Pax et Bonum Magazine Spring 2016 | Page 19

Camryn Elias ’17 Winnifred Banks “Some of the backstage antics were just as fun as those onstage! My favorite backstage experience was during Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, when the flyers, Mrs. Kunkel, the techies, and I would all have a dance party on Stage Left! Before every show, it is a tradition that the whole cast and crew go onstage and participate in an energy circle. Everyone holds hands and passes the energy around by squeezing the hand of the person next to them. This has been an amazing experience to be a part of and I will never forget the memories I made while on 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Camryn loves to perform and has acted in many musicals throughout the Sacramento area with River City Theatre Company and Sacramento Music Circus. In her time at St. Francis, she has been involved in many arts classes including Theatre Arts, Show Choir, and SF Players. This past February, Camryn was honored to receive a Silver medal in the Musical Theatre category at the Lenaea Theatre Festival. One of the highlights of her year was getting to play Winifred Banks in “Mary Poppins,” her first show at St. Francis. Camryn started at SF in the theatre camp and participated in it for three years. Camryn is still part of the camp, as this will be her third summer as a student assistant. Camryn looks forward to majoring in Musical Theatre and Education in college and hopes to become a professional performer one day. Camille Avila-DaRosa ’17 Bird Woman & Ensemble Cast “I have been involved in many productions and Mary Poppins has truly helped me grow the most as a performer. I have to admit, I was a little intimidated upon finding out the cast, techies, and orchestra totaled over 80 people and that some of cast, including myself, would play at least four roles. However, this show brought me closer to current friends, allowed me to make many new ones, and helped me learn so much. To me, that is the magic of theatre. I was fortunate to work with many different people to make something magical and inspiring. That’s why theatre, and Mary Poppins, is so special and why I will always consider the St. Francis theatre my home away from home.” Camille is a long-time lover of the arts and has been in numerous St. Francis productions. After graduation Camille plans to pursue her love of theatre and music. Although she does not plan on majoring in musical theatre, she will attend a college where she can devote time to theatre and further vocal training. Camille hopes to someday share her gifts and passion for theatre with others.   Spring 2016  19