By Susannah Whitman
Whether you’re a theatre scholar or a child barely familiar with fairy tales, you’ll find something to embrace in The Sting & Honey‘s production of Snow White, currently playing at the Regent Black Box Theatre in Salt Lake.
Most of us are familiar with the basic plot of Snow White. A jealous queen asks her magic mirror who the most beautiful woman in the world is, and when the mirror answers “Snow White,” the queen seeks to destroy her. Snow White hides in the woods in the company of seven dwarves until the queen gives her a poisoned apple. Snow White is saved from her death by a prince.
But there are dozens of variations of the tale. In the Brothers Grimm tale, the queen attempts to kill Snow White three separate times, appearing to her in the disguises of a maiden, mother, and crone. (She also asks a hunter to cut out Snow White’s heart so that she can eat it; when the hunter cannot bring himself to kill Snow White, he kills a pig and brings its heart to the queen instead.) In an Albanian version of the story, Snow White’s companions are not dwarves, but dragons.
Javen Tanner’s script manages to interweave all of these versions of the story, filling in some of the motivational gaps, and adding a dash of Shakespeare and poetry to finish it off. The result is charming, smart, and highly enjoyable.
Tanner’s adaptation is steeped in centuries of theatrical tradition. Snow White’s woodland companions are not dwarves, but satyrs, as a nod to Dionysus and the ancient Greeks. Song and dance are integral parts of the storytelling, as they have been for centuries. Snow White’s closing monologue reminded me of Puck’s address to the audience at the end of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And there are moments of dialogue that simply glitter with poetry (both rhymed and unrhymed).
Sting & Honey’s production also manages to explore some powerful themes in Snow White’s story, particularly surrounding the role of the mirror. (The simple set design, also by Javen Tanner, features seven full-length mirrors on small platforms, reminding the audience of the theme and also creating striking visuals.) The magic mirror’s greatest power is in keeping us focused on ourselves and our image. Snow White’s father, the King, is endlessly obsessed with “what people think” and “protecting his image.” Snow White herself, when in the woods, is in the greatest danger when someone convinces her to worry about her appearance. The evil queen-to-be’s murder attempts include telling Snow White her dress isn’t presentable and tying a sash too tightly to let her breathe, and later telling her that her hair isn’t pretty enough and offers to fix it with a comb she has secretly poisoned.
But there is also a theme of duality. There is the good and the evil. There is the obedient and the wild. Snow White’s time in the woods allows her to find and embrace her “wild side,” and eventually helps her father to see and embrace the messy and untameable aspects of life.
As Snow White, Kylee Reynolds brings a sweet and youthful energy to the role. She is the perfect “teenage daughter,” with all of the strength, emotion, stubborn-ness, and energy the phrase implies. Bijan Hosseini is a likeable King Hyperion, allowing tenderness and love for his family to show through the cracks in his sometimes stern manners. River Tanner plays Orion, the soldier with whom Snow White has fallen in love, with both humor and sincerity.
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As the lovesick soldier Artemis—tasked with killing Snow White in this telling—Zel Bromley is deeply sympathetic. To me, there are three queens in this story. The fierce and loving ruler Olwen (Melanie Nelson), the evil Fand (Deena Marie Manzanares), and the Mirror herself, played by Kathryn Atwood. Each of these actresses command the stage with royal presence. The cast is rounded out by a perfectly delightful group of satyrs, puppeteers, and one sprite. The satyrs and the sprite are all wonderfully funny, and their wild ritual dance is one of the highlights of the show.
Costume design by Cherie Gallian is stunning, and makeup by Wynter Wolf Tara completes the visual look of each character. It is in the satyrs that the costume and makeup work especially shines. The seven satyrs are one part island native and two parts lost boys of Neverland. Each of the satyrs had a distinct ensemble (and personality), but the overall look is unified. Simple lighting design by Mike James completes the production.
As for logistics, the production is being staged at the Eccles Theatre Regent Black Box. (You can expect to pay $5 for parking in the nearby downtown parking structure—but if you park at the Trax station, you can get into town for free.) You enter the theatre on the east side of the building. The show is fairly short—80 minutes with no intermission—so it’s a great option for young theatre-goers as well as mature ones. (Sting and Honey recommends the show for patrons ages 5 and up, but does not permit babes in arms.)
The appeal of Sting & Honey’s Snow White is truly in its universality. It’s magical whether you’re the type who draws literary connections between iconic works or whether you just like watching people tell a story. And the show is funny–there is a great deal of humor in its telling. And maybe you’ll learn what the mirror has to tell you–whether you can embrace your own wild side or not.
The Sting & Honey Company presents Snow White, adapted by Javen Tanner
Regent Street Black Box at the Eccles Theater, 131 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
July 13 – 14, 19 – 21, 26 – 28 7:00 PM, Saturday matinees 2:00 PM
Tickets: $20 for adults, $17 for children under 12, students, seniors, and veterans, available online, at the door, or by calling the box office
Contact: 801-355-2787
Sting & Honey Facebook Page
Snow White Facebook Event
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