St Mary Immaculate School presents “Beauty and the Beast” May 7, 2010

By Tonya Monnot
A “tale as old as time” is coming to St. Mary Immaculate School Gym, 15629 S. Rt. 59, Plainfield on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at 7:00pm.

The fourth through eighth grade students will present “Beauty and the Beast,” a classic fairy tale that begins with an Enchantress putting a curse on a handsome, but cruel Prince; centers around the Prince and the beautiful young woman he imprisons; and ends with the characters living happily ever after. Accompanied by musical numbers popularized by the Disney movie version released in 1991, the show is sure to entertain audience members of all ages.

The performance is directed by Beth Kingsbury-Puscas, SMI’s Art Teacher and Volunteer Musical Director, and is her sixth musical at SMI. While she wouldn’t admit which production is her favorite, Kingsbury-Puscas said that she looks forward to the production every year and absolutely loves working with the kids. “It is my hope that they learn how to present themselves publicly, gain self-confidence and personal awareness, become part of a family/team, learn about theatre, improve reading skills, among many other benefits, but also, have fun!” Kingsbury-Puscas said. She also added, “It’s absolutely thrilling and a blessing to be a part of each student’s growth.”

The opportunity to participate in the production is a privilege that SMI students look forward to. They audition for parts to prepare for high school auditions or interviews, and gain invaluable practice and experience. SMI parent Sandy Gardner has an eighth grade son, Dylan, who will be playing the part of Lumiere. Gardner said, “This is Dylan’s last year here, and he just loves to do the school plays. It’s great experience and each year he tells me it gets more fun!”

With over 100 students involved in the production, Kingsbury-Puscas and her Student Assistant Directors have their hands full. Parents volunteer for all aspects of the performances including set design, organizing practices, costumes and props, advertising, ticket sales, the cast party and more.

As SMI Band Booster President, Sandy Gardner knows how much effort it takes to coordinate concerts and events, and has volunteered to work on the play for the past three years that her son has participated. Gardner stated that, “There was so much parent involvement that everything just seemed to flow.”

Performances will be in the SMI School gymnasium, and will begin at 7:00pm both evenings. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door each night of the performances.

For more information phone 815-436-3953 or visit www.smip.org.

Official Website: http://www.smip.org