'Once Upon A Time's Swan Song Looming As Emma Exits? (+ a Musical tip of the hat)

After the fan-happy musical-wedding episode this weekend, ABC's Once Upon A Time is only one episode away from the end of the season, and still no series renewal in sight. On Monday morning, fans got a bit of a blow as Jennifer Morrison, who plays the lead, Emma Swan, announced she had decided not to renew her contract with Once Upon A Time. While previous rumors indicated the cast would be whittled down by about half, if the show were to continue (including without Snow, Charming or Henry) there's a good chance Morrison's decision will have a detrimental impact on the series continuing at all.

From Jennifer Morrison's Instagram:

jenmorrisonlive As I reached the end of my 6 year contract on ONCE UPON A TIME, I was faced with a significant decision. ABC, Eddy Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz very generously invited me to continue as a series regular. After very careful consideration, I have decided that creatively and personally, it is time for me to move on. Emma Swan is one my favorite characters that I have ever played. My 6 years on ONCE UPON A TIME has changed my life in the most beautiful ways. I am absolutely blown away by the passion and commitment of the Oncer fans. I am so honored to have been a central part of such a special show.
I will be forever grateful to Adam, Eddy, and ABC for giving me the gift of playing Emma Swan.
As I move on to other creative endeavors, I will continue to attend the fan conventions whenever my professional schedule allows. I always look forward meeting the fans.
If ABC Network does in fact order a season 7, I have agreed to appear in one episode, and I will most certainly continue to watch ONCE UPON A TIME. The creativity of the show runners has always inspired me, and I cannot wait to see the ways that they continue to develop and reinvent the show.
#Onceuponatime #EmmaSwan#UglyDucklings

The show's 'ugly duckling' ('beautiful duckling'?) Emma Swan has more than played out her story line of homeless waif looking for her home, finding her family, her destiny, losing her faith and going to the dark side (being a 'Black Swan') then becoming the Savior all over again. However, it was bringing Emma Swan to Storybrooke that got the story rolling, and while we've been introduced to many interesting folk with their own intriguing stories along the way, it's safe to say the show has revolved around Emma staying and cementing her home in Storybrooke through the entire six season to date. How to keep the interest of fans overall without her character would be quite a challenge at this point.

We like the way Slashfilm's Hoai-Tran Bui put it:

Fanmade art

Once Upon a Time was once a great show that married the lighter, sweet elements of fairy tales with their darker implications — that of the boogeyman under your bed or the pervasive mommy issues that pop up throughout folklore. 

But what was once an intriguing revisionist fairy tale show became glorified Disney fan fiction, where you could see Elsa from Frozen team up with Prince Charming against warlord Bo Peep, or witness Mulan falling in love with a battle-scarred Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. (Sadly, these all sound wackier and more fun on paper than they were on screen.) Anchoring this growing cast of Disney and public domain characters was Jennifer Morrison‘s Emma Swan, whose bounty-hunter-turned-Savior — and daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming — provided the catalyst for the story. Now after six seasons, Morrison announced that she won’t be returning to the show as a series regular, calling the show’s fate into question. Does this mean the (happy) end for Once Upon a Time?

While Emma isn't always the reason, or even the most common reason people return to the show  (#TeamRegina), she has remained central to all the main storylines, so even a(nother) reset would have issues. The other reasons fans return and have such a passion for the show, however, aren't insignificant, so the potential for continuing remains, but it's going to take some tricky negotiations of stories, along with finding that sweet spot of Disney-nostalgia-with-a-twist, to keep viewers tuning in.

But... Wasn't the Musical a Good Thing for OUAT?

Short answer: "YES".

And how did fans like the musical episode? (And what did our Fairy Tale Newsroom think?) We know ratings were down, but that seems likely due to the Princess Diana special airing the same evening, which, we're guessing would have a decent overlap in audiences, so there's that. Fans, however, have been overall very positive through to rapturously downloading the soundtrack to play on a loop, so, after the dust settles and this show joins the nostalgia show shelf, this episode will be returned to as a highlight. (You can hear/relive some of the songs HERE.)

