River Place Student Theatre performed Disney’s “Descendants: The Musical” on April 16 -17.

“We thought about taking a year off but so many kids reached out wanting the show to go on,” said Kelly Fieleke, River Place Student Theatre president. “For these kids, this is their thing that brings them joy and in a year like this we’ve needed every opportunity we can get.”

The synopsis of the play is that all of Disney’s heroes and royalty are living happily ever after on the magic-free Isle of the Lost. They are safe from the terrifying villains and troublesome sidekicks until Ben, the benevolent teenage son of Belle and King Adam (The Beast), decides to change things. 

Ben offers a chance of redemption for the troublemaking children of the evilest villains. Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos – the children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil, and Jafar – are welcomed to Auradon Prep to attend school with the children of their parents’ sworn enemies. 

Now entering a completely foreign way of life, the four Villain Kids have a difficult choice to make: should they follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or learn to be good?

River Place Student Theatre decided to go forward this year with the understanding that ultimate flexibility was needed to put on a show.

“As an infection prevention nurse with the unfortunate opportunity to get a front row seat to this horrible virus, I would never do anything that I thought could put the community at risk,” Fieleke said. 

Her experience allowed her to guide the organization in safe practice strategies. The cast practiced outdoors, with masks, six feet apart and did not share props. It was an outdoor event with limited seating.