Preparing makeup for an opening performance of "Anastasia" last week at Summit High.

The musical “Anastasia” is meant to be performed using a screen and projector to display scene changes. But BEAT Children’s Theatre doesn’t have Broadway money; scenes are created by hand, while staff and volunteers are dedicated to painting, constructing and orchestrating this musical, which has over 35 costume changes, 50 props and 20 set changes.

After part one of our coverage, the tempo of rehearsals increased ahead of the show’s opening last week, with the youth actors performing scenes from beginning to end. They moved off book, finding their voice pitch and steadying their dancing. Expectations became higher, as did the spirits of young actors.

The children’s excitement and confidence were prevalent during the rehearsals. The staff’s patience and willingness to get in the trenches of singing, line readings and dancing encouraged the children. GO! spoke to the crew working with the young actors.

BEAT Executive Director Bree Beal

Along with contacting staff and volunteers for help, Beal painted the play’s crates, murals and backgrounds.

“This is the real fun part; this is the part where we get to make everything in the play come to life, and seeing the kids get excited about it makes it all worth the hard work,” Beal said.

Marketing manager Lindsay Russell

With five children involved with BEAT, Russell has been involved with BEAT since 2016. Three of her children — Van, Kingsley and Jude — are a part of “Anastasia.”

What type of influence has BEAT had on your children?

“My older two, now adults, have learned to present themselves comfortably and talk to others in public. It’s also been good for them to learn how to compartmentalize their life through creating characters,” Russell said.

How does the staff encourage the children?

“I feel like Bree sets a standard by ensuring every child has a voice and listening to them, seeing what they want and where they feel comfortable playing a role. So, everyone that works here, like Kisky and Justin, continues with that,” said Russell.

Director Justin Tilton

Beal asked Tilton to help not only in directing the play but also with the music, as well.

“This is my second show working with BEAT. I came in as a substitute music director for Legally Blonde Junior, the last musical they did in the winter. At the end of that, I was approached by Bree to see if I would be interested in directing or directing the music in Anastasia the Musical,” Tilton said.

What do you think theater offers?

“For me, changing somebody’s life. Or even if someone in an audience says, hey, what you did changed how I look at the world or what I do. If one of these kids can have that experience of what you’re doing makes them want to be better, I think that’s something incredible to strive for,” Tilton said.

Assistant director/choreographer Kisky Holwerda

Holwerda teaches the importance of understanding movement within a character.

“It’s a great gateway to dance and coordination, into movement, and how to find the character through motion. It helps understand the questions of ‘How would your character move?’ or ‘How would your character move around the stage?’ ” Holwerda said.

Maris Findling

Artist Maris Findling a Bend High 10th grader, volunteered to create the acrylic Paris background.

Where did the idea of the Paris scene painting come from?

“Bree asked me to think of a Paris scene to paint, and then we just came up with some ideas. She showed me a photo of just a little street with the water, and we decided that would be colorful enough for the stage,” Findling said.

How has BEAT Theater impacted you?

“It helped me branch out as a kid and be more comfortable with social situations. It also just helped me grow as a person. Finding a way to connect my love for art to theater makes the experiences of BEAT mean even more to me,” Findling said.

Opening performances

The dedication and perseverance bringing “Anastasia” to life echo within BEAT, whether it’s staff, volunteers or students.

BEAT premiered Anastasia during a series of soft openings at Summit High School last week, presented to Central Oregon schools and their students. This initial opening also prepared the BEAT cast for eight performances of Anastasia taking place through Sunday at Summit High, and tickets are still available through beatchildrenstheatre.org.

On Friday morning, Beal held a meeting with staff and volunteers and discussed several last-minute changes within the show. Changes such as the show’s start time to accommodate school schedules were made along with prop position, scene execution and line delivery.

Thanks to Beal and the crew’s experience, they made the necessary adjustments without panic or loss of composure.

Excited, lively children, teachers, and parents filled the auditorium before the performance. Beal’s introductions of the play provoked excitement and laughter but also reminders of audience etiquette. As expected with any young, excited audience, the crowd was initially rambunctious but quickly tuned in to the plot as the actors grew more confident.

Viewing the performance gave insight into how scenes with characters like Dmitry (Van Russell) and Anya (Lucinda Haigh) moved the audience. When Dmitry and Anya parted ways in the Paris scene, it invoked gasping, sad emotions from spectators. The audience also cheered when the two characters reunited. The dancing and singing in scenes captivated even the youngest in the audience. Many children among the viewers sang and swayed along in their seats. When the show ended, the talented young BEAT actors reveived an enthusiastic standing ovation.

There are many inspiring lessons to be learned from reporting on the young actors’ journey through the arts, but perhaps the most important lesson learned from these young thespians was about courage. The theater didn’t help these children find courage; theater presented the opportunity to reveal the courage these children already possessed.