When audiences packed the Performing Arts Center at Watchung Hills Regional High School (WHRHS), March 30 to April 1, to see the school’s annual Spring Musical, “Beauty and the Beast,” they were seeing more than performances of student actors, singers and dancers on the stage and hearing more than student musicians in the orchestra pit.
They were also seeing an “interdisciplinary learning” experience that engaged more than 150 students, teachers, staff, parents, volunteers, and community supporters. According to school officials, the annual drama productions are being seen as vehicles to learn a whole host of skills.
An example of this evolution this year was a new special event, “Breakfast with Belle,” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 1, in the school’s media center. The event was held in anticipation of the Saturday Matinee performance of the musical. The event was sold out, as were earlier-in-March similar special events at the Warren Township and Long Hill Township. Student actress Hannah Melillo made personal appearances as fully costumed and in-character Belle, to the delight of young children, who had pictures taken with her, and enjoyed various other typical Saturday Morning at the Library activities, such as face painting, craft-making and imagination building.
Then, at the WHRHS Library on April 1, the cast of costumed characters who appeared at the event expanded, since the student actors were preparing to take to the stage for the show’s Saturday matinee. In addition to Belle, other characters appeared, including: “Beast,” portrayed by Sam Sinnott; the enchanted candlestick, “Lamiere,” portrayed by Jacob Lesser; the enchanted clock, “Cogsworth,” portrayed by Scott Rmankow; “Gaston,” portrayed by Will Johnson; and Enchanted Objects, “Knife” portrayed by Katie Napell, “Spoon,” portrayed by Amelia Stapperfenne, and “Fork,” portrayed by Claire Vickery.”
In addition, members of the high school’s Culinary Club baked, created, prepared and assembled a smorgasbord of treats for the children and their guardians. High school students in the Art Department and student volunteers led the children in craft-making activities. Students also provided face painting, temporary tattooing and hair braiding. Space was provided for story time activities in the Media Center.
The event was organized by the business manager of the Drama Department Theater Arts organization, Script and Cue — WHRHS Business Teacher Dianne Krutz. She also engaged her business students in a variety of “real life” living learning business tasks required for the staging of Beauty and the Beast, or any school drama or musical. Among the items they covered were budgeting, business planning, marketing, gate receipts, ancillary merchandising, and other related applied business tasks.
“We always keep in mind that staging these plays and musicals is a living-learning inter-disciplinary opportunity for not only the actors, singers, dancers and musicians,” said Kurz. “It is also a real-life learning opportunity for: Production designers; stage crews; directing; lighting and sound designers; applied arts such as face painting and make up; wardrobe and costume support; program and fundraising support; reception cooking and culinary support; set construction, and more.”
(above) Portraying Beast in the WHRHS production of “Beauty and the Beast” is Senior Sam Sinnott, and portraying Belle is Senior Hannah Melillo.
(above) Cast of WHRHS production of “Beauty and the Beast”