"But was it any good?" - we hear you asking. The thing is, musicals are hard. We get that. Musical episodes, in non-musical shows, are really hard. Unlike what most fans (and cast) expected, the show chose to create entirely new songs for the special episode which has about as many advantages and disadvantages as the cast singing favorite Disney songs would have. Tough choices! Our take was that the songs (almost all sung in flashbacks, which was a little odd to get used to) were better written than expected, but the staging and choreography suffered from not having as much fun as the lyricists did, and they really could have done with many more good callbacks to the Disney movies - or at the very least key early episodes from the series - to cement that 'like' factor. It helped that the cast were (largely) up to the task, and that it's expected to have a good dose of cheese (please!). In fact, for this show, a cheese-free musical effort would have flopped badly.

We saw some great sparks between this couple - reminding us - again, where it all began

While we're not quite ready to see OUAT on Broadway (what a thought!), Snow and Charming's opener 'Happy Beginnings' was a really good way to set the tone, in fact we have to wonder why we didn't hear more of Snow, in particular, singing throughout the series, and Charming could apparently match her quite easily as needed. It would have fit Snow's character extremely well (although we would have suggested more bluebirds, though perhaps not attacking them as she did in an earlier season like the pics below... although that would have been a perfect moment for a musical, if Snow wasn't her Mrs. Charming -self!).
                       
In fact, the opener worked so well, it was sort of odd to see people go back to speaking after that (and we never quite understood why speaking was allowed - minor quibble). While the back and forth between flashback song-wish/curse happening in The Enchanted Forest and the present day dramatically spoken lines of Black Fairy threatening Emma and all she loved, (emphasis on the drama) was a little clunky, the concept of 'The Song In Your Heart' was a good frame for the episode, and neatly book-ended the show's main story arcs - from the very beginning - in a satisfying way too.

Always difficult to pull off a 'song battle', it's doubly difficult in a show that has had full on dragons and demons and universes cut in two. Clearly it was a tough sequence to stage (and very much worked for some fans and not at all for others) but Emma's Theme near the end was quite a (nice) surprise in the way it was handled, especially as we already knew it was Emma's actual musical theme, present since the beginning of the series, done as a proper song, and effectively pulled it all back together in time for a wedding.

And yes, we could not help but be reminded of the Buffy musical episode... (which we heartily applaud and adore by the way). Not quite as well thought through and balanced, but admirable nonetheless.

As odd and 'expectedly inconsistent' as the episode was, with different music styles and voice strength throughout, (although, we loved Rumple's fake-out!) it was still a very worthy effort, though we do feel there were a ton of missed opportunities, especially in the wedding. If there were ever a time to revisit the beginning, or to have fun with all the Disney fairy tale wedding tropes, this would have been it, but the oddly sterile and fake location put a damper on what should have been the episode's jewel. (Considering the very-possible looming 'FIN' factor it's a little arrgh!-inducing.)

Different fans around the web have had different song favorites, as expected, but overall, the show was a bold - and smart - move that worked. Its success is well-deserved, especially considering the consistent struggle with ratings this season and last, and should be held up as a 'high note' to end on.

So Now What?

Now what indeed. Next week - the final two hour, two part episode of season six - the show runners promised a wrap up of all the loose ends of the whole series and to leave no cliff hangers in case the show is not renewed. From the very quick preview, it looked like exactly that, something that might bring home that high note that this week's musical episode was a little loose on at times. Now that Emma is leaving, and things are looking more solid than they have for a while, although we will always lament the end of fairy tales being told weekly on TV, perhaps it would be a good place to accept, and sign, ~The End~.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE BELOW!

