The Theatre Council will present a twist on the classic tale, "Beauty and the Beast," on Saturday Oct. 3 at 1p.m. and 3 p.m. in the Theatre-in-the-Round.
Junior Manny Scarpinato said he is excited about his role as Beast.
"Beast is the role I've always wanted," Scarpinato said. "I believe Beast is a more complex character than the Disney character. It is fun to act out and to find deeper meaning behind a character that seems so simple. He's a captive of course, but at the same time, comes to terms with making the best out of his life."
The play differs from the well-known Disney version in that the story takes place not in a castle, but in an enchanted garden. Many new characters are introduced, such as the housekeeper, Mary Ellen and Poison Ivy, the witch.
The story unfolds as Beast finds himself in a magical garden, only to be cast under a spell by Poison Ivy after refusing to be with her. Scarpinato commented that it is "not the usual version of ‘Beauty and the Beast,' opposed to the musical that everyone knows."
"That's the beauty of a show," director Annalise Weindel, a senior theater major, said. "Like this tone of "Beauty and the Beast" and that it's not what you're expecting."
Weindel said she believes that "the audience will be pleasantly surprised regardless of what they are expecting."
Sophomore Marissa Breton plays Beauty in the production.
"Disney is dark. This is funny, really happy," she said. "Good for adults, kids…this is entertaining, no matter what age you are."
The cast is hoping for a large reception since the play has a lot of audience interaction.
"I think it makes it a little more fun for everybody," Weindel said. "They have a big part at the end of the story. Without the audience, the magic won't happen."
Patrice Kubik can be reached at patrice.kubik@student.shu.edu.
