A tale as old as time...Sort of
Beauty & the Beast
Original Adaptation by Caitlyn Drake
Directed by Christine Ralston
Produced by DCTC Board of Directors
Another year has flown by and we find ourselves gearing up for Youth Summer Camp 2024! This year we will performing an original adaptation of “Beauty & the Beast” by our very own Caitlyn Drake.
In 1740, La Belle et la Bête was written and published by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. This original publishing was rather lengthy and was soon abridged and republished in 1756 by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont who is given most of the credit for the growth and popularity of this beloved fairytale. While the Disney version has us believe in talking furniture, an enchanted rose, and a father with only one daughter, the original book tells a very different story with servants turned to animals or statues, no magical rose, and Beauty having a rather large number of sisters and bothers (12!). Full of fairy magic, complicate intertwining realms, and lengthy backgrounds, we have simplified the storyline from the book to be a more functional story to portray on stage. As a nod to the popular modern telling’s, you will see a couple elements we have taken the liberty to include in our performance.
Costuming is inspired by the period of publication for the original work. Wide panniers and tall bouffant hairstyles will be all the rage this summer! And our set designer has some classic construction planned to transform our space from castle to forest in an instant!
While not a full musical, we will have original compositions by Raedin Ralston (a current DCTC kid!) that will be featured with dance moments and a beautiful song number. These musical interludes serve to provide a broader range of performance type for our campers to experience.
Due to the high demand for our camps, we have offered a double cast for this year’s group and will be setting the stage for two performances! As always, these performances are open to the public at an affordable ticket price to allow more of the community the chance to enjoy theater in our own backyard!
We hope to see you at one of our performances and help give our hard working campers a standing Bravo!