Here is the press release for the final double episode of the season, The final Battle Parts I & II:

THE BLACK FAIRY’S CURSE LANDS OUR HEROES IN FAIRY TALE LAND WITH LITTLE HOPE OF RETURNING HOME, AND EMMA IS IN THE FIGHT OF HER LIFE, ON THE SEASON FINALE OF ABC’S ‘ONCE UPON A TIME’

“The Final Battle Part 1 & 2” – Henry awakens to a cursed Storybrooke and discovers Emma has been in the mental hospital, and the Black Fairy is the new mayor. Henry attempts to help Emma regain her memory while Gold tries to find out what has really happened to Belle. Meanwhile, Snow, Charming, Regina, Zelena and Hook are trapped in a crumbling Fairy Tale Land and desperately try to figure out a way to be reunited with Emma and Henry, on season finale of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, MAY 14 (8:00–10:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. 

“Once Upon a Time” stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, Rebecca Mader as the Wicked Witch/Zelena and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

Guest starring are Lee Arenberg as Leroy/Grumpy, Raphael Sbarge as Archie/Jiminy Cricket, Beverly Elliott as Granny, Deniz Akdeniz as Aladdin, Peter Marcin as Chief, Giles Matthew as Gideon, Andrew J. West as Young Man, Alison Fernandez as Little Girl, Ingrid Torrance as Severe Nurse and Jaime Murray as Black Fairy, Karen David as Jasmine, Gabe Khouth as Mr. Clark/Sneezy, Faustino Di Bauda as Walter/Sleepy, Sara Tomko as Tiger Lily and Olivia Steel Falconer as Violet.

“The Final Battle Part 1 &2” was written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Part 1 was directed by Steve Pearlman, and Part 2 was directed by Ralph Hemecker.

And there's also a handy (and fun) "Once Upon a Time: 12 Things to Know After the Musical Episode" article HERE from ENews if you're wanting to know a little more of both the behind-the-scenes for the musical episode, but particularly how it sets up the two part finale.

And yes, it talks about the possibilities of both the series ending and what might happen (the contingency plans the creators have) should it be renewed, along with some potential new characters (name actors) included/teased in the final episode.

Preview for The Final Battle:

There are SO many callbacks to the first episode in that promo! Let's hope this is everything they've promised.

Freeform's Weekend Fairy Tale Programming To Celebrate Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings Premiere (on May 7)

Press release:

In anticipation of the premiere of "Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings," FreeForm (part of the Disney/ABC Television Group) invites you to relive all of your favorite love stories during the network's weekend programming event starting SATURDAY, MAY 6 and continuing through SUNDAY, MAY 7. Follow along as Tiana kisses a few frogs to find her prince while Snow White patiently waits for true love's kiss, then cheer on Cinderella as she gets ready for the ball.

The highlights are:

Saturday, May 6

(8:00 - 10:00a.m. EDT) A CINDERELLA STORY: IF THE SHOE FITS (live action movie with Sofia Carson)

(10:00a.m. - 12:35p.m. EDT) THE PRINCE & ME (live action movie with Julia Stiles)

(12:35 - 2:40p.m. EDT) DISNEY'S SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (feature animation)

(2:40 - 4:45p.m. EDT) DISNEY'S THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (feature animation) - repeats on Sunday, May 7, at 9:05a.m. EDT.

(4:45 - 6:50 p.m. EDT) DISNEY/PIXAR'S BRAVE (feature animation) - repeats on Sunday, May 7, at 11:10 a.m. EDT.

(6:50 - 9:00 p.m. EDT) DISNEY'S TANGLED (feature animation) - repeats on Sunday, May 7, at 3:20p.m. EDT.

(9:00 - 11:30 p.m. EDT) DISNEY'S FROZEN (feature animation) -  repeats on Sunday, May 7, at 5:30p.m. EDT.

(11:30p.m. - 1:30 a.m. EDT) DISNEY'S ALADDIN (feature animation) - repeats on Sunday, May 7, at 1:15 p.m. EDT.

