SoE Students Shine in Livingston Theatre Company’s Beauty and the Beast
When Rutgers’ Livingston Theatre Company (LTC) wowed audiences by ending its 26th season with a full-scale performance of the beloved musical, Beauty and the Beast, the cast included two School of Engineering (SoE) students.
While rising junior and mechanical engineering major James Lavery played the villain Gaston’s comic sidekick Lefou, Mukund Ramakrishnan, who graduated in May summa cum laude with a BS in electrical and computer engineering, was cast as Monsieur D’Arque, the proprietor of the village’s Maison des Lunes asylum. Both students are also members SoE' Honors Academy.
The students were part of a company of more than 20 actors who, The Daily Targum reported were all able to “completely shine in their roles.”
A Debut Performance
For Ramakrishnan, this was his first theatrical performance since middle school, although he has been involved in Rutgers’ vocal music program throughout his college years.
“I sang in the Kirkpatrick Choir for four years and have been part of various music classes at Mason Gross School of the Arts,” he recalls.
He auditioned for Beauty and the Beast because it held special meaning for him. “It is perhaps my favorite childhood story,” he says. “The story’s optimistic view on how people develop stronger character and become the best versions of themselves as they develop relationships with others deeply resonates with my own worldview.”
His theatrical debut was a personal success, he says. “The best thing about being a part of this production was the people – my fellow cast members and the production staff are amazingly talented, hardworking, caring, inspiring individuals. I’m so grateful to have gotten to know the LTC community, and I wish I was able to be part of it for longer.”
Nonetheless, Ramakrishnan reports that while he will be starting a PhD program at NYU in the fall, his experience with LTC has inspired him to seek out theatrical opportunities at NYU and in the city. “I hope to be part of the theatre world during my time at NYU,” he promises.
An Artistic Bent
While Lavery did act in high school musicals, Beauty and the Beast was his first experience with the LTC.
“I’ve been looking for an opportunity to participate in theater here at Rutgers after performing in high school,” he says. When I saw that LTC was putting on Beauty and the Beast – a musical I knew I would enjoy – I decided that after almost two years away from the stage, I needed to find time in my schedule to join the cast.”
Like his castmate Ramakrishnan, he especially enjoyed getting to work with the cast and crew. “I didn’t know anyone involved in this show going in, but the community is so kind and inviting that every moment was enjoyable,” he reports.
For Lavery, who admits to having an artistic side to his personality, being involved in musical theater is a great way to relax from the rigorous coursework of engineering and let that side of himself shine.
“I’ve always had a huge interest in everything to do with the film world, as I showcase through my love of acting,” he explains. “While I pursue my engineering goals with my major, I’m expanding my film interests with a minor in cinema studies, as it may help me find a way to combine my two passions with an engineering career in the film industry.”
In the meantime, Lavery intends to continue his involvement with Rutgers theater. “I can’t wait to be back working with the LTC next semester,” he says.
