Neuqua to present 'Cinderella' with a twist
For every time Cinderella has washed her stepsisters' laundry and scrubbed the mansion floors, her story has been retold, re-invented and re-imagined.
This weekend, Neuqua Valley High School theater students take a turn with the classic fairy tale about a young girl who endures cruel mistreatment, finds love and ultimately forgives her transgressors.
The basic "Cinderella" plot is intact, but there are a few twists.
"It's reworked and redesigned so that it's about 50 percent audience participation," director and faculty adviser Laura Dabezic said. "We have the characters mingling with the audience from the very first line."
Young audience members are encouraged to attend in costume. And they'll get to take part in certain scenes by throwing rose petals and riding in the magical pumpkin-turned-elegant carriage.
"One of my directorial niches is I like to get the audience involved," said Dabezic. "It's OK to shout things out. It's OK to dance in the aisles."
The auditorium will look like a palace decorated for a royal ball and theater programs will resemble invitations to the prince's lavish party.
Other visual flourishes will include the Fairy Godmother's appearance amid a puff of smoke and a flash of flame, Dabezic said.
And then there are the stepsisters, the ones who taunt Cinderella, make her do the housework and leave her home while they go off to the grand party.
In this show, there are three of them, and one, Dabezic said, is the ugly-ugly stepsister, played by senior Thomas Parry, who will play against gender typecasting.
"He's using his own voice," she said, laughing.
There also will be puppets, including birds on wires that swoop over the audience.
And though the show is not a musical version of "Cinderella," there will be music and dance moments including a waltz scene at the ball, Dabezic said.
Vicki Price, a sophomore from Naperville, plays the stepmother.
"Obviously I'm really mean. I come in from the back of the theater asking all the kids if they've seen Cinderella," she said.
Price moved to Naperville after spending her freshman year at the New Orleans Center of Creative Arts and is making her Neuqua debut.
"I love performing. I've always been singing, dancing and acting since I was little. I just love being on stage. I think everyone should try it at least once," she said.
Cinderella is played by senior Ali Manion of Plainfield, who was cast in Neuqua's production of "West Side Story" and was an ensemble member in the school's presentation of "Les Miserables."
"It's really exciting. I've been doing theater since I was a freshman. Cinderella has always been my favorite fairy tale, my favorite Disney movie since I was little," Manion said. "When I was a little girl, I always looked up to Cinderella. I think it really gives me a chance to grow as an actor.
"This is making me love it even more."
Manion, who is considering a musical theater major in college, said the story imparts a message of optimism that encourages people to "keep wishing and dreaming and always pursue your passion and dreams."
This version of Cinderella ends on an up note for the entire cast of characters, Dabezic said.
"At the end, everyone turns nice," Dabezic said. "It's the cheesiest happy ending you've ever seen. But it's funny."
If you go
What: "Cinderella" staged by Neuqua Valley High School
When: 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Neuqua Valley High School, 2360 95th St., Naperville
Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students and children
Info: (630) 428-6000 or nvhs.ipsd.org/activities_theater.asp
'Cinderella'
Cast
Cinderella: Ali Manion
The Stepmother: Vicki Price
Griselda, the Beautiful Stepsister: Stephanie Schwartz
Matilda, the Jealous Stepsister: Olivia Krauss
Frump, the Not-So-Beautiful Stepsister: Thomas Parry
The Fairy Godmother: Sarah Anderson
Prince Charming: Anthony Sullivan
The Duke, Best Friend to the Prince: Herman Suga
The Prime Minister: Drake Harnen
The First Lady of the Court: Jenessa Matt
The Second Lady of the Court: Jenn Lenart
The Third Lady of the Court: Courtney Anderson
Harpist: Peter Huang
Brass Serenade: Andrew Banko
Lords and Ladies of the Court: Caitlin DeVolder (Captain), Laken Edwards (Captain), Fee Akanni, Gretchen Andsager, Lara Ansari, Maria Caballero, Becca Fedder, Megan Gargaro, Tinting Liu, Sydney Mayer, Stephanie Mech, Lauren Meusseling, Anna Miller, Cara Schuman, Nicole Tech, Nick Won, Yuan Zhao
Directing staff
Director: Laura Dabezic
Technical directors: Patrick Schneider, Clayton Figi
Lights and sounds director: Patrick Schneider
Choreographer: Graham Kostic
Costumer: Patti Mason
Assistant costumer: Nicole Nicholas
Puppet: Graham Kostic and Heidi Parkes
Student director: Jaci Kuhn
Assistant student director: Alex Moorman
Stage manager: Amy Schwamberger
T-shirt and poster design: Lance Fuhrer
Theatre administrator: Maree Russavage
Drama club supervisor: Shana Frederick
Lights, sound, special effects
Lighting designers: Josh Christ and Sean Higgins
Light board operator: Tyler Patrick
Sound design: Sean Higgins
Sound board operator: Matt Weidman
Stage manager: Amy Schwamberger
Assistant stage manager: Taylor Read
Special effects: Josh Christ
Crew: Maggie Baier and Ryan Russell
Set crew
Katherine Anderson, Holly Bogda, Miles Bunch, Josh Christ, Susan Collier, Paul Finn, George Garbis, Kelly Goldstein, Beth Harris, Zach Harris, Leslie Heath, Annalee Hedderman, Navid Kassam, Toni Keller, Alyssa King, Brittany Knapp, Pierce Knapp, Edward Liu, Elise Kamieniecki, Tim Ludens, Anna Nuxoll, Tyler Patrick, Taylor Read, Marci Rolbiecki, Ryan Russell, Euzhan Sims, Tara Stasiewicz, Charles Vinci, Danielle Volz, Christine Wagner, Matt Weidman, BJ White