Sunday, May 7

(8:00 - 9:30 p.m. EDT) DISNEY'S FAIRY TALE WEDDINGS - FreeForm PREMIERE

Getting married is one of the most special days of your life and one you will never forget. For three exceptional couples, their weddings will include some Disney magic and elegance, as well as a few surprises thrown in, to give them the wedding they always dreamed of and more. And while three couples are entering wedded bliss, one lucky couple is just about to start their wedding journey with a proposal of a lifetime. Hosted by "The Bachelor" alums Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell, "Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings" will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the one-of-a-kind weddings, including a surprise performance by the multiplatinum-selling a cappella group Pentatonix and magical engagements that take place at Disney Destinations around the globe.

* All dresses pictured are from Disney Bridal

Note: we're not sure why Frozen is being featured - there's no wedding in that movie!

Once Upon A Musical! (The OUAT Musical Episode Fans Have Been Wishing For Airs This Weekend)

It's a fairytale wedding in true Disney style: magic, mayhem and many songs. (And dancing!)

This coming weekend, the whole cast of the Enchanted Forest of ABC's Once Upon A Time breaks into song for their musical episode, titled 'The Song In Your Heart'.

So how does this happen? Someone makes a wish, of course. (Or is it a curse? We'll have to wait and find out!)

In flashback, Snow and Charming make a special wish that Emma will be protected. The result of their wish has the whole kingdom bursting into song which infuriates the Evil Queen. ... (The) wish to help save their family from her. "I wish we have magic to keep them all stay happy," (Snow) wishes. (In the promo the Evil Queen can be heard lamenting) "They cast a spell so everyone breaks into song."  

Meanwhile in Storybrooke, the Black Fairy announces her plans to unleash another curse on the town while Emma and Hook prepare for their wedding, on "Once Upon a Time". (aceshowbiz)

Here's the promotional trailer to get a taste of all the singing and dancing to come:

Many of the cast apparently have musical theater backgrounds and all are reported as saying they love musical theater so were keen to do an episode as a 'fairytale musical'.

It seems the idea appealed, not only to fans but to the Disney legacy this show has continued and paid homage to ever since it began. The creators clearly have a typical idea of what a fairy tale is: magic, sparkles, happy endings, villains and heroes and also, as it turns out, musicals as being a 'natural fit' with fairy tales. It's definitely a Disney-driven POV on fairy tales, but being an American production, and with Disney as ABC's parent company, that makes complete sense. Staying close to this popular idea of fairy tales, and playing with the tropes, is what keeps fans coming back - they get their 'grown-up Disney fairy tale', and a little more too. Clearly, the tactic works!

The US used to be known as 'the land of the musical', the place where you could walk down the street and not be surprised to find yourself in the middle of a spontaneous musical number, and Disney's fairy tales haven't ever been without songs, so it's inevitable OUAT would delve into this territory, though perhaps using more originality than fans might have expected.

Although at least one cast member assumed that if this day came, Once Upon a Time would recycle famous Disney tunes, that was never the plan. Instead, series creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis last summer sat down with songwriters (and Once fans) Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner to hash out the grand plan, which would lead to seven original tunes being penned. “After we let the cast know [about the musical episode],” says Horowitz, “they got together with the composers, to tailor all the songs to each actor and their character specifically.” (TVline)

Right now, by employing a little 'google-fu', you can hear snippets of some of the songs and Oh My Disney released most of the Evil Queen's 'rock song' 'Love Doesn't Stand A Chance', (we'll let you track those down if you're keen) which has some nice touches, such as her observation of other inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest singing happily in their homes (and stories), and there are definitely Disney homages in the lyrics, the set-ups, some of the phrases and other places to find - always great for fans (and drinking games!).

No doubt there will be many Easter eggs and call backs to earlier OUAT moments, throughout the episode, so this is expected to be a real treat for Oncers in particular.

There will be eight songs whose titles might be considered somewhat spoiler-y, so consider yourself warned before reading the list in the blue box to the right. (Click to enlarge for reading.)

As a bonus, you can see an extended featurette in which the cast and crew talk about preparing for the episode - how it came about, how they prepared and what it was like to approach Once Upon A Time from this perspective, HERE. From all reports, the cast had a lot of fun, so chances are high this will be enjoyable to watch too.

