Theatre Bristol Presents
Cinderella
School Performances: November 6, 7, 8, 13,
14 & 15, 2002 at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. daily.
A special Public Performance on Sunday, November 10 at 2:30 p.m.
All performances of Cinderella are
at the Paramount Center for the Arts.
Dear Educator,
The familiar story of the little cinder-maid who becomes a princess
has been beloved by children of many different nations for hundreds
of years. Probably most recognized today through the enchanting
Disney film, this story of love and hope triumphing over cruelty
strikes a deep cord in us all. While there are many different
versions of the story, each of them holds the promise of “Happily
Ever After”. Theatre Bristol’s production of the tale
is no exception! Filled with laughter and good natured tricks,
it is a lively, fresh look at the story of Cinderella.
As you prepare for your visit, use the information and suggested
activities inside to unlock the magic of this story for your students.
We have included a broad base of materials to cover many subject
areas and enhance your standard curriculum. I hope you find it
helpful. As our partner in education, please feel free to adapt
the information and activities to best suit the needs, grade levels
and abilities of your students. You are invited to make copies
of this study guide for fellow teachers as well as your students.
We look forward to seeing you at the theatre and hope that you
enjoy your visit with Cinderella and her friends!
Sincerely,
Amy Neal Bussey
Director of Education
Cool Websites
www.dept.usm.edu/~engdept/cinderella/cinderella.html The Cinderella
Project— a text and image archive containing a dozen English
versions of the fairy tale.
http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~ptk1nc/cinderella/ Cinderella around the world. Activities, student projects (skits, responses to stories, activities reports, etc.), links, texts, etc. Fabulous! Online games based on different versions of story.
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq121/
An online Webquest for grades 1-2 based on Cinderella
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/cinderella.html Full text version of The Brother’s Grimm version of the story.
http://www.robertandrews.com/cinderella/ Wonderful “Online with Cinderella” site with divisions for kids, teachers and parents.
http://www.childrenstory.com/tales/1page/cinderella.html Hear
the story read aloud!
Did You Know?
Theatre Bristol’s productions meet or exceed the Virginia
and Tennessee Standards of Learning Criteria for cultural field
trips. Our in-the-classroom activities, which are FREE, use language
arts, math, science and social studies in helping your youngsters
understand the literature upon which the play or musical is based,
as well as what to expect at the theatre itself. Students are
briefed on theatre etiquette, behind the scenes theatre technology
and the process of auditioning and performing in one of our productions.
To Book a Free Workshop, call Amy Bussey at (423) 968-4977.
Book Early! Only a limited number of workshops are available
The History of Cinderella
There are many different versions of Cinderella from around the
world. Cinderella, in the form most of us know it best, originated
from Charles Perrault’s “Cendrillon" which he wrote
in France in 1697. Written for adults, it was a romantic tale
whose plot runs much along the lines that modern children are
familiar with.
Since this first western telling, the tale has been rewritten
countless times. It was first translated into English by Robert
Samber in 1729. Perhaps its most famous recreation was by Jacob
and Wilhelm Grim in 1812 in their collection of folktales. This
version is decidedly bloodier than the Disney version most children
are familiar with today. Although it retains most of the characters
as we know them today, the fairy godmother is replaced with the
spirit of Cinderella’s dead mother in the form of two doves
which resides in the silvery leaved tree that has grown upon her
grave. In this version, the ball lasts for three subsequent nights
and each night the dress Cinderella wears is more and more spectacular.
On the third night, she is given a pair of golden slippers with
the dress. The prince, having caught on to her disappearing act
the previous two nights, covered the steps with cobblers wax and
one slipper sticks. When the stepsisters try it on, the first
cuts off her toes to make her foot fit and the second her heel.
In each case, the prince is on the way to the castle with them
when the doves call out “Prithee, look back...There’s
blood on the track.” The prince returns and finally discovers
his true bride and they live happily ever after. As a bloody,
but fitting end to the stepsisters, the doves poke out their eyes
during the wedding procession.
Other retellings include an opera, "La Cenerentola",
in 1817 by composer Gioachino Rossini, and a highly successful
stage musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It has also been the
subject of many films, most notably the 1950 Disney animated film
"Cinderella", a 1955 film "The Glass Slipper"
starring Leslie Caron, and a 1960 gender change in "Cinderfella",
starring Jerry Lewis. A recent version of the story with Drew
Barrymore, “Ever After” featured Leonardo Da Vinci as
the fairy godmother figure.
Each version of the story differs in its own way. Perrault's version
is perhaps the one that has been adopted the most widely; it ends
on a happy note, with Cinderella forgiving her stepmother and
stepsisters. As discussed, The Brothers Grimm incorporated more
graphic details into their text. Rossini's opera uses bracelets
instead of glass slippers, and the Disney version incorporates
subplots involving talking animals that live in the house with
Cinderella.
Aside from these western versions, there are many similar stories
native to the folklore of cultures as diverse as Mexico, the Philippines,
Egypt and China. In fact, nearly every culture has their own
version of the tale. (For some examples, see sidebar below)
In most, the conceit of a young girl, orphaned and subsequently
abused by female relatives remains the same. Nearly all have a
ball or festival as the meeting place for Cinderella and the prince
character. Most also involve an item of clothing or jewelry left
behind to identify Cinderella. The differences come in the name
for Cinderella, the identity of her helpmates (birds, fairy godmothers,
animals, magicians, etc.), the tasks set before Cinderella during
the course of the story, how her wishes are granted and the way
the story ends.
While there are many stage versions of the story, Theatre Bristol
has chosen to produce a 1991 revised adaptation by William Glennon.
In this hilarious version, Cinderella is a more modern girl,
a little stronger in her sense of her self than most. The stepsisters
and stepmother are less evil than just very silly. The addition
of a court jester, friend to both the prince and Cinderella, who
serves as storyteller and matchmaker paves the way for some high-energy
comedy along the way. Add a fairy godmother who is more “Lady
Luck” than “Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo” and the fun is
underway!
Royal Reading
Cinderella Penguin, Janet Perlman
Domitila– A Mexican Cinderella, Reinhardt Doburn
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale, John Steptoe
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China, Louie Ai-Ling
The Egyptian Cinderella, Shirley Climo
The Korean Cinderella, Shirley Climo
The Rough-faced Girl, Rafe Martin
Tattercoats, Jacob Joseph
Princess Furball, Charlotte Huck
Ashpet: an Appalachian Tale, Joanne Compton
Cinderella's Stepsister, and, Cinderella: the Untold Story, Russell Shorto
The Talking Eggs: a Folktale from the American South,
Robert San Souci
Cinder-Elly, Frances Minters
Prince Cinders, Babette Cole
Sidney Rella and the Glass Sneaker, Bernice Myers