Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on May 9, 2019.

Drama, humor, song and dance, stand-out costumes and set designs made this weekend’s production of Beauty and the Beast memorable entertainment.  Presented by the Floyd County High School (FCHS) Theatre Department and the Floyd Community Theatre Guild, the Disney classic (adapted by a 16th century French fairy tale) was performed at the FCHS auditorium and featured an engaging and spirited cast of more than 20 actors.

“We’re super exited to put this on for you all,” director/teacher Emily Williams told the crowd during the play’s introduction.  “We’ve been working hard for months. We’ve pulled in so many departments, just about the whole high school got involved. We couldn’t have done it without them,” she said. She thanked the local sponsors and spoke of the role of local theater in fostering the arts in the community. 

  Amanda Keyton as Belle sings about how hard it is to be seen as odd by the villagers and about how much she likes reading books.

 Belle’s inventor father, played by Teresa Mattson, gets lost in the woods and finds himself in an enchanted castle and surrounded by talking household items, a candlestick named Lumiere (played by Jordan Ingram), a clock named Cogsworth (played by Noah Bower, a feather duster named Babette (played by Samantha Cervantes), and tea cup named Chip Potts (played by Cameryn Rinker and tea pot a named Mrs.Potts (played by Rosa Lovo). 

After Belle offers to stay in the Beast’s castle to save her father, she is afraid and upset.  The animated household items invite her to dinner with a zany song and dance called “Be Our Guest.”

After Belle runs away and is attacked by wolves, the Beast, played by Samirah Carson, saves her but is injured.  Here, Belle attends to the Beast’s wounds and her fear of him softens.

Everyone in the village loves the hunter Gaston (played by Fox Slife), and they perform a song called Gaston… No one is as slick, no one hits, fights or shoots like Gaston…

The town finds out about the Beast and vow to kill it to keep their children safe.

 After saving the Beast from the villagers, Belle confesses her love and the spell is broken. The Beast was really a Prince (played by Donya Strange) under a curse. The talking household items return to human forms.

Parts of the production were interactive with the audience and at the close of the play audience members were invited to dance with the actors on stage.

______Our World Tuesday