

 

 Disney classics have always had a way of giving both children and adults a taste of magic. A few weeks ago, that magic came to life on the CCC stage as the Theatre Department presented the well-loved family musical, Beauty and the Beast.

The show is based on the extremely successful 1991 animated movie about Belle (played in the CCC production by Amanda Padro), the beautiful and odd young woman that just doesn’t fit in. An unexpected series of events leaves Belle the prisoner in an enchanted castle, whose master has been turned into a terrible beast (Richard T. Smith). Only mutual love can save Beast and the attendants of his castle, and Belle may just be the one they’ve all been waiting for.

 Under the direction of Broadway veteran and CCC theatre professor Debbie Bradshaw, the cast of students, faculty and community members committed to months of rigorous rehearsals. Their work had appeared to have paid off long before the curtain rose. By the morning of the first show on April 23rd, tickets for all five performances had sold out.

For the cast of B&B, however, being a part of the show means a lot more than the number of seats filled or amount of money raised. Several cast members expressed their joy in being a part of a show that is a fond childhood memory for so many. Matt Kent calls Beauty and the Beast his favorite Disney classic. “What I love about it is that there are so many layers in the show that also exist in the real world,” he said. These layers of love, acceptance and personal identity can be appreciated by any age group, and is likely the reason for the show’s widespread popularity. Kent played the role of Gaston, the ridiculously good-looking and wildly vain man who could have had any woman he wanted–that is, except for classy Belle. Regarding his character, Kent said, “The Beast is hideous, yet changes into someone good. Gaston, on the other hand, is well-loved but is really a beast deep down.”

Tori Moratelli was cast in a comparatively minor role, and that was just the way she wanted it. “I really wanted to play Babette,” she said of her character, the castle’s ditzy and flirtatious feather duster. “At auditions there were so many girls trying out for Belle, but I wanted Babette. She’s the comic relief—funny and ditzy.” Having previous experience with the role helped as well; Moratelli also played Babette in a production of Beauty and the Beast with The Gabriel Project.

Both Matt and Tori said that having Bradshaw as a director was invaluable. “Shows with Deb go so much deeper,” Moratelli said, then explained, “Babette needed a French accent, sure, but what kind?” These little details end up becoming a huge contribution to the show. Matt added, “Deb is a wonderful director. She’s taught me so much.”

Stage Manager Kelsey Austin glams up Tori Moratelli for the role of Babette.

The impact that Bradshaw has had on her cast members extends far beyond the lead and supporting role; even the members of the ensemble have attested to her skill as a director and mentor. Samantha Williams said that “I did shows here before, and I really like working with Deb. All the shows that she’s done are phenomenal.”

After so many weeks of grueling rehearsals, it isn’t surprising that the cast members are no longer just colleagues, but very close friends.  “I knew some of the people beforehand, and I knew how talented they were, so I was really excited to collaborate with them,” said ensemble member Noel Gomez. ““When you walk into it you might not know anyone, but by the time it’s over you have a whole second family.”

Williams agreed with this sentiment, explaining that the cast would often spend time together after rehearsals, whether going out to lunch as a group or simply enjoying one another’s company. She also said that being around them has had a positive effect on her acting skills.  “With anyone you work with, just watching them and incorporating that into who you want to become is a learning experience.”        

Beyond the weekend of performances, this cast has done a lot more than just please crowds. Bradshaw wrote, “When I mentioned that just the costumes alone would far exceed any show we’ve ever done, the students in the Drama Club announced, ‘We can raise the money!’” From selling snacks in character at the shows, to bake sales and even a character breakfast, the cast went beyond the call of duty to ensure their audiences get the most out of the show.

All of the cast members spoken to agree that impacting their audience members is one of the highlights of being a part of the show. Like watching a good movie or curling with a book, drama has the ability to take audiences out of the present moment and transport them somewhere else, if only temporarily.

Samantha Williams said that coming into the lobby following the shows allowed her to interact with audience members, many of whom were in tears. She said that causing those sorts of reactions is both surprising and humbling for the cast. “To know that you really touch people—to know that you caused them to be so moved—that’s the best part.”