The Masque of
Beauty and the Beast
by Michael Elliot Brill
Role: Narrator/Bank Solicitor | Director: Peter Balkwill | Company: Rosebud School of the Arts
This was a devised theatre piece based on the script The Masque of Beauty and the Beast by Michael Elliot Brill. We used this script as our base; then, under the direction of Peter Balkwill, my classmates from Rosebud School of the Arts and I created a gender swapped version of the tale of “Beauty and the Beast.” It was set in a mixed time period of the 1920s and modern day like the Baz Lhurmann's films Moulin Rouge or The Great Gatsby. We played modern music with a 1920s' spin as the audience entered. The entire script has a very classical feel as it is written with rhyming couplets. Mixing this text with modern day props, such as a McDonald’s Happy Meal and 1920-like costumes, gave the show an odd and twisted feel which is exactly what we wanted. The audience was not encountering the usual Disney telling of “Beauty and the Beast” but instead a story of self esteem. This version had a female “beast”, who desired so badly to be like the women she sees in the tabloids and on the movie screens. Pressured to be what society considers beautiful, she adds more and more makeup until her own face has become so distorted she decides that she is and always will be ugly – a beast.
Before taking on this project at Rosebud, I had attended York University for two years specializing in their Devised Theatre program; so, I was extremely excited to be devising this piece. I felt in my element, and I loved asking the “why” questions as we created. Why this story? Why now? In my devising, I love searching for the answers to these questions: What is important about this story? What do we want our audience to take away? These questions are so important to devising because it leads to the heart of the piece and allows everyone to be on the same page regarding the end goal of the project. Through these questions, we found our desire to tell a story about self-esteem and the concept of beauty in our society.
I also learned through this process that there are many different ways to devise a piece of theatre. From my time at York, I had a concept in my mind about what I thought devising was, but this process was quite different than any other devised processes I had been through. It taught me how being adaptable and letting go of preconceived notions can open up a lot of discoveries and opportunities.
“In process Emily was eager and attentive; she listened to the ideas of others and offered her own ideas to the group. I think her voice prompted some very important discussions and some of the greater paths chosen were at her beck and call. In many ways she has a director’s mind and eye and carries the care of sussing out that which is truly important to explore within the text.” – Peter Balkwill (Director)
“She was on her voice, and had tremendous presence and poise. She handles the text well, and as the Banker her impassive delivery showed a definite comedic timing.” – Leah T. Hearne (Acting Coach)