Musicals are definitely in vogue right now, so the timing for this double whammy (wedding + musical) is perfect for the show and should very much boost its recently lagging ratings. While we don't expect it will have the wit and musical dexterity of Galavant, we're sure there will be memorable moments.

The Once Upon A Time musical episode airs on May 7th at 8/7c, on ABC.

British May Day Scarecrow Festival Gets 'Trumped' With Twists on Fairy Tales

Photography by David Billinge

Anyone else notice that fairy tales are being used less as a description for the ideal/unrealistic romantic adventure and happily ever after, and more as a statement in calling out the truth in a situation these days?

It's safe to say that the last year has been tumultuous on the political front. While many countries struggle with this all the time, the UK and US in particular have been floored by the turn of events of the past many months and a lot of people's world view has had to change.

May Day, and associated festivals, are all about renewal, Spring, growth, new beginnings and what seems to be a relatively new 'scarecrow festival' in Britain seems to have caught on as part of the celebrations. Scarecrows protecting the newly seeded fields, Jack in the Green - these have a long standing tradition in celebration and folklore this time of year but the specific scarecrow festival, while clearly in tune with tradition is apparently fairly new. That hasn't stopped it from becoming a much-enjoyed annual event all around the UK.

For the past couple of years fairy tales and nursery rhymes have been associated with the festival by being the theme for people to riff on with their creations. This year, the traditional tales theme in the small English village of Wray, took a turn into political commentary, using fairy tales to make their very clear points with a variety of Donald Trump effigies. (All the more interesting when a number of these scarecrows move thanks to a little animatronic magic!)

At least six contestants created versions of Trump to fit in with children's stories, including a 'Pinocchi-Trump' with an extra-long nose and a 'Humpty-Trumpty' falling off his own border wall. 

...Another was Pinocchi-Trump, created by Judith Smith and her husband Ken Wilson. 

This tableau was inspired by 'fake news' and combines the 'traditional tales' theme of Pinocchio with the US president. (Daily Mail)

While Humpty-Trumpty and President Pinocchio were popular notions, another scarecrow display had a Trump figureup a beanstalk, with a Mexican man at the bottom. The sign said:

"You're welcome Jack, to climb the stalk,
but when your' up we need to talk.
There's a guy up there who's sure to SEIZE YA,
if you don't possess a VISA."

A Rumpelstiltskin effigy had the Trumpish figure 'spinning straw into something else!"

Although scarecrows and straw effigies have a long history in being associated with political figures - and protest against them - it was a little unexpected to see so many making statements on Trump in this manner, especially outside the US. On May Day this year the US had its own day of political statements, in the form of wide spread protests and marches against the immigration policies of President Trump, making this the second year there has been direct protest against his policies on this day. Both years there have been effigies too.

Members of the "Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition" displayed a giant effigy of then-candidate Donald Trump on May Day in Los Angeles last year. (NPR)

Other scarecrows focused on traditional fairy tales and legends, such as Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood, but with so many blonde-wigged effigies around it becomes difficult to see even these tales without a political spin. Is that wolf looking a little blonde, dressed in Grandma's nightie? Are Robin Hood's promises really in aid of the common people?

Interesting to see how many folks used the simple language and motifs of fairy tales, to make some contemporary, relevant and head-turning statements. Here's a quick video tour of Wray village on May Day.

#folklorethursday

Prof. Roberta Trites Receives International Brothers Grimm Award

Sleeping Beauty by Walter Crane

Press Release (emphasis in bold is ours):

Illinois State University’s Distinguished Professor Roberta Seelinger Trites is the recipient of the 16th International Brothers Grimm Award by the International Institute for Children’s Literature, Osaka, Japan. 

Trites served as the president of the Children’s Literature Association in 2006 and 2007, and as editor of the Children’s Literature Association Quarterly from 2000 to 2004. She worked to shift the association’s focus from a primarily North American view to a more international perspective and to enhance its academic rigor. Her direction of 22 Ph.D. students, including students from India, Jordan, Nepal, Tanzania, and Taiwan, provides testimony to her outstanding expertise and international contributions to the field of children’s literature. 

