The Daily Reporter from Greenfield, Indiana • Page A4

HRISTINE CHAEFER AILY EPORTER AFAYETTE Evan Myers is the only member of his National Guard unit who has written a play and had it produced on Broadway well, Broadway Street in Greenfield, that is. Myers, a Greenfield- Central High School grad and currently a senior political science major at Purdue University, continues to find success as a playwright. Good his most recent play, is currently being produced as part of the Civic Theatre of Greater fourth-annual 10-minute play competition and festival. Myers learned about the competition through a fellow playwright, Scott Haan. A published playwright with two plays in this festival, Haan has been something of a mentor to Myers over the years.

They met when Myers auditioned for a play that Haan had written to be performed at the Indiana Thespian Society state convention. Myers enjoyed getting to know Haan at rehearsals and often teased him about the puns and jokes throughout script for Reunion was impossible not to like Myers said. had written his own play, and I thought, could do that, Following that production, the two resumed their friendship when Myers invited Haan to a theater performance at Greenfield-Central High School (the one on Broadway Street). A one-act written and directed by Myers called and one of plays were both being performed as part of Evening of at the high school. As a student at Purdue, Myers was in the right place and the right time to not only submit a script but perform in it as well.

His one-act, Work was selected in 2014 by the committee with his mentor, Haan, as director of the show. Haan ran into some casting issues early in rehearsal and went to Myers for help. Myers ended up playing the lead character in his own play. knew the Haan said, it was kind of a no-brainer. It turned out that he was the missing piece and once he joined the cast, everything The theme of the 2016 ten- minute play festival is 10 10 10, meaning 10 plays at 10 minutes each for a $10 admission WHAT: Ten 10-minute plays WHO: Presented by the Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette WHERE: 313 N.

Fifth Lafayette WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday TICKETS: $10 INFORMATION: lafayettecivic.org Greenfield grad has short play produced in festival THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 PAGE A4 JustFun 4 EVAN MYERS IN SHORT SUPPLY 10 10 10 FESTIVAL really grateful that the civic (theater) has a program like this. It gives me a chance to take part in a hobby that I love but usually have time EVAN MYERS On participating in the Civic Theater of Greater 10-minute play competition Pictured: The cast of Evan one-act, from left, Josh Stillinger, Lauren Prazeau, Brody Irwin and Hector Morales act on stage. SUBMITTED PHOTO (SEE PLAY PAGE A5) eauty and the first a fairy tale, then a Disney animation and now a live stage production at Beef Boards Dinner Theater follows the story of Belle, her love for her father and her eventual love for the beast who kept her prisoner.

The opening number of the show, introduces us to the three central characters: Belle (Julia Bonnett), whose interest in books makes her an oddity in the village; Gaston (Jon McHatton), a muscle- bound narcissist intent on wooing Belle as his bride; and Maurice (Ty Stover), eccentric inventor father. In the story, Maurice gets lost in the woods on the way to an fair and wanders into the castle owned by the Beast (Preston Yates). Belle arrives to rescue her father and, against his objections, exchanges her freedom for his. Belle, now a prisoner in the castle, at first rejects the efforts to be kind but gradually warms to him and eventually comes to love him. There is much to enjoy in and the Bonnett is perfectly cast as Belle.

With wigs by Kurt Alger and makeup by Daniel Klingler, she not only looks the part, but she sounds almost exactly like the voice of Belle in animated version. makeup misses no detail from the clock hands mustache (because what good is an enchanted castle if furniture move and talk) and the number 12 on the forehead of Cogsworth (John Vessels) to the moveable prosthesis on the lower half of the face, enabling the mask to move whenever he speaks. vocals fill the venue for his solos, but something about his singing or the physical exertions during the performance seems to result in Yates being short of breath. There are a number of times when audience members can hear him Tale as old as time: takes stage at Beef Boards SUBMITTED PHOTO Belle, portrayed by Julia Bonnett, and the Beast (Preston Yates) dance together for the first time in Beef Boards Dinner production of and the (SEE BEAST PAGE A5) CHRISTINE SCHAEFER.