arts // no. §

The Cinderella foxtrot and kazoo

> ‘Cinderella Waltz’ play review

Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor

 

kek Kk

Although it does feature evil
stepmothers, wild stepsisters, and fairy
godmothers, Cinderella Waltz happens to
be worlds apart from the familiar children’s
tale.

Cinderella Waltz was presented
from March 8 to 15 at the Laura C.

Muir Performing Arts Theatre by
the Douglas College Departments
of Theatre and Stagecraft and Event
Technology.

The play serves as a multi-era mashup
of the present and the past, as well as
references to other fairy tales such as
Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, and Snow
White. The fairy godmother (Khyla
Granstrom) arrives in one scene with
an excuse for being late: ‘A guy named
Rumpelstiltskin ate my dog!”

The entire play is extremely comedic
and features high-scale dramatics acted
by the cast. I will say that at first I was put
off by it. It felt as though I was watching a
strange and obnoxious children’s cartoon
with all the fainting to the floor. By the
second half, however, I grew used to it and
was impressed by the actors’ abilities to
immerse themselves so thoroughly into
the play. Of course, to be annoyed by a
character means that the actor is doing
an amazing job! They put their all into the
performances and it showed.

There are a lot of characters onstage
for most of the play, oftentimes engaging
in their own separate conversations.
Occasionally they cut each other off as well.
This threw me off a bit because it made the
more important storylines harder to follow
(let alone distinguish what they were,
besides the obvious Cinderella one).

The Douglas Theatre Department’s
production continued the children’s
cartoon vibe, but in a more positive way,
with some of the outfits, props, and
lighting. At one point stepsister Goneril
(Ellen Wakely) exclaims, “We look like a
bunch of carnival clowns!” and she could
say that again. All the characters donned
makeup to bring out their features such
as pink circles on their cheeks, lines under
their cheekbones, or high eyebrows. They
were all dressed differently as well. Goneril
sported a typical “emo,” style with all black
and heavy eyeliner; her sister Regan (Aysia
Ledoux) was adorned with a pretty pink
princess look; and my personal favourite,
Troll (lan Duck), wore a flamboyant, light
blue suit with a yellow shirt, purple tie,
knee-high white socks, and large elf ears.
He also played a kazoo every now and
again.

The lighting and set design overall
were nothing short of spectacular, A small
house was built on the left side and the
rest of the stage had scattered trees and
a well, among other props. The backdrop
was lovely as it displayed the passage of
time through sunrise, day, and nightfall
gradients. Nighttime itself was beautiful:

 

Glowing lanterns turned on, the leaves on
trees grew, and acrescent moon fell in front
of the backdrop. The mystic colours of the
physical set paired with the lighting and
colours of the characters’ outfits made me
feel as though I were transported into an
Alice in Wonderland-type of world.

Cinderella Waltz has so many notable
quirks. Whether it be Rosey’s (Jiana
Gonzales) love of throwing big words into
simple phrases, unlikely characters with
a knack for the foxtrot, or the multitude
of sexual innuendos, this play really goes
there. The dark humour within the play is
refreshing as well. Once Rosey is denied
from attending the ball, she proceeds to
utter this ultimatum: “I have two options: I
can kill myself, or I can do the washing and
forget about it.”

T attended one of the play’s talkback
performances. During the talkback I

theotherpress.ca

Photo via @DouglasTheatre on Instagram

asked the director, Claire Fogal, out of all
the changes she made to the play, which
was her favourite? She said, “I cast Zed as
a woman to make that character a trans
character”

Zed, throughout the play, is known to
the characters as the “village idiot.” Only
at the end does Rosey learn her partner is
trans. Fogal said, “It felt like for this day
and age to put that relationship in the
centre of a beautiful Cinderella sappy story,
[to] have all the sappy romance including
trans relationships feels right [and] feels
appropriate and more contemporary.”

This play was a success with all its
flair, and I appreciate the constant push
of boundaries. The actors in Cinderella
Waltz are soon ending their time in their
respective Douglas programs, but this play
was a fantastic last hurrah!

