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Towngate Theatre Presents “Beauty and the Beast”

Towngate Theatre will once again enchant and delight audiences with a production of the heart-warming fable “Beauty and the Beast.”  The show opens this Friday, January 31 and continues this weekend and next.

Written by Warren Graves and produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., “Beauty and the Beast” will be staged for two weekends- January 31-February 2 and February 8-9 at Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre, 2118 Market Street, Wheeling.

Hannah Gonot, who plays Beauty, and Austin Schwanker, who plays the Beast, rehearse a scene from Towngate’s upcoming production of the heart-warming fable.

Like all classic fairy tales, this magical drama weaves in underlying moral messages throughout the story, which appeals to both children and parents.

“The story focuses on a young Beauty, whose innocence and goodness enable her to see beyond the external ugliness of the Beast,” Oglebay Institute director of performing arts Tim Thompson said. “The show celebrates the idea that beauty comes from within and unconditional love and kindness reign supreme.”

The story of “Beauty and the Beast” has been around for centuries in both written and oral form. Most recently it has been popularized in film and on Broadway. Towngate’s production is different than the modern-day productions in that it is a non-musical and closely follows the traditional storyline. The production is based on the story written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756 as a story for younger readers.

David Gaudio and Hannah Gonot.

Talented Cast

The cast for “Beauty and the Beast” includes David Gaudio as Blotti, Austin Schwanker as the Beast, Keyuri Morgan as Jonquil, Flannery Muscar as Rougi, Hannah Gonot as Beauty, Brent Clyburn as Manello and Promise Hunt and Audrey IIovar as Spirits.

The production is directed by Towngate artistic director Dave Henderson.

Cast members for Towngate Theatre’s upcoming production of “Beauty and the Beast” are standing, left to right, David Gaudio, Brent Clyburn, Austin Schwanker, Keyuri Morgan, Hannah Gonot, Flannery Muscar. Seated is Audrey IIovar. Not pictured is Promise Hunt.

Get Tickets

Sponsored by the Helen J. Prince Foundation, “Beauty and the Beast” will be staged at Towngate Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday, January 31 and 3pm February 1, 2, 8 and 9.

Children ages 10 and under will be admitted for a special price of $10. Adult admission is $15. Members of Oglebay Institute receive a discount.

Purchase tickets online, by calling 304-242-7700, or at the door, if available.  Towngate’s box office opens one hour before all shows and can be reached at 304-233-4257. Advance tickets are recommended; some shows sell out.

Brent Clyburn and Austin Schwanker.

Keeping the Community in Community Theater

In addition to children’s theater, Towngate offers a full season of community theater, ballet, improvisational comedy, and live music. Towngate is also a single screen cinema, offering movies on select evenings and features changing art exhibitions in The Gallery at Towngate. Theater classes are also offered year-round.

Towngate is in Wheeling’s historic Centre Market District. This church-turned-theater is one of several Wheeling venues operated by the non-profit Oglebay Institute. Other OI facilities include: Stifel Fine Arts Center and School of Dance on National Road, the Mansion Museum, Glass Museum and Schrader Environmental Education Center in Oglebay.

As a nonprofit community theater, Towngate relies on the generosity of patrons, neighbors, and friends who invest in our community and the stories we tell together. Memberships to Oglebay institute also support the work of the theater and all Oglebay Institute venues. Oglebay Institute memberships include perks such as discounts, special events, priority registration, and more.

 

 

STUDENT ARTISTS HONORED AT STIFEL ART EXHIBIT

Oglebay Institute fosters and celebrates the talent and creativity of young artists. The 36th annual Regional Student Art Exhibit is on display at Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling through February 7.

An opening reception and awards ceremony took place January 16. Top artists in each category received ribbons and cash prizes.

The annual exhibit provides high school students the opportunity to display their artwork in a professional gallery, see what other students are doing in the world of art, and collaborate and get feedback from art teachers, college professors, and other students from throughout the region.

“Every year I’m amazed at the quality of the artwork coming out of the region. As a former high school art teacher, I’m very fond of young artists and seeing their talent brings me back to those days,” Oglebay Institute curator of exhibitions Clancy said. “The Stifel Center is uniquely situated to elevate these fledgling creators and give them a platform to display to a wider audience, while getting some accolades in the process. All it takes is something like this exhibit to hook a student for life.”

 

Best is Show: Anneliese Schupbach, Brooke High School, “Flourishing Anticipation.”

First Place Digital: Jessica Nissley, The Linsly School, “Eve Has Green Eyes”

14 Schools from 3 States Represented in the Show

Fourteen high schools from three states and eight counties are represented in this year’s show. Schools include Bridgeport High School, John Marshall High School, Wheeling Central Catholic High School, Union Local High School, Martins Ferry High School, Bellaire High School, Wheeling Park High School, Brooke High School, Avella High School, The Linsly School, River High School, Oak Glen High School, Fairmont Senior High School, and West Virginia Virtual Academy. Homeschool students also participated in the show.

