storytellers theater arts production of

Music by  Alan Menken
Lyrics by  Howard Ashman & Tim Rice
Book by   Linda Woolverton

Originally Directed by
Robert Jess Roth

Originally Produced by
Disney Theatrical Productions

Orchestrations by Danny Troob
Vocal Arrangements by David Friedman
Incidental Music by Michael Kosarin
Dance Arrangements by Glen Kelly

Beauty and the Beast is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 423 West 55th Street New York, NY 10019

ANY VIDEO RECORDING MADE OF THIS PERFORMANCE IS AUTHORIZED FOR PERSONAL, AT-HOME, NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY. THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH RECORDING PHYSICALLY OR ON THE WEB IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UNDER FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAW. 

Like most other things this year, plans for our summer musical had to change drastically! Though we were originally supposed to perform at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, it became abundantly clear that that would not be an option for the foreseeable future. We pivoted into planning a socially distanced, outdoor performance (on a soccer field!) of Beauty & The Beast that will feel more like a concert, though we are performing the entire show.

Audiences will be limited to 50 people per show. All audience members will be required to wear a mask, and all parties will be at a 6 foot distance from others. Audience members will need to bring their own seating, either blankets or chairs. Temperature checks will be available. Restrooms are available if necessary, however there will be no Intermission for the audience. If you need to use the restroom you must do so during the show.

Another change that we had to make was to have 4 different casts! You read that right. StoryTellers had its highest number of registrations ever, and to keep our gathering sizes as small as possible, we divided the group into 4 casts. Some actors perform in multiple casts. The casts will be posted at the bottom of this page for your reference, in case you are coming to support a specific actor.

Director’s Note

Thank you so much for being here with us for this very unusual production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.  When we first planned to do this particular show, we were thrilled to be able to do a piece that would showcase several of our veteran StoryTellers as they go their way into the world of college, just as we did with Les Miserables last year.  We worked hard and found our way into an incredible, large theater in the area; one that would allow us to do 2 weekends, because 1 weekend found us turning people away from Les Mis.  Things were coming together for this young company in an exciting way.  The theater said yes to us one day, and a week later, the world changed and every place was forced to say no to theater.  COVID came and changed everyone’s plans.  For some, it was a tragic change, for some a change full of disappointments and loss, for others smaller inconveniences.  So, the creative team, board of directors and I put our heads together and started to sort it all out in the midst of the most stringent part of the state’s regulations.  Tiny gathering sizes, masks, distancing, etc… none of that is conducive to much else other than sitting in one’s home reading a book or relearning what it’s like to cook all meals at home.  What was possible?  Could anything be salvaged?  Initially, the answer was maybe not?  Then it was maybe all virtual?  We were granted a special license to live stream a performance.  But then that was pulled back due to rules that had apparently been overlooked by the company that rents the rights to this show.  

So, we just decided to have auditions, and rehearse, and see how the world was going to unfold.  We had no idea what the outcome would be.  We had our biggest group of actors audition ever.  And, because we are committed to training, we don’t turn people away.  At that time gathering sizes were restricted to 10 or under.  Obviously just with the people it takes to make this show happen, we’d be way over that number.  The actors were game though, to put in the work, not knowing what might be at the end of the process.  So was the creative team.  As things opened up a bit, we felt we might be able to perform and have a small audience, however distancing is still very important.  Could we be artists and good citizens all at once?  We decided to give it our best effort.  Our amazing producer, Alyssa Bouma came up with the idea that we might need 4 separate casts to keep our gathering sizes down.  4… We have some experience of doing 2, which is hard enough.  4???  She was correct though because at the time we were rehearsing, we still couldn’t have too many people at the same time.  Plus, we had the talent to showcase, which is a great problem to have!  But now this meant that she also had to master a mind-boggling schedule and the COVID processes as well as all of the normal details that a producer has.   

We began a process.  One none of us has ever done in this way before.  One tiny step at a time, still not knowing the outcome, we started virtual rehearsals on Zoom.  Yes, they are horrible.  We can teach songs, but we surely can’t hear any group singing. The students had a bit of an easier time than we did, since they had just spent nearly 3 months perfecting the mute, unmute dance.  They were troopers.  They had to listen to what we taught them musically and then perfect things on their own until we could see them in person.  We had faith, knowing how diligent they are.  Slowly, we had groups of 2 or 3 gather in backyards for in person coaching.  So much better!  But, then bug spray had to become a close companion, along with our trusty masks, that only came off for distanced rehearsing.  Our few short weeks passed without seeing any of the casts all together until nearly the end.  Imagine not having the cast together while rehearsing a show like this that has so many lovely group numbers.  Finally, each cast came together, having been given distanced blocking for their characters.  This means limited movement to and from a number at the front of the stage, all of which are more than 6 feet apart.  It also meant that the characters could not face each other when singing, could not pass props to one another, we couldn’t move sets around, have the orchestra in front of the singers, no costume changes because no dressing rooms, and we had to try to tell a believable love story with no touching or proximity.  Crazy!!  Moreover, where could we find a place to perform outside, and someone as danger seeking as we were to run sound in an outdoor theater?  How could we commit to do this both safely and well?  Faith and commitment  are met with abundance and miracles, allowing us to give you this concert version of Beauty and the Beast.

