Students with the Marigold Youth Spotlight Theatre practice choreography for their upcoming Beetlejuice Jr. performance. The musical will play at the Marigold from July 22-24. Photo by Brendyn CreamerArticle contentTRURO – The directors and cast of the Marigold Youth Spotlight Theatre’s rendition of Beetlejuice Jr. aren’t pulling their punches—this is a musical about death. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentBased on the Broadway musical that itself is an adaptation of the 1988 horror-comedy film, Beetlejuice Jr. focuses on the character of Lydia, a brooding teen grieving their recently deceased mother. When her family moves into a new house haunted by a recently deceased couple, the dead lovers decide to call upon the eponymous demon Beetlejuice to make the family’s lives miserable. Article contentArticle contentArticle contentOn the surface, it doesn’t sound like a musical to be performed by a youth theatre program, but to the directors and cast, it opens up many conversations surrounding the topic of death that parents often avoid. Article content“If you’re familiar with the musical as I was, and you heard they made a junior of it, you would go, really?” says co-director Emma Smit-Geraghty. “Death and taxes have two things in common, they’re inevitable, and we do a pretty bad job at talking to kids about them. They require frank, honest conversations, and grown-ups tend to fail at that.” Article contentAlthough the subject matter can be tough, the comedic antics of Beetlejuice reveal that death doesn’t have to be as scary as it seems. As far as the directors are aware, the youth—aged 10 to 18—are engaging with it in a promising way. They are relating their own experiences to the musical, finding joy in the darker moments, and they’re learning about grief in a healthy way. Article contentArticle content“They are recognizing that grief is a product of love and happiness and joy, and all of these things are something I think kids understand, and this show understands,” says Sappho Thompson, stage manager and Marigold summer student. Article contentThe youth seem to agree. Article contentOne of the leads for this year’s musical is grade 11 student Evan Crowell, who plays Beetlejuice during two of the musicals dates—the cast rotates between their four performances. Crowell was a fan of the musical prior to performing in it, and has had her fair share of grief. Article content“The show is very good at opening up conversations, because when you meet somebody who’s lost somebody close to them, lots of time you’ll feel very awkward,” explains Crowell. “And they don’t want to acknowledge it, and they don’t want to talk about it, and it’s the opposite of what’s needed most of the time.” Article content Evan Crowell (pictured in front with the guitar) plays Beetlejuice in the play’s rotating cast. Crowell says the musical is darkly comedic but helps open up conversations around death. Photo by Richard MacKenzieArticle contentArticle contentA professional environment Article contentBeyond having fun, the Spotlight Theatre program is essentially a production sprint. The cast and crew have 13 days to put on the show, with the youth heavily involved in not only acting, singing and dancing, but also aspects of set design and costumes.
Discussing death with Spotlight Theatre staging Beetlejuice Jr.