More than 250 pieces were submitted and 98 works in a variety of media from 79 student artists were selected for the show by juror Aaron Anslow.

First Place Photography: Kaden Mosa, The Linsly School, “Blue Invasion”

Juror Aaron Anslow

“Thank you to all the folks that made this show possible. The strength, sophistication, and range of the students’ work is incredible,” Anslow said. “I take great pride in being part of this art community and I am extremely grateful to all the parents, teachers, and fellow students who have supported and encouraged these young artists. The future of studio art in our region is bright, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.”

A practicing artist who has exhibited nationally and internationally, Anslow teaches at West Liberty University and owns and operates Earthsmith Studio in Bethany, West Virginia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s degree in ceramics. He has studied at Bethany College, West Virginia University, Regents College in London and in Jingdezhen, China. He also served as a Sergeant in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 

First Place, Rowyn Scott, Avella High School, “Death Stare”
First Place Drawing: Maddie Tingler, Union Local High School, “Of Rats and Men”

Award Winners

Best of Show
Anneliese Schupbach, Brooke High School, “Flourishing Anticipation.”

Painting
First Place, Rowyn Scott, Avella High School, “Death Stare”
Second Place, Cam Harris, WV Virtual Academy, “I Am My Mother, and My Mother is Me”
Third Place, Cameron Fullerton, Wheeling Park High School, “Bioluminescence”

Sculpture
First Place, Kai Brehm, Bellaire High School, “The Black Hawk”
Second Place, Christian Yost, Wheeling Park High School, “Bone Collector”
Third Place, Rhys Poole, The Linsly School, Even Immortals Have Weaknesses

Mixed Media
First Place, Leo Miller-Wudarski, Wheeling Park High School, “Collage Portrait”
Second Place, Lillian Tomana, Fairmont High School, “Replication of Claude Monet’s Sunflower Field”
Third Place, Rowan Criswell, Wheeling Park High School, “The Parlor”

Photography
First Place, Kaden Mosa, The Linsly School, “Blue Invasion”
Second Place, Raven Pettigrew, Bellaire High School, “The Vote”
Third Place, Mahkenzie Poggi, Bellaire High School, “Slay 1800”

Drawing
First Place, Maddie Tingler, Union Local High School, “Of Rats and Men”
Second Place, Savannah Springer, Union Local High School, “Star of the Show”
Third Place, Hannah Shephard, Homeschool student, “Peek-a-Boo”
 
Digital
First Place, Jessica Nissley, The Linsly School, “Eve Has Green Eyes”
Second Place, Bella Mahley, Brooke High School, “Beauty of the Extinct”
Third Place, Juliette Manukin, Wheeling Park High School, “Sunset Warrior”

America’s Treasured Landscapes, Best in Show
Kaelyn Pritt, Brooke High School, “Wild Turkey”

Scholarship Awards
Ryhs Poole, The Linsly School, received a partial scholarship award to West Virginia University. Kyleigh Leach, Union Local High School, received a partial scholarship award to West Liberty University.

First Place Sculpture: Kai Brehm, Bellaire High School, “The Black Hawk”
First Place Mixed Media: Leo Miller-Wudarski, Wheeling Park High School, “Collage Portrait”

America’s Treasured Landscapes–partnership with WSO

A new aspect of this year’s Regional Student Art Exhibit is the America’s Treasured Landscapes project, which is a new category in partnership with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra.

Students were asked to submit works in any medium that were inspired by West Virginia’s natural beauty and the National Parks of the United States. These works are included in the America’s Treasured Landscapes exhibit that will be showcased during the WSO’s Masterworks concert Nature. Beauty February 8, 2025.

America’s Treasured Landscapes, Best in Show: Kaelyn Pritt, Brooke High School, “Wild Turkey”

Prior to the concert and during the post-concert reception, the exhibit will be on display in the Capitol Theatre ballroom. Also, during composer Matt Jackfert’s “Foggy Moon over the Gorge,” large scale digital images of student artworks inspired by nature’s beauty will be displayed for concertgoers.

The 36th Annual Regional Student Art Exhibition can be viewed free of charge now through February 7 at Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center, 1330 National Road, Wheeling. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Saturdays. Evening hours are dependent on classes and special events taking place.  For more information, visit www.oionline.com or call 304-242-7700.

The annual exhibit is open to students in grades 9-12 within a 50-mile radius of Wheeling. Award winners receive ribbons along with cash prizes.

The show is part of Oglebay Institute’s art exhibition season, which is sponsored by United Bank.

Part of the nonprofit Oglebay Institute and housed in the historic Edemar Mansion, Stifel Fine Arts Center is a public arts center with galleries, classrooms, and performance space. Through year-round exhibits, classes, and special events, Stifel serves as a gathering place for artists, emerging artists, art lovers, students, educators, and families—connecting and engaging the community in creative pursuits.