Bella Cesarini isn't really any different than most young people in that she is headed down a path toward her future. While she's not quite sure exactly where that path will take her, Cesarini is fairly certain the destination will involve entertainment, theater or acting.

But for Cesarini, it's not all about the destination, simply because she's having so much fun getting there.

"It's hard to say what the future is going to look like," said Cesarini, who graduated from Warwick High School in June. "To be completely honest, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I feel like (entertainment is) such a core part of me. It's hard to separate myself from being part of the theater. If acting is in the cards, that's fine. Over the next four years, I want to try a lot of things."

Cesarini, who's been around theater most of her natural life, including involvement with drama at Warwick, recently concluded a unique nine-month internship at the historic Fulton Theatre. This fall, she's headed to Belmont University in Nashville to continue and refine her pursuits.

"I knew I wanted to do something in the theater and entertainment industry, so I thought I'd start in my senior year (of high school)," said Cesarini of the internship. "Getting to know people in the entertainment industry was really interesting to me. It helped me figure out what I did and didn't like. We shadowed a lot of people, even when they were doing shows."

"Every day, I was just so happy to be there," she continued. "It's cool to be in such a historic building where so many performers have acted. I could just sit there, taking in the aura of the place. You know so many cool things happened there."

In addition to the hands-on experience that the internship provided, Cesarini also had multiple minor roles in the Fulton Theatre's recent presentation of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," including one as an Oompa Loompa. Although the roles did not involve speaking or lines, Cesarini was, at times, required to sing and dance.

"Kindness is such a big part of the industry; that's what I learned this year," said Cesarini. "A lot of actors come back because of their good reputations. You don't want to work with someone who's not fun to be around."

While acting does require a certain degree of talent, there's a big part of the craft that's a refined skill.

"A lot of it is not caring about what people are thinking of you in the moment," said Cesarini. "You've got to be yourself and the character, but it's different for everyone. At rehearsals, it'll take me a few times to figure out how I want to be doing a scene or a number. Everyone has their own path to getting there."

If acting isn't part of Cesarini's future, directing, costume dressing or even entertainment reporting might be.

"For me, it all probably started out as a hobby," said Cesarini of her involvement in entertainment. "But the more I delved into it, now I can't imagine not doing something, whether it's front of or behind the stage. I hope it's a career goal. I hope I can keep pursuing it."