 Ultimately, theater is not about the props, the sets, the costumes.  It’s about the power of the story, and the power of the actors’ imaginations to bring the story to life.  It’s about the great gifts of song and word and creativity put to use as they were intended.  I don’t need to tell you about the story you are about to see, you already know it, and can see it through the minds of our young actors, who have something truly real and beautiful to share with you.  Dare I say that aside from the mosquitos, the stress about the weather, the herculean lift to produce and perform in these circumstances, we are left with something that is radiant in an unexpected, meaningful way.  For me, the radiance has to do with the hard work and talent of these casts, the sacrificial love of the team that has brought it together, and the actual story itself.  If you leave with anything that Belle, the Beast, and all of the rest of these marvelous characters are saying- let it be that when it comes to people, we choose not to hate what we don’t understand, the curse of ugliness, isolation, violence, and selfishness can be undone- allowing the timelessness of love between all people to bring joy and healing and hope for a better future.  May we all go from barely being friends to bending unexpectedly… maybe that’s what this whole season is ultimately meant to leave behind. 
-Terry Sweet Bouma

Musical Numbers

Act 1

Special Thanks

Roy Griffith, Amy Ramsey, and all of Rockbridge Academy- We are endlessly grateful for allowing us to use your beautiful new space in a very uncertain time for a very ambitious production.
Irma & Max Cripe, Joanne Pasquarelli, and Mike & Becky Kawecki- Thank you to you and your neighbors for allowing us to use your backyards for rehearsal! 
Nathan Northup, Bob Schingeck, and Shannon Reich- Thank you for your facilities management!
Alexa Cripe- Thank you for putting together simple but important and COVID friendly costumes! 
John Daly- Thank you for taking photos of our casts!
Daniel Shaner- Thank you for videoing our opening night!
To all of our Volunteers- Thank you for braving the heat and less than ideal conditions to help us put on this show!

creative team bios

Terry Sweet Bouma- (Director/Vocal Preparation) As an actor and singer, Theresa Sweet Bouma has performed music theater roles, opera roles, and concerts with companies that include Washington Repertory Company, Petrucci's, Washington Summer Opera, Charlottesville Symphony, Concert Artists of Baltimore, and many others in Baltimore, Washington DC, and up the east coast. She was also the 3rd place winner of the national Metropolitan Opera competition earlier in her career. Her education includes an undergraduate and graduate degree in voice and opera performance from Oberlin and Peabody Conservatories respectively, and a Master's of Science in Psychology from Loyola University of Maryland. Most recently, Terry has devoted much of her creative energies to inspiring, training, and supporting young performing artists. Her acting and voice students have been accepted as performing arts majors at schools such as Catholic University, Belmont, Elon, AMDA, Ithaca, University of Maryland, University of Hartford, James Madison, and also for agency representation. Terry has served as musical director and vocal coach for many musical productions in the DC/Baltimore area, including working as a teaching artist and musical director with Imagination Stage in Bethesda. Her stage directing credits include You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Pirates of Penzance, Into the Woods, StoryTellers Cabarets, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Les Miserables, and The Little Mermaid. She currently serves StoryTellers: a Performing Arts Academy, as co-founder and Artistic Director, providing opportunities for students and young adults to train as actors and singers, and to participate in professional level stage productions. Her most meaningful journey in this life, however, will always be getting to be mom to Jenna and Alyssa, Muha, and Ryan, and Gigi to Aria. 

Chris Pinder (Music Director/Conductor) Chris is excited to be back working with StoryTellers where he was previously the Music Director/Conductor for Les Miserables, the Music Director for the 2019 Cabaret, and Music Director/Pianist for Always Patsy Cline. Chris is a music director and musician based in Annapolis, Maryland. He is currently attending Shenandoah University, where he is working towards a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theater Accompanying. While fulfilling the requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree, Chris is also studying music direction under Broadway legend Patrick Brady. Chris formerly attended Anne Arundel Community College, where he studied general studies with a concentration in music and conducting. Chris transferred to East Carolina University, where he studied music education and percussion performance under Johnathan Wacker. 

