Students from Martinsville came together to present a dazzling performance of Beauty and the Beast Jr., a Disney musical, at Martinsville High School.
The play had four showings, with the final performance rescheduled to the following Sunday due to the possibility of high winds. For some students, it was their last play before graduating.
The production lasted around three hours, including an intermission, and featured a shortened version of the classic story with themes appropriate for younger audiences. The cast included many young children, while older students took on the leading roles.
Jyshir Plunkett played the role of the Beast and is graduating along with many other lead cast members.
“This is my last show here, unfortunately. We are going to P&HCC for two years or so and then hopefully to UNCG,” Plunkett said.
Plunkett will continue working with the Patriot Players and has a goal of moving to New York to perform on Broadway.
“I wanted it to be the best show that I’ve ever done, and I feel that I’ve made it as such,” he said.
He enjoyed playing the Beast and said the mask wasn’t too bad to wear, despite “having to pull fur out of my mouth sometimes.”
Gaston was played by Gavin Luther, who plans to attend VCU for biology before applying to the school of education.
“This play has been great all around. I loved the camaraderie all around,” Luther said.
Luther and Ava Grant, who played Belle, are close friends, making for an interesting pairing.
“Even though the characters don’t have that great chemistry, sometimes the people get along,” he said.
Luther joked that playing Gaston was fun but added, “You gotta separate the character from the person, art from the artist.”
Grant, who plans to attend UVA for pre-med, hopes to continue incorporating acting into her future.
She expressed sadness about leaving Martinsville, tearing up while discussing the experience.
“It was definitely an adventure. I’m not going to forget the cast—they were something to remember. Being able to be a little more me before I leave was special,” Grant said.
She encouraged others to try theater, make connections, and embrace the performing arts.
Kassidy Dodson played Silly Girl 3, one of the characters swooning over Gaston.
“I have seen Beauty and the Beast before, but being able to act it out on stage with all of my friends and people I love is just a completely different experience,” Dodson said.
She hopes to attend JMU but remains undecided.
Esmeralda Castillo-Ocampo, another senior, played Mrs. Potts and described the play as a “10 out of 10 experience.”
Castillo-Ocampo will be studying biochemistry at UVA with the goal of becoming a physician’s assistant.
