Rumor has it that Raphaella Bamonte (’26), school actress, is participating in the play Rumors by Neil Simon. The truth is, it’s not really a rumor. And she’s ecstatic to be in the production.
“Being a part of this play was just such a fun experience,” she said. Since auditions, every day after school from Monday to Thursday, the cast has come to rehearse their lines and prepare for the play. This process usually lasts from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.—sometimes even longer during a tech week. But despite the late nights and long journey, Raphaella can’t help but be grateful.
“I get another chance to do what I love.”
The play is set to premiere November 21 to 23 and tickets have already gone on sale. Promotion for the play has been supported by the cast as they constantly remind people to buy tickets. Last Friday on the 15 they even offered tickets for $10 as opposed to the usual $15 price, as well as a complimentary donut for purchasers. I went over to reap the benefits of this deal, and Raphaella happily greeted me and offered me my donut as I purchased a ticket. Her friendly demeanor is the perfect attitude for attracting customers.
“Go see Rumors!” she would happily exclaim whenever she got the chance. Along with being an actress, Raphaella is also pretty good at marketing.
A perfect performance doesn’t come about without some preparation beforehand. A crucial part of getting ready for the play is getting into character. Raphaella knows about this fact as she acknowledges that the cast sometimes had trouble when it came to their characters.
“I think the biggest struggle of preparing for this play was being able to distinguish our characters and working on feeding off each other and not overthinking things,” she said. Everyone had to focus on blocking everything else out and zoning in on their characters. Raphaella has her own method for doing this.
“Personally, I have a very specific feeling about a character’s self and how they think after I read a play. What I do is I make sure every line I say is said to bring the story along in my character’s way,” she explained. “I play Claire in this production of Rumors, and she is a very witty, cognitive character, which is something unlike anything I’ve played before. So, approaching my mindset as the character and not myself is what has helped me the most.” This is just one example of how Raphaella’s professionalism shines through during her time on set. She’s so dedicated to her role that she does everything she possibly can to home in on her character. Aspiring theater kids should take note. She also seems to have a confident attitude when it comes to the performance itself. I asked her whether or not she’ll be nervous on opening night of the show.
“I actually don’t get that nervous before I go on stage. I think what helps me is that I feel so lucky to just be a part of these shows, and each time I have another chance to do what I love. I also do some meditations before the shows to clear my brain of anything in my life I might be thinking about, to allow myself to focus on one thing: the character.” Surprisingly, she is pretty chill about performing. Once she clears her mind and focuses on the show, she’s locked in. Her method of pre-show meditation also may come in handy for anyone who has stage fright or performance anxiety in general.
Despite some bumps in the road, the cast worked well together overall. Many of them have known each other for a while and therefore they have great synergy.
“My favorite thing about preparing for this play was just being part of such a great cast and really finding that mutual understanding,” she said. Talking about her co-stars put her in a positive mood.
“We lift each other up, and that’s what brings our show together. We have that need for our show to succeed, and that passion really shows on stage.” The love for what they do is really what seems to unify the cast of Rumors. It shows that the long days spent at rehearsal have paid off and a remarkable show will be taking place on each performance night.
Raphaella’s dedication to her craft is an inspiration to anyone who is interested in taking up acting roles in the future, or even just anyone who wants to try working on a theater set. She encourages people to give it a try.
“If you have any sort of curiosity or interest in theater, try it! It really is such a supportive and loving community that people can just come to just express themselves! There is something so magical about the performing arts and I encourage anyone who is thinking about it to go for it,” she happily declared.
Readers should take her message to heart and consider auditioning for the next school play. All in all, the Tenafly High School Theater is lucky to have the passionate Raphaella in their crew.
