Updates on Fair Grove Preforming Beloved Fairy Tale “Beauty and the Beast Jr.”

Fair Grove Theater is putting on Beauty and The Beast Jr. on November 19th, 20th, and the 21st in the upper elementary gym to preform their production to the audience.

After last year’s performance of Shrek, it was difficult t chose which production the theatre department were going to do this year. Beauty and the Beast Jr. was decided upon after much thought.

Picking which play to do is a very important and long process. “It all comes down to the technical elements when designing a show. We have to decide whether we have the correct cast size and ability along with the capability to pull off some of the technical demands a show has such as set design and important visual elements that can be hard to replicate on a stage,” Alexander Bates (10), theatre president, said.

The play will include the middle school and the high schoolers. There are a total of 100 crew members. 40 to 50 out of the 100 crew members consists of middle schoolers. They wanted to use the middle schoolers for extras to use them for large mobs, or provide more hands backstage to ensure the show can move fluidly.

“I spend a lot of time working on our shows as the production manager. There are two classes that are dedicated to working on the productions that Fair Grove puts on as well as rehearsals after school. In a week, I dedicate roughly 22 hours to Beauty and the Beast,” explained Bates.

“I cannot wait for the first show night of Beauty and the Beast. I think the show will come together and be something that Fair Grove is proud to put on stage,” Bates pronounced. Working 22 hours for this show, he is really looking forward to the opening night.

Opening night through closing, Belle will be played by Karlee Marion-Swan (9). She has mixed feelings about having one of the leads. “It feels really exciting and also nerve racking to be Belle in Beauty and the Beast,” Marion-Swan commented.

Marion-Swan remarked, “My expectation for the production is for it to be great and I know that it’s a high bar to set but we have all been working really hard.”

Fair Grove Theatre has two weeks until opening night. Amy Holland, theatre sponsor, mentioned that it is very challenging, but she presumed that it will go very well.