Beauty and the Beast

We just finished up directing Beauty and the Beast Jr. at Mount Ogden Junior High. People wonder why and how we could possibly keep up with and enjoy a cast of 60 teenagers - but we LOVE it! No, honestly, and I'm not just saying that in case one of their mothers stalks this blog. We love working with this age group. Our job is to make it a fun and positive experience. We want them to love doing shows and have a heck of a time; teaching them theater skills along the way. Easy right? Sure, it comes with struggles of playing quiet games and dealing with the constant flirting, and gossip of who likes who, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Our show is over, and it's accompanied by bitter-sweet feelings. This was the most difficult show that we have had to deal with. Not only is the show itself hard; it requires intense costumes, a large set, and adult emotions; but there was a lot of junk that happened behind the scenes, making things complicated. Politics, Micro-managing, and losing 9 of our kids including 2 leads a week before the show opened. What a headache!

But at the same time, we also had some of those "bubbly" moments that make it all worth the effort. Watching our Belle come alive with depth once she stepped in front of an audience, seeing the awkward kid nail his lines with confidence, and helping several of them develop comedic timing. What an honor to be apart of and have a chance to make an impact on them!

Here are a few pictures of our show - sadly, my camera battery died and only allowed a few pictures.

A few of our awesome teens! I'm sad that the quality stinks!

Our Belle and Beast - Greg and Hannah. They were awesome!

Claire also grew to love these teenagers - coming with us to every rehearsal and being so patient while we taught the kids. My parents watched her during the performances - making our life and hers so much easier by letting her keep the same bedtime! "Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for watching me so that I could get my beauty sleep during the performances!"