Alyssa Bouma- (Producer) Alyssa is a co-founder and the Production Manager at StoryTellers Theater Arts Academy. She has also served as the Assistant Producer for Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz since 2014, which just finished a run at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and is headed to Broadway and beyond soon! Theater credits include: Company Manager for Chasing Rainbows at Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theater of North Carolina; Director/Producer at Rebel Theater Company (NYC); Actor and Creative team member for Much Ado About Nothing, Tartuffe, Pride and Prejudice, Cymbeline, and Comedy of Errors at Annapolis Shakespeare Company; and Producer/Creative team for Into the Woods, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Les Miserables, and Much Ado About Nothing at StoryTellers; Assistant Choreographer for Annie Get Your Gun, and Assistant Director for Pirates of Penzance and The Little Mermaid at Rockbridge Academy. Alyssa is also a wedding & portrait photographer based in NYC www.capturedbyalyssa.com 

 Alexander Foley (Set Design and Construction/Teaching Artist) Alex is a co-founder and creative team member of StoryTellers, where his credits include Into the Woods (associate director, teaching artist), Midsummer Night’s Dream (assistant director, set designer, costume designer), Twelfth Night (assistant director, teaching artist, set designer, properties master), Les Misérables (assistant director, set designer, properties master), Much Ado About Nothing (set design, construction, and properties consultant) and a Jones Elementary and StoryTellers production of The Little Mermaid JR. (director, set designer). His Rockbridge Academy credits are You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (associate director) Pirates of Penzance (assistant director and teaching artist), and The Little Mermaid. .He has worked on Annapolis Shakespeare Company’s Twelfth Night (assistant director), Comedy of Errors (associate director), and Much Ado About Nothing (properties master) and has served as the properties master to Firebone Theater Company’s productions of Red Flamboyant and Son of a Gun. 

Joel Pasquarelli (Set Design and Construction) Joel is a rising sophomore at Savannah College of Art and Design as a production design major, with a focus on theatre set and prop design. This is the third production with StoryTellers and Rockbridge Academy for which he has helped design sets, with previous shows being ‘Pirates of Penzance’ in 2018 and more recently ‘The Little Mermaid’ this last winter.

Ryan Neely (Assistant Director) Ryan is a professional actor based in New York City. He received his BFA in acting from Rutgers University and studied classical theater at Shakespeare’s Globe in London where he could be seen on stage as Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night. Last year Ryan directed StoryTellers’ production of Much Ado About Nothing, and has been joining StoryTellers as a Guest Teaching Artist for several years. New York credits include Hamlet in Hamlet, Richard II (Gross Masons), The Book of Zegolotogy (Manhattan Rep Theater), Romeo and Juliet (The Poetics) Regional credits include Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Much Ado About Nothing, Tartuffe (Annapolis Shakespeare Company), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; Mile Square Theater), and Dante’s Inferno (which he adapted and directed for Rutgers). He can be seen on television in One Life to Live, Monumental Mysteries, and the webseries, A Day Late and Ten Pounds Overweight which can be found on Youtube at www.youtube.com/adaylateandtenpoundsoverweight 

Les Lentz (Sound) Les Lentz has been an audio engineer and producer for over 30 years. He would really appreciate it if you turned off your cell phones off at this time. Thank You.

Want to know more?

STORYTELLERS IS A UNIQUE, FULL-SCALE, QUALITY THEATER ARTS ACADEMY THAT OFFERS PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. WE ARE COMMITTED TO TEACHING AND PRODUCING MEANINGFUL AND EXCELLENT THEATER BY INVESTING DEEPLY IN YOUNG ARTISTS IN A WHOLESOME, ENCOURAGING, AND CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT. THIS WILL BE DONE IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OUR STUDENTS, TO IMPACT OUR AUDIENCES, AND TO ENRICH THE ART OF THEATER FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

Due to the uncertain nature of the pandemic, we are still working through plans for the next year. Please stay tuned to find out more information! If you haven’t already, you can join our mailing list HERE to stay up to date. 

StoryTellers is a Non-Profit 501(c)(3) organization and we thrive on the generosity of our patrons! Financial gifts can be given by cash checks made out to Storytellers and deposited in the box on the ticket table, or mailed to 12148 Long Ridge Lane Bowie, MD 20715.

StoryTellers Board of Directors:

Terry Sweet Bouma- Artistic Director, Member at Large
Alyssa Bouma- Vice President
Max Cripe- Treasurer 
Alexander Foley- Secretary 
Irma Cripe- Member at Large
Lisa Parker- Member at Large