Professor Roberta S. Trites

...Trites’ work includes Waking Sleeping Beauty: Feminist Voices in Children’s Novels. The International Institute of Children’s Literature describes Trites’ books as ground-breaking in their theoretical approaches to adolescent literature, feminist studies, historical and cultural literary studies.” 

Professor Trites is the third citizen of the U.S. upon which this honor has been bestowed. She has been short-listed for the award several times before and is now being accorded fitting recognition as its 16th recipient. The award was established in 1986 to honor the Brothers Grimm’s centenary and is sponsored by the Kinran-kai Foundation of Osaka.

More information on Professor Trites can be found in the full press release HERE.

Here's the synopsis of Waking Sleeping Beauty. Please note - there have been opposing responses to Prof. Trites' book - some labeling it 'wonderfully feminist' while others call it out as being beholden to patriarchal ideals, with the sentiments included being 'dangerous for young girls today'. We have no copy ourselves and cannot comment, other than to make potential readers aware of the differences in critical response.

Waking Sleeping Beauty

Feminist Voices in Children's Novels

Roberta S. Trites

Publication Year: 1997

The Sleeping Beauty in Roberta Seelinger Trites' intriguing text is no silent snoozer passively waiting for Prince Charming to energize her life. Instead she wakes up all by herself and sets out to redefine the meaning of “happily ever after.” Trites investigates the many ways that Sleeping Beauty's newfound voice has joined other strong female voices in feminist children's novels to generate equal potentials for all children.

Waking Sleeping Beauty explores issues of voice in a wide range of children's novels, including books by Virginia Hamilton, Patricia MacLachlan, and Cynthia Voight as well as many multicultural and international books. Far from being a limiting genre that praises females at the expense of males, the feminist children's novel seeks to communicate an inclusive vision of politics, gender, age, race, and class. By revising former stereotypes of children's literature and replacing them with more complete images of females in children's books, Trites encourages those involved with children's literature—teachers, students, writers, publishers, critics, librarian, booksellers, and parents—to be aware of the myriad possibilities of feminist expression.

Roberta Trites focuses on the positive aspects of feminism: on the ways females interact through family and community relationships, on the ways females have revised patriarchal images, and on the ways female writers use fictional constructs to transmit their ideologies to readers. She thus provides a framework that allows everyone who enters a classroom with a children's book in hand to recognize and communicate—with an optimistic, reality-based sense of “happily ever after”—the politics and the potential of that book.

We've listed the chapter titles for your reference below, and you can find out more - as well as download PDFs of the chapters - HERE:
1. Defining the Feminist Children's Novel
2. Subverting Stereotypes: Rejecting Traditional Gender Roles
3. Subjectivity as a Gender Issue: Metaphors and Intertextuality
4. Transforming Feminine Silence: Pro/claiming Female Voices
5. Re/constructing the Female Writer: Subjectivity in the Feminist Künstlerroman
6. Female Interdependency: Literal and Metaphoric Sisterhood
7. Refuting Freud: Mother/Daughter Relationships
8. Metafiction and the Politics of Identity: Narrativity, Subjectivity, and Community
9. Afterword: Feminist Pedagogy and Children's Literature

'Gnaw' Is A Hansel & Gretel With A Dark Twist

Gnaw, a gruesome reimagining of Hansel and Gretel, focuses on one family’s struggle to survive as a famine ravages the country and a witch haunts the nearby woods.

Yes - we agree: Hansel and Gretel is already pretty dark, but in Sean Meldrum's Gnaw, it gets even darker. By all accounts, this play certainly fits into the horror genre, or at least psychological horror. The stepmother/witch character can only be described as terrifying.

Brave secondary school, A.N. Meyer, (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada), staged a production of Gnaw last weekend and blew audiences, and peers, away. And, boy do we wish we could have seen it for ourselves! Youth theater has the potential to be brutally honest and emotional and it sounds like all involved achieved precisely that. Congratulations A.N. Meyer!

