RAAC actresses featured in plays, video
Two local young actresses have been making their marks in theatre and video of late. Celia Cooley, 12, of Culpeper, and Grace Raiford, 15, of Amissville, are both featured in the RAAC Theatre holiday production of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Celia plays Dot, one of the
two lovestruck Turtledoves, and Grace brings comic villainy to her role as the Christmas Hoarder.
These are not the first roles for these young thespians. Celia is a veteran of RAAC holiday productions, having appeared in several over the years. She has also performed at the Fauquier Community Theatre and Markham Theatre, among others.
Now, her short video “Oh, Romeo” has been selected as a featured video in the “Shakespeare Shorts” competition presented by the British Council's Shakespeare Lives program. In the video, shot by her father, Mark Cooley, Celia portrays Juliet looking for her Romeo. No spoilers here — you’ll have to watch the video to see who her Romeo is. You can find it (and cast your vote for it) at films. shakespearelives.org/nominees/62/ohromeo-i
Grace attends Rappahannock County High School and has performed in several RCHS productions, including “Grease” and the recent first-place winner of the Rappahannock River Conference’s OneAct Theatre Festival, “Thieves of Mercy: A Tale of Hamlet on the High Seas.” The one-act play was written by English and drama teacher Russell Paulette and now moves on to the regional competition in Essex later this month.
Kudos to these young talents.