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LEHMAN TWP. — In the beginning, it was the French fairy tale written by French novelist Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont and published in 1756.
Then Disney took over and told the story on the big screen.
Now, a talented group of 50 actors will bring it to the stage at Lake-Lehman Junior/Senior High School.
Members of that group range from senior James Cihocki, of Lake Silkworth, who plays the role of the Beast, to 6-year-old Reese Woytowich, a first-grader in Lehman-Jackson Elementary School by day and a teacup in the Beast’s castle by night.
Under the direction of Lake-Lehman alumna Gina Major, singers and actors work with their lines and staging, and are in the process of developing their characters.
For Jenna Mortenson, a senior from Harveys Lake, the role of Belle was part of the bucket list for her high school career. She auditioned specifically for it and was delighted to land the part of the “outcast, but she’s really independent.”
Jason Field, a senior from Noxen, is somewhat of a newcomer to the drama club, but he landed the part of Gaston, the tavernkeeper and has to deal with a wig for the first time in his life.
Once the costumes come on, however, the production blossoms.
Rachel Reitz, who now lives in Stillwater, brings professional experience to the costumes. She studied costume design in college and found her way to Lake-Lehman through friends. It doesn’t hurt that, after college, she worked for Disney.
“‘Beauty and the Beast’ was my show,” she said.
The actors have learned a few French phrases to help them get into their parts. Several are learning to cope with wigs that turn them into French country folk.
Jasmine Moku, a senior from Sweet Valley who “loves to play weird characters,” rises to the top of her high school career as Cogsworth the clock, complete with stilted movements and a Hercule Poirot mustache.
And then there’s Courtney Richards, of Dallas, who landed the role of Mme. De la Grandebouche. The name in French fits the part of her character as an opera singer. The dress, with its panniers that give her a 4-foot wide on-stage presence complete the other part of her character, a dresser.
“I didn’t think anyone would want to be furniture like a dresser,” she said. “But when I saw the actual dress, I really fell in love with the part.”
And audience members will find it hard not to notice sophomore Marina Malcolm. She is a stately 5-foot-8 in her street clothes but when she puts on her Luminere costume and becomes a candlestick, she wears shoes that bring her up to 5-foot-10. And when the costume is complete with the lighted candles, she towers at 6-foot-3.
“It’s kind of hard to miss me,” she said with a grin. “I really wasn’t thinking of a character when I auditioned, really didn’t shoot for anything special. But this is great.”
As a drama family, the youngsters work together, whether it’s painting a set or coming up with a costume that brings the character alive. Everyone gets a chance to show what they’ve got talent-wise, like freshman Aleah Ashton, from Shavertown, who’s painting a rose on the drape that turns the prince into the beast.
“I have a couple of roles. I’m the narrator in the beginning and I’m also the feather duster later. I shed a lot in that part,” she said. “Before I came out of the theater closet, I was an art kid. I like the art the best. And they trust me do to stuff like this.”
These youngsters are building not only a show but memories that will never leave them.
They have a lot of help, too, from the adults working with the show.
Major is thrilled to have the relatively new Theater Booster Club, a bevy of parents who raise funds to be able to launch the two shows produced at the school each year and whose willing hands help to coordinate those theatrical details that make for a successful run.
At any rehearsal, there are moms and dads with drills or paint, some lining up costume parts for chorus members or keeping props in their places. They give special kudos to Lisa Malcolm, not only Luminere’s mom but also the driving force behind the professionally-produced programs handed out on show nights.
“I can’t take all of the credit,” Malcolm said modestly. “I work at Misericordia University and they are generously helping us through Cougar Press.”
The bittersweet part of the show will come when the final curtain falls and the applause dies. That’s when each of the players will be thrilled with the accomplishment of a job well done. And the next day, each will miss the hard work that went into it.
Major said her own toughest role to date will come this June when many of the youngsters she saw first on stage as seventh graders will receive heir diplomas.
“That will be one of the hardest things to do,” she said. “Look for me. I’ll be the one in tears.”
That’s because Major knows exactly how theater can be both a fantastic bonding experience as well as a wonderful learning experience.
“”When I was here, there was an incredible band, an incredible chorus and an incredible theater department,” she said. “I can look back and see what it all did for me. Taught me dedication, discipline, self-confidence, how to work hard to complete a project. And now I see these kids doing the same things. And I see them using these things in other areas like science presentations and class participation.”