His hair-covered hands reach out and envelop the handle of the small mirror. He stares at his reflection in disgust. Hair, fangs, scrunched snout and more hair were the only things he can see in himself, but under the beastly costume is a boy who has dreamed of his spotlight moment since his elementary days.

Junior Mitchell Hernandez will play the Beast in the all school musical production, “Beauty and the Beast.” Throughout Hernandez’s high school career and childhood, he has been a member of the theater department.

“I started doing musical my freshman year in “Cinderella,” and I helped the high school musicals back when I was in elementary and intermediate school,” Hernandez said. “Musical was really something I was looking forward to when I entered high school.”

When “Beauty and the Beast” was announced last spring, Hernandez said he knew which character he would audition for in the fall.

“I knew what part I wanted, but I did not know if I would get it or not,” Hernandez said. “I felt strong about how badly I wanted it. Everyone in auditions has a specific part they want to be, and I really wanted to be Beast. I am really happy I got the part, and I have had a lot of fun doing it.”

Hernandez said he loves presenting himself and sharing his passion for performing.

“You have to put yourself out there when you are auditioning in front of your peers,” Hernandez said. “It is something I love to do. It is nerve-wracking, but it is also a lot of fun.”

The roles were announced Sept. 9, and rehearsals started shortly after.

“Everyone’s emotions were high emotions,” Hernandez said. “We were all texting each other, congratulating one another, and everyone was really happy to see what part they got. We were all excited to start rehearsals.”

The Beast makeup and headdress takes approximately 15 minutes to transform Hernandez, but he develops the Beast’s feelings beyond his costume.

“I tend to use emotions I have in real-life, and I use them to my advantage whenever I am on stage,” Hernandez said. “Usually, what I do is think of acting not as becoming a character, but taking the conflicts the character has upon myself. I think about what the Beast would be thinking or what he would be experiencing, so I can feel those emotions and put them on stage.”

Hernandez said he loves presenting himself and sharing his passion for performing.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. Sunday will be the matinee show  at 2:30 p.m.

“Tonight there will be a great show, as well as Saturday night,” Hernandez said. “This year feels like it has gone smooth, we have worked really hard, so I think tonight will go really well.”

Hernandez said his favorite aspect of being a part of the theater department is the people he is surrounded by in the late night rehearsals and the adrenaline pumping shows.

“Being around all of these people who do the same thing I love to do is amazing,” Hernandez said. “When you are in a cast with people you become close, like a family. It is awesome to see how the fine arts can bring life to these magical characters and the magical story through all of the work put in.”