Among the Visual and Performing Art major students at Red Bank Regional who spent their summer perfecting their skills are (left to right, standing) Penny Hill, Mara Campolattaro, Jack Faccone-Stockwell, Claire Taylor, Megan Moran; also (kneeling) Shea Grant and Gabriella Scerbo.

Press release from Red Bank Regional High School

Summer vacation may already be a distant memory borne away on a suddenly seasonal Navesink breeze — but to the students of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Red Bank Regional High School, the activities of the school-year break continue to impact the new academic year in the most positive ways.

“Our students never cease to amaze me with their level of dedication and pursuit of perfection for their craft,” observes VPA lead teacher Kris Zook. “I am always delighted to learn what wonderful programs they attended or experiences they had in pursuit of higher performing art achievement.”

Drama majors were very busy. Gabriella Scerbo of Little Silver performed over three months from May to July at the Rutgers Gardens, which is part of Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of Performing Arts, in Wonderland and You, a modern version of the Alice in Wonderland story. Megan Moran of Neptune City attended a Broadway Intensive program at Spring Lake Community Theatre; dancing, singing and acting to broaden her musical theatre abilities. Vocal major Mara Campolattaro of Rumson spent two weeks in Martha’s Vineyard at a Musical Theatre Intensive with Broadway choreographers, writers, vocal coaches, performers and agents. Shea Grant of Little Silver landed an acting role for a National Geographic Website program promoting their TV show On Mars, which debuts this month.

Creative Writing Majors Penny Hill and Jay Izzo, both of Little Silver, spent the summer months engaged in Red Bank Library’s “Project Humans,” interviewing local residents and recording their stories.

Vocal major Claire Taylor, who plans to double-major in drama, used her summer to perform in Little Adu About Anything, an effort by 17 local playwrights that put a modern twist on Shakespeare’s classic comedy. The show, which took