Meet our Marian

Beaven Walters is delighted to be returning to the Kitsap Forest Theater stage after a brief break after the birth of her fourth child. She got her start at KFT six years ago when she played the role of Maria in The Sound of Music and was joined by her oldest daughter, Sophie, who played the youngest Von Trapp, Gretl. Since then, Beaven (4 shows), Sophie (6 shows), her son Scooter (4 shows), and even her husband, Mark (1 show), have appeared in six shows at KFT. Beaven also appeared as Cinderella in Into the Woods and Ida in Honk!  (which she performed well into her third trimester of pregnancy.) 

From Beaven: "Marian provides an opportunity to portray a more complex character than the typical ingénue. While she may be inexperienced at love, she is not a wide-eyed innocent. Marian is smart, savvy, wise, and strong. She has core values and standards she is not willing to compromise, even though she is teetering on the edge of entering the age when most women in her day would have been considered an “old-maid.” She is judged by the folks in the town for being different, and this sparks rumors. While on the surface Marian appears to be a tightly wound and cold librarian/music teacher, she is a romantic at heart and longs to find a “someone” with whom to share life’s simple pleasures. She also longs to be accepted by the townspeople. Additionally, Marian has a little brother, Winthrop, who has suffered since the loss of their father. This weighs heavily on Marian’s heart." 

"Enter Harold Hill, the least obvious choice for a romantic interest for Marian, but that is also what makes the pairing so interesting. Almost from the start, there is an undeniable chemistry between the two characters that opens up a range of feelings for Marian and forces a struggle between her intellect and her heart. At first, Marian sees Harold for what he is - a charismatic and smooth talking con artist. Then, at the end of  Act 1 when Harold produces the promised instruments, including Winthrop’s cornet, Marian sees how Harold’s impact on the town, especially on her little brother, has done nothing but improve the lives of everyone Harold has come into contact with. This is a pivotal turning point for Marian as she starts to look at Harold in a new light." 

"In Act 2, Marian continues to see the goodness and kindness below Harold’s facade, which brings down her walls and ultimately leads to her transformation. Her love for Harold, despite knowing the truth about him, brings about his own metamorphosis and he is willing to lose everything for this new found love. Love triumphs in this feel good musical where the townspeople and even the audience are all left a little transformed and perhaps even a bit less cynical as a result."   

"It has been my pleasure to discover the deeper meaning and hidden gems in this marvelous work of Meredith Wilson’s and I can’t imagine a better theater in which to perform this particular musical. KFT, with its range of ages of the participants, operates much like a mini River City, Iowa. We are a company full of quirky individuals-mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, husbands and wives all participating in something that is greater than ourselves. There have been generations of Mountaineers Players coming together every spring to produce plays dating back to 1923, just eleven years after The Music Man takes place. I am so grateful to be part of such a tradition."

The Music Man opens Sunday, May 29th. Get your tickets now and plan a day in the forest being transported to another time and place.