A Fresh Take on a Classic Tale: SLEEPING BEAUTY

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Red Branch Theatre Company’s production of Sleeping Beauty is how funny it is. The familiar story—a beautiful princess pricks her finger on the needle of a spinning wheel and falls into an enchanted sleep—has been repackaged a bit. There is much singing and dancing, and several new faces appear, including a riddling Spider King and a half-man, half-dragon named Gryff.

But for every nod to the old fairy tale, Charles Way’s script hands the actors a juicy one-liner or an opportunity to show off their physical comedy skills. Way was awarded The Children’s Award in 2004 by the Arts Council England for his work in children’s theatre, and his version of Sleeping Beauty has been playing to American audiences since 2005. Red Branch’s delightful production demonstrates why.

The show begins with two magical sisters who sing of a childless king and queen in a far-off land. The good sister, Branwen, leads the royal couple to a newborn girl who has been abandoned in the woods; they name the child Briar Rose and Branwen blesses her with every conceivable gift.

But all is not well in this fairy-tale kingdom. Modron, the evil sister, covets the child for herself, and when she cannot have Briar Rose, she curses her. Branwen softens the curse as best she can—the spinning wheel shall bring not death but timeless sleep—and vows to watch over the girl as she grows.

Of course, we know going in that Branwen is doomed to fail. Briar Rose shall prick her finger and sleep for 100 years. We also know that at the end of this time she shall be awakened by true love’s kiss and live happily ever after. The charms of this Sleeping Beauty are found in the rich details that Way—together with director Jennifer Spieler and her talented cast and crew—imparts to the story.

Particularly good are Katie Callahan as a feisty Briar Rose and Dustin Morris as her future Prince Charming (his real name is Owain). Callahan has the unenviable task of embodying the most beautiful woman in the world, not to mention the cleverest and most talented. That she succeeds is partly because Way gives her so many funny moments to milk, but also because she emphasizes Briar Rose’s more accessible qualities, especially her mischievous spirit and desire for adventure. As for Morris, he is simply hilarious as he transforms young Owain from an “utterly useless” boy into a hero worthy of a princess.

Holly Gibbs and Sarah Heiderman are excellent as Branwen and Modron, respectively. Gibbs’s comic timing is impeccable—it allows her to seem ethereal without ever becoming cloying—and Heiderman gives herself an angular posture and a nasally twang that seem inspired by Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of the West. In truth, Heiderman could push Modron even further in that direction—at times she seems a bit muted, as though she feared veering into caricature.

As the half-dragon Gryff, whom Branwen tasks with protecting Briar Rose and helping Owain, Jay Gilman comes close to stealing the show. Gilman’s chemistry with Callahan and Morris inspires many of the show’s best moments, and his dragon costume and makeup are well conceived by costumer Leah Broderick, who does sparkling work throughout. The same can be said for Lighting Designer Zach Simon-Curry, and Dan Van Why contributes a flexible set design.

Eileen del Valle is a regal Queen Guinevere, though Dean Davis seems a bit too contemporary as her husband, King Peredur. Sara Simpkins and Lauren Saunders make brief but memorable appearances as the Tylwyth Tegs, fairies with wild appearances and wilder manners. Neil Danzig’s Spider King, on the other hand (and despite his fantastic costume), is not nearly creepy enough. (Danzig has more success playing a doddering bishop who mistakenly christens Briar Rose “Brian Rose.”)

The story bogs down some in Act II—the scenes with the Tylwyth Tegs and the Spider King both take too long to develop, and an earlier sequence in which Branwen brings Modron up to speed on the plot could be cut entirely. The musical numbers begin to sound alike by the third or fourth song; composer Chad Henry is not helped much by David Duvall’s orchestrations—for most of the show, the only accompaniment comes from a single piano.

But these are minor quibbles, and they are more than balanced by the show’s many pleasures. Check them out for yourself—both you and your children will be glad you did.

Sleeping Beauty is playing at the Drama Learning Center, located at 9130-I Red Branch Road in Columbia, on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, through September 26^th. Tickets are $12 ($10 for groups of 10 or more). For more information, visit www.dramalearningcenter.com or call 410-997-9352.