Unfortunately, there aren't many images of the A.N. Meyer's production so, apart from the two above, this poster we pulled from the school website and the announcement below from the Arts section of the school newsletter, we've included images from Sean Meldrum's first showing (posters etc) and four at the end of the post from the original production, to give you an idea of what it's like.

Here are excerpts from some of the Cappies peer reviews (ie. secondary school reviewers, training in theater arts criticism and journalism, all of whom did excellent work! Credits and the school the reviewer attends are listed at the end of the extract):

We all know the classic story of Hansel and Gretel — or do we? In this sinister retelling, A.N. Myer presents a version in which happily ever after is never found.In a village struck by famine, Hansel and Gretel live with their harsh parents in a house devastated by poverty. Their father, Bullpig, is the leader of a mysterious pack that ravages refugees to find sustenance. When he goes on a trip from which he might not return, desperation hangs heavy above the family, their main source of meals gone. Left with their dauntingly severe mother, the lengths they take to find food are rivetingly depicted. As tensions mount, the fine line between reality and fiction comes into question.  

Overall, A.N. Myer’s recent production of Gnaw was a thrilling performance that showcased the witches living within us all. (Grace Dobbie - Greater Fort Erie Secondary School)

A.N. Myer’s thrillingly morbid production of Gnaw is not for the weak of heart, nor the weak of stomach. This “fractured fairytale” turned beliefs of right and wrong entirely upside-down in a series of horrifying twists. Raw, powerful acting coupled with unique elements such as live sound effects and shadow puppetry made for an utterly chilling experience.
Gnaw was written by Queen’s student Sean Meldrum for the Toronto Fringe Festival, where it was described as “raw and unapologetic” (Queen’s Review Journal). It tells a dark, reimagined version of Hansel and Gretel. Their family is desperately attempting to stay alive in the midst of a devastating famine, and rumours begin to swirl of a witch that haunts the nearby forest. The audience follows the family’s story, and learns the gruesome lengths to which each family member will go to survive. (Michaela Bax-Leaney - Eden High School)

Sounds chilling, doesn't it?

And we can only find two quotes from the screenplay, but combined, they give the chills all by themselves:

 "Violence, my children, is a snake that is eating itself."

and then, simply:

"You must be hungry."

               
We're guessing no audience member - or participant - will forget Meldrum's Hansel & Gretel any time soon!

#RemindsUsOfTheDonnerParty

Article Series: Why Do Theaters Tend To Dumb Down Fairy Tales?

Julie Taymor's The Magic Flute

Why DO theaters tend to go 'kiddie' in adapting fairy tales? Why the insistence on political correctness and happy endings for every one? Even the bad guys?

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty

Fairy tale friend Cindy Marie Jenkins, who writes for The Clyde Fitch Report ("the nexus of Art and Politics"), is currently doing an in depth article series, posted monthly, over the period of a year, investigating and discussing how we can make better, smarter theater for young audiences, or, as a theatrical colleague said: "We want to do children's theater that doesn't suck!"

Theater Rudolstadt's Pinocchio

In her introductory article, Cindy mentions:

Since the only “kids” show I remember seeing as a child was A.R.T.’s production of The King Stag, with puppets by Julie Taymor, it’s hard for me to stomach anything that dumbs down story for children. They are much more intelligent than most TYA (Theater for Young Audiences) gives them credit for being.

BalletLORENT's Rapunzel

We agree. Kids theater in general tends toward 'safe', but fairy tale theater tends to take that to the extreme, crossing the line from 'safe' into downright saccharine. But why? It certainly doesn't need to. Why is this the trend? What is it about children's theater, and even more so, fairy tales, that causes productions to develop in this direction?

Imago Theater's La Belle: Lost in the World of the Automaton (Beauty & the Beast)

Our Fairy Tale News Hound originally came from a working theater background of many years and has quite a few thoughts on the subject. Fortuitously, she was asked to be interviewed to discuss the issues with adapting fairy tales in particular, and with the introduction up and the investigation well underway, we thought it was high time to share so you can follow along if you're interested too.

