Lauren JosephIf Cinderella took place in West Virginia, it would be a lot like “Cinderella Waltz,” senior Kit Dewey, one of the show’s student directors, said. She described the spring student production as “lively” and “hilarious.”
“Cinderella Waltz” was written by Don Nigro, who also penned “The Curate Shakespeare” and “Lucia Mad.” Both comedies have been performed at Cabrini.
In “Cinderella Waltz,” Nigro changed the ending of the traditional fairy tale, spinning it into a “backwards, hick version of Cinderella with quirky characters,” Dewey said.
“There is no distinct lead,” Dewy said, “all the characters are on stage for the majority of the time,” she continued.
Neal Newman, an English and communications professor, offered co-directors Haven McMickle, a junior, and Dewey their directorial debut in the summer of 2002.
Both Dewey and McMickle are interested in the field of drama therapy, an alternative form of rehabilitation that unites elements of physical therapy, dance therapy and movement therapy with dramatic role-playing. It can be used in a variety of situations including disabilities and drug abuse. It’s used in business settings to promote “group unity,” McMickle said.
Both have previous directing experience with Cabrini’s theater program. McMickle was the assistant director of the fall production of “Boy Gets Girl” last semester, and Dewey assistant directed Nigro’s “Lucia Mad.”
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun,” Dewey said. She and McMickle are responsible for overseeing all aspects of pro- duction including auditions, set design, costumes, lighting, sound, publicity, and blocking. “We’re transforming the theater,” McMickle said.
There were 22 students at auditions in January. “There were a lot of new people to Cabrini’s theater,” Dewey said. John Holloway, Laura Giorlando, Kristan Bush, Mike Paolucci, Brian Fry, Melanie Gomes, Jana Fagotti, Karisma McIlwaine and Alex Conyngham were cast.
The show is in its rehearsal stage right now. Rehearsals are three nights a week, 10 hours a day, including Saturdays. It opens the weekend of April 4 in the Grace Hall Theater with performances on April 4, 5, 10 and 11. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public.
