Campers portrayed a “tale as old as time” for the audience at the Jewish Community Center. This year’s summer musical at CampChai charmed the audience with magical talent. Beauty and the Beast Junior, directed by Jessica Barnett, contained a cast of over thirty campers, ranging from second to sixth grade, as well as several teenage staff members. Children who weren’t in the production also helped by building the set and props. Their collaborative efforts included making a working invention for Belle’s father, Maurice. There was a great deal of work that had to be done. Brooke Fein, who played one of the Narrators, said, “Though it was a really tough show, we knew we could do it thanks to Jessica’s encouragement. She believed in us!”

 

 This is the sixth summer of directing the camp musical for Jessica, who just completed her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Southern California.Jessica’s goal this summer was to teach theatrical concept to the campers. “I really wanted to do something artistic with young children,” she explained. “Even at a young age, I knew these campers could grasp intricate theatre concepts. However, these children exceeded my expectations.” The entire set and costumes were black and white except for Belle, the one who breaks the spell set on the castle and townspeople. Along the way, Belle uses colored set pieces to symbolize that the beast and her are falling in love. Once the spell was broken, the audience was spellbound by the colorful costumes.  The performance was such a great experience for everyone. Sarah Balis, who portrayed Cogsworth, said “I can’t believe this is my last show. I will miss it so much!” Junior Counselors, who were performers of Jessica’s first camp show, also assisted with the production. Megan Spinhirne stated, “I’ve had a great time working on both sides of the spectrum. And now I really appreciate all the work that goes in to these shows.”  There was a place for everyone at this summer’s production. Rather on or off stage, each member of the cast and crew played a crucial role in the success of the show! Jared Cohen is a former CampChai Counselor and Theatre Assistan