You can find the introduction, 

Why Do Theaters Dumb Down TYA?

HERE.

The second installment, which our Fairy Tale News Hound had the opportunity to chime in on, along with Debbie Devine, the director of 24th Street's recommended production Hansel and Gretel: Bluegrass, is titled:

Why TYA Should Join the Dark Side (of Fairy Tales)

which you can find HERE.

To bookmark the series you can click on the screenshot image above, or go HERE, searching with the tag Talking TYA.

Note: All images shown here are from recommended productions, that is, "not sucky" fairy tale theater, to which you can take confidently take young folk to enjoy and experience quality shows and performances.

24th Street Theater's Hansel and Gretel: Bluegrass

Happy Mother Goose Day! (May 1st)

Mother Goose, art for a Fisk Tires ad by Maxfield Parrish, 1919

National Mother Goose Day is observed each year on May 1.  This day honors Mother Goose, the imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes we loved as children.  Mother Goose is often illustrated as an elderly country woman in a tall hat and shawl, but she is also sometimes depicted as a goose wearing a bonnet.  (From NationalDayCalendar.com)

Mother Goose Day was founded in 1987 by Gloria T. Delamar in tandem with the publication of her book, Mother Goose; From Nursery to Literature.

In honor of today, we thought we'd share some of the illustrations from a lesser known book by L. Frank Baum, Mother Goose in Prose. Here's the blurb from the original dust jacket:

If ever a writer and an artist were an unbeatable team, it's on these pages. Put that team to work on the most famous characters in the English language and the result can be nothing less than classic. 

Here two giant imaginations take on Little Boy Blue, The Cat and the Fiddle, Old King Cole, Mistress Mary, Jack Horner, The Man in the Moon, Hickory Dickory Dock, Bo-Peep, Tommy Tucker, Humpty Dumpty, The Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Miss Muffet and others. 

To create Mother Goose in Prose, the man who gave us The Wonderful Wizard of Oz started with the bare bones of the celebrated nursery rhymes and embroidered them as only a master storyteller could. Now Mary Quite Contrary lives in a real house, has a mother and is visited in her garden by a Squire. Humpty Dumpty is far from just a five line verse here and, once read, his will never be a five lines story again. Did you ever wonder how the old woman's house for to resemble a shoe? In case the reader doesn't get the picture, Baum departs from his storytelling to draw it himself. 

This is a charming book, with a warm introduction by Baum, who takes care to trace the vague but fascinating history of the rhymes back to 1650, through the three countries that claim Mother Goose for their own. But "the songs that cluster around her name are what we love." he reminds us. "Many of these nursery rhymes," Baum says, "are complete tales in themselves, telling their story tersely but completely; there are others which are but bare suggestions, leaving the imagination to weave in the details of the story. Perhaps therein may lie part of their charm, but however that may be I have thought the children might like the stories told at a greater length, that they may dwell the longer upon their favorite heroes and heroines. 

"For that reason I have written this book."

You can read the book online HERE.

And from Amazon:

The volume begins with an historical overview written by Baum himself, in which he notes that the first use of the name "Mother Goose" was by the great French author of fantasies, Charles Perrault -- the inventor of Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Puss in Boots. Each tale begins with the nursery rhyme, and then a tale that illustrates the rhyme follows -- told in Baum's charming, natural fashion. Mother Goose in Prose is a delight for children of all ages. The book's last selection features a girl named Dorothy who can talk to animals — an anticipation of the Oz books. When Baum later included this story in his Juvenile Speaker (1910) and The Snuggle Tales (1916–17), he changed the girl's name to Doris, to avoid confusing her with Dorothy Gale. 

           

Lots of Treasures in Enchanted Conversation's Diamonds & Toads Issue

Toads & Diamonds Ex Libris Etching
by Ukraine artist Konstantin Kalinovich

Enchanted Conversation, Fairy Tale Magazine, has just released their Diamonds and Toads Issue - and it's wonderