A hidden magic goes into every play performed: the backstage work of costumers, set builders, lighting designers, make-up artists, and many others. For Pratt High School’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, this magic is taking place as backstage workers create all of the costumes, sets, props, and lighting that go along with such a huge technical production.
When the curtain goes up at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 in Liberty Middle School Auditorium, the magic of this theatre work will be hidden no longer.
Because of Pratt Music Theatre’s donation of set pieces to Pratt High School, the construction of sets has benefited from the many years of work for that community theatre. Platforms which will create different levels of the Beast’s castle and flats which create the walls have already been built by other hands for former productions. The magic of scenic theatre begins, however, when these set pieces are put together in new ways. And this is where a crew of “The Dads: Carpentry Foremen” comes in.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, this crew led work on the castle and the jail for the musical. “Dads” Monte Hostetler, Shaphan Staats, Mark Crump, Buddy Myers, and Mike Twigg – who normally wear the hats of banker, teacher, policemen, and more – went to work leading student workers to create the castle in the play. Cooper Crump, Grayson Hostetler, Carson Launchbaugh, Shean Myers, Savan Patel, Wes Seidel, and Will Shoup became set builders under the foremen that day.
Art teacher Kerry Thieme led the painters on that Saturday in creating loads of costumes for dancing tea cups, saucers, plates, and silverware. Her crew of painters were Corbyn Crump, Hayden Pixler, Scott Logan, Sam Eastes, Mindi Popovich, Britney Woody, Merryn Talbot, Rebecca Nickel, William McReynolds, and Peyton Whitfield. These Pratt High students and their friends painted dancing-menu costumes, village sets, and the castle walls.
Part of the hidden magic of creating a play includes the costumers. Leading the work on this backstage work is the “Mom” crew: Michelle Popovich, Sue Buhler, and “Ma” Misty Beck. Costuming forty cast members in multiple costumes has been a challenge, but one that these creative women are meeting. This production demands that the costumers create a talking clock, a candelabra, a wardrobe, a feather duster, and the like.
Popovich has organized the work on all of the costumes, Buhler has been a ready seamstress, and Beck has had her Costume Production classes at Pratt Community College working on the dancing napkin costumes for one of their projects, while she herself has volunteered to tackle the Mrs. Potts costume.
In addition, to the builders and painters, no play is complete without its backstage crew and its publicity and front-of-house crew. Working backstage will be high school students Hayden Pixler, Anna Stotts, Caroline Riney, Cassidy Hullman, Mitch Evans, Joseph Naumann, and Tyler Chalker. Susan Pixler is helping with posters, while Janet Tillman plans to format the programs. Students Rachel Lattin, Tabatha Hemphill, Carson Launchbaugh, and forensics students have helped to create tabletop publicity which area restaurants are graciously putting on their tables. Meanwhile, Rita Phillippi and her National Honor Society students plan to help with Box Office and Ushering.
All of these people, along with the cast of around forty, will create the enchantment of the Beast’s world and of Belle’s time there. Admission will be $5 at the door, with tickets being sold a half hour before show time.
Pratt, Kan. —
