June Spotlight #2: Reanne Castromayor

In honour of #PrideMonth, each week of June, Penny & Pound will be shining a spotlight on a talented, up-and-coming LGBTQ2SIA+ performer in our community. This week, we introduce P&P alum, Reanne Castromayor (She/Her), who made her Penny & Pound debut as Rheba in our 2018 production of 'YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU.' Since then, Reanne has starred as Mrs. Fezziwig/Mrs. Dilber in 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A NEW MUSICAL RADIO PLAY (2020),' and will once again take the stage as Mrs. Pringle in 'FOURTEEN-' debuting online this summer!

{IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A pastel rainbow background. A white polaroid frame over a picture of Reanne Castromayor- a biracial young woman with long dark hair, wearing a white blouse. On the frame is the name 'Reanne Castromayor' written in bold pastel-rainbow letters.} 1) TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF My name is Reanne. I’m an up and coming theatre major at Sheridan college! I am currently 19 years old and reside in Cambridge, Ontario. If you watch 'Criminal Minds,' I’m basically Penelope Garcia and Emily Prentiss smushed into one person. I love acting and singing- and it’s been my lifeline! I’m a foodie, a gym rat and above all I’m passionate. 2) WHEN DID YOU FIRST FALL IN LOVE WITH THE ARTS? I’ve always been a notably melodious kid. According to the dusty archives of my dad’s old computer, I’ve been singing as early as {age} 5. The moment I truly fell in love, though, was my first musical when I was 14- Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella! From the moment the {curtains} opened the first time in front of an audience, I was hooked and I knew I had found my place in the world. 3) HOW HAS THE CURRENT PANDEMIC AFFECTED YOU? It’s been a assorted bag of feelings. On one hand, all of this extra time has helped me rebuild myself; how to focus on my own needs mentally and how to become a better person. It’s not an easy road. In fact, it’s a lot of ups and a loooot of downs. On the other hand, not being able to work puts a financial damper on life. But most importantly, I miss seeing everyone’s faces and being able to interact with people! All the world’s a stage, and I can’t wait to get back into it.

4) HAS THIS VOCATION ALWAYS BEEN YOUR GOAL? I’m pretty sure I’ve always wanted to act. It took a couple years to see it, with high school being a good time for exploration. But I kept gravitating back to the arts, so I guess it stuck! Being a POC discouraged me for a while, but I realized I wanted to be the Asian representation I didn’t get growing up. My goal is to perform on Broadway and act anywhere and everywhere I can! 5) HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TRAINING, AND WHAT TRAINING DO YOU HAVE? I have zero official training. Zilch. Nada. I exhausted all of my class options in high school, but aside from that I can’t recall any formal training! So far it’s all been daily practice and dedication. 6) DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER UP-AND-COMING PERFORMERS? If you’re about to perform something and you’re new, do what feels right. Listen to your director, obviously, but you’ll have an inner sense/feeling. Use your own memories and emotions to fuel what direction you take, and always remember to be passionate about what you do! Acting is no fun if you do it without meaning. Worst comes to worst, the theatre community has your back and will help guide you :) 7) WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU? A few things! I am involved in several projects, due this summer with notable local theatre companies. I will be performing in Penny and Pound’s one-act play 'Fourteen,' as well as Playful Fox’s concert production of 'Beauty and the Beast.' Smaller projects include ICHTHYS’ radio play 'The Velveteen Rabbit' and 'Sherlock Holmes: The Problem of Thor Bridge' (already released online!) I’m just getting started. Look out, world, here I come!

Reanne Castromayor stars as Rheba in 'You Can't Take It with You' (2018.) {IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A teenage girl with long dark hair, wearing a white blouse looks to the left, laughing. The wall behind her is orange.}