Ash Girl – latest theatre production of Earl Marriott Secondary – is anything but a Disney princess tale.
Yes, it's inspired by the enduring fairy tale Cinderella, but American-born British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker's version is an entirely darker vision that has been compared with the Brothers Grimm's stories and the medieval morality plays.
There's nothing prettified about the domestic plight of the Ash Girl (Emma Schellenberg) in the play, directed by theatre department head Candace Radcliffe, which runs Feb. 24 to 27 at the school's Wheelhouse Theatre.
And her subsequent search through a dark and terrifying forest – for her own identity and the courage to deal with adversity – is certainly not recommended for very young children.
Ash Girl not only has to endure a cruel stepmother (Nicole Meeks) and two revolting step-sisters, Judith (Jane Weaver) and Ruth (Sierra Ellis), in this story – she must also confront the Seven Deadly Sins that lurk in the forest as creatures determined to destroy all humans that cross their path: Slothworm (Katie Walpuski), Angerbird (Harrison Francis-Lyster), Envysnake (Marie Lesyk), Gluttontoad (Luke Ballam), Pridefly (Thomas Buecking), Greedmonkey (Dylan Harrison) and Lust (Sarah McLeod).
There's also a personification of Sadness (Claudine Paed) that Ash Girl must stop from overpowering her in her quest for harmony and completeness.
Lest one think that Wertenbaker's poetic, allegorical fantasy (last staged at Marriott in 2007) is all darkness, there are other characters to help Ash Girl – a good Fairy (Adanna Farrow) and some cute animals: Owl (Delacey Tate), Otter (Julia Albert), and a boy and girl mouse (Aydin Demir, Lilly VanNen).
And yes, there is a ball and a lost slipper and a handsome Prince named Amir (Karn Cheema), although, in this version he has been exiled to a rainy new land with his sister Zehra (Brielle Tuan) and brother Paul (J.C. Abbott).
If it sounds like many of the characters have issues, it's true, but that's what gives resonance – and great opportunities for both vocal and physical playing – to the young actors.
Asked to describe their stepsister roles, Grade 11 students Weaver and Ellis don't hesitate to use the words "gross" and "repulsive."
"They have no manners – they're only open to what they want to do," Weaver said.
"All they care about is their appetites," Ellis added. "They're very self-centred – they just don't think about anybody else."
Weaver said one of the real challenges of the roles is being allowed the licence "to put in any disgusting trait we can think of – with them there is no real limit."
"At first it was a bit tricky – it was, how gross can we be in front of our peers?" Ellis said.
But both realize the importance of being effective antagonists to the Ash Girl.
"If we're soft to her, it doesn't work," Weaver said.
"It's a testament to their acting ability that they can pull off being disgusting," Schellenberg said.
The Grade 12 student said her own challenge in the play is finding real and subtle ways to express thought and inner turmoil after playing such exaggerated characters as Hedy La Rue in last year's musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.
"Ash Girl is always in an internal conflict with herself – should she fight or should she be submissive?" she said. "She's fighting herself and she's fighting other people at the same time.
"It's a very relatable character."
Earl Marriott Secondary is located at 15751 16 Ave.
Tickets ($15, students $12) can be reserved by calling 604-542-2181, or by emailing emstheatreco@gmail.com