Everything's coming up Simpsons

» My top four most heartwarming ‘The Simpsons’ episodes

Roshni Riar
Staff Writer

 

have to admit, I was late to The Simpsons

party. Growing up, I dismissed the show
as nothing more than silly dad jokes and
cheap humour. After being introduced to
the older seasons—specifically the first
10—by my partner, a self-professed super
fan, I discovered that the show does have a
lot of heart and a ton of life lessons to learn
from.

At this point, the series feels like it’s
been dragged on for far too long. With 30
seasons and over 650 episodes, the show
is definitely starting to lose the emotional
touch it once had. However, the earlier

Oa rin at et Lik seen Moat tn fp)
USSG eres

 

episodes are still full of emotional depth.

As I’ve made my way through the
seasons, a number of episodes have
struck me as incredibly thoughtful and
heartwarming. So, if you're a newbie to all
things Simpsons or just need a reminder
of some of the sweeter sides to the show,
I'd recommend giving my favourite four
episodes a watch.

“And Maggie Makes Three”

(Season Six, Episode 13)

Without fail, I’m always teary-eyed by
the end of this episode. It follows Homer
recollecting his success in landing his
dream job at Barney’s Bowlarama, which
becomes jeopardized when Marge gets
pregnant with Maggie.

Witnessing
Homer's emotional
and financial
struggles, the
episode really
underscores the
powerful love that
close-knit families
have for one
another. Life isn’t
easy; sometimes you
must make difficult
decisions because
you know they're
the right ones to
make. It might
not feel worth it at
the moment, but

Still from 'Simpsons' episode 'Round Springfield’

one day it will. In the end, love prevails.
Especially Homer’s love for Maggie.

“Round Springfield”

(Season Six, Episode 22)

This episode shows Lisa’s first experience
with grief and the hardships that come
with it. In an earlier episode she became
friends with an unlikely (and often
judged) jazz musician named Bleeding
Gums Murphy. In “Round Springfield,”
Lisa stumbles upon her old friend in the
hospital, all alone and dying.

Before he passes, Bleeding Gums
Murphy selflessly gifts Lisa his lucky
saxophone and gives her the confidence
she needs to perform at her school recital.
To pay tribute to his memory, with the help
of Bart’s generosity, Lisa sets out to make
sure that all of Springfield knows Bleeding
Gums Murphy’s name and talents. It’s
a beautiful coming of age for Lisaand a
touching look at how difficult grief can be
for kids to process.

“Lisa’s First Word”
(Season Four, Episode 10)
In this sweet episode, the Simpsons are
found sitting on the couch recounting Bart
and Lisa’s first words. In between trying
to get Maggie to finally speak, flashbacks
show Bart’s dismay at a new baby in the
house and Lisa’s first word being “Bart.”
This episode serves as a touching
reminder that despite their constant
sibling rivalry, underneath it all Bart and

Lisa share an unconditional love for one
another. As the episode closes, viewers are
treated to Maggie's first—and only—word.
I won't spoil it for you, but what I will say
is that it’s a word that both Bart and Lisa
cheekily take a stand against throughout
the episode.

“Scenes from the Class Struggle in
Springfield” (Season Seven, Episode 14)
In “Scenes from the Class Struggle in
Springfield,” we see Marge struggling

with her looks, her social status, and her
financial stability. After buying a heavily
discounted Chanel suit from an outlet mall,
Marge longs to wear the suit somewhere
special. With nowhere to go, she ends up
wearing the suit to tidy the house and to go
to the Kwik-E-Mart.

At the Kwik-E-Mart, Marge reconnects
with an old high school acquaintance who
introduces her to her wealthy socialite
friends. In their presence, Marge feels
inadequate and clings to her new Chanel
suit to give her the confidence she so
desperately desires. Not feeling like she can
live up to her new social circle’s standards,
Marge goes to extreme lengths to try to
impress them. Ignoring the concern of her
family, she becomes dead-set on gaining
the acceptance of people she doesn’t even
care for. In the end, Marge realizes she’s
more comfortable being the person she
always has been. She finds confidence in
self-acceptance, realizing the only approval
she needs is from within.