For anyone awaiting the release of Disney's Frozen this month, consider taking in Edwin Parr Composite's production of The Snow Queen this Thursday through Saturday at the Nancy Appleby Theatre.
For anyone awaiting the release of Disney's Frozen this month, consider taking in Edwin Parr Composite's production of The Snow Queen this Thursday through Saturday at the Nancy Appleby Theatre.
Both the play and the Disney film are based on a Hans Christian Andersen tale about a wicked queen who wants to make it winter forever. But, as is often the case with cold-loving queens, a brave young thing foils the frosty plot.
Grade 12 student Emily Marsden plays Gerta, the wholesome, hair-in-braids heroine who rescues a boy from the Snow Queen's clutches. That gender reversal of rescuer and rescuee is one of Marsden's favourite parts of the play. The other perk is the audience interaction that comes with children's theatre.
"I've never really done that before, so it's a whole new experience," said Marsden. "It's really cool."
EPC drama teacher and The Snow Queen director Bruce MacDonald said he was unsure at first how high school students would feel about doing children's theatre. The 33 cast members, however, thought the script was hilarious.
"You never want to be in a show you don't want to do," said MacDonald.
And really, what's not to love?
"There's princesses and princes and kings and spiders -all kinds of different fantasy characters, which are really fun to play and fun to costume," said MacDonald.
Val Goetz is in charge of costumes, and MacDonald said some of the greatest wardrobe challenges came with the many personified animals in the show. Do you make a talking raven look like a raven, or just give them a few raven-like qualities?
MacDonald decided to go for a mix.
"Some are just little representations, and some have full-on suits," he said.
Rather than relying on a traditional mix of props and backdrops, MacDonald elected to build 10-foot-tall books -some standing with spines out, some lying in stacks, and one upright on centre stage and opened to different pages for different scenes.
"We had a whole assembly line going today," said MacDonald last Thursday of shop students making the giant wooden books. "Every high school art student was painting."
Both Marsden and MacDonald agree the play isn't just for children; all ages will get a kick out of the special effects and extensive improvisation.
All performances are at 7 p.m. Nov. 21-23. Tickets are available at Value Drug Mart, Rexall or at the door for $15.
