Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2016, Page 22

Description:	Sounds of South set a new standard for highproduction quality with their performance of BeautNand the Beast. Their innovative use ofenvironmentally conscious materials for costumesnot fail to deliver a visually thrilling experience.a teapot, a clock, ana a canaeiaora. un, ana a beastdisguise. The costumes for this years Bloomington SouthsSounds of South musical, Beauty and the Beast, wereanything but conventional. A situation that could haveeasily begged for an excess of fabric and materialspresented itself as a new opportunity: the chance to outfitthe entire cast in recycled materials.It was no quick feat to accomplish. South parents,Martina Celerin and Nancy Riggert, directed and facilitatedthe making of the outfits for the cast. They were not left totheir own devices, however. Senior Leigha Stephney andother members of the cast and crew were heavily involvedin making the costumes in time for the show. We wouldhelp them when we had free time in Panther Plus anduring class, Stephney said. Even with everyone workingon them, the costumes took over a year to finish.The primary use of recycled materials in the making ofthe outfits was a welcomed concept to the cast. For seniorslike Catherine May, this was something entirely new. Itwas really cool that we could save both money and theenvironment by making our costumes out of recycledk things, May said. M ^Once October arrived, the cast was dressed and readyto show off their collective hard work. First-time leadsophomore Elena Stalnaker commanded the stage asBelle opposite male lead, senior Ryne Benckart, as theBeast. The changes to their costumes energized the castfor each performance. Amongst the new additions,however, some Sounds of South traditions stayed. Thecircle time ritual remained a calming staple for the actorsbefore they took the stage. During this time, we can getvery emotional, and if you ask anyone in Sounds of South,Im always crying, Stephney said.The spectacle of music, talent, and creativity that wasBeauty and the Beast left the audience roaring on theirfeet. And while Stalnaker had the official role, thecostumes made it clear that she was not the only belleon stage.- ALEXANDRA LA BELLA AND AUDREY CADAG
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/9658
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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