Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Performances Planned

The Tell-A-Tale Troupe of The Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock will perform Beauty and the Beast Friday, November 19, at 9:30 a.m. in the Prescott Elementary School activity center.

The tale of Beauty and the Beast has been adapted for the stage by Alan Keith Smith, associate director of the Arts Center's Children's Theatre, and is based on two versions of the original story, one by Mme de Vielleneuve and the other by Le Prince de Beaumont. The touring production is directed by John Isner.

"Beauty and the Beast is one of my very favorite stories," Smith said. "It has pathos and passion in classic proportion. Having performed the role of Beast years ago in another adaptation of the story, I began the process of writing this new version with a great deal of empathy for the plight of the beast. His pain, his shame, his need and his frustration were ready tools in the creation of the drama. But the story of Beauty and Beast, the story that I wanted to tell, is a story of virtue and self-sacrifice. It is Beauty's unconditional love, loyalty and self-sacrifice that brings about the rich reward of happiness ever after for herself and her Beast."

The cast includes Angie Gilbert as the old woman; Matthew Waller as the merchant; Trinity Marshall as Beauty; and Brandon Eells as the Beast.

The Tell-A-Tale Troupe travels statewide performing three plays each year. Intended to be both educational and entertaining, the plays are often the first live theatre experience for many school children.

During the 1999-00 school year, the Troupe will also tour African Folk Tales (Feb. 1-Mar. 10) and Chicken Little and The Little Red Hen (April 4-May 12). Bookings are still being accepted for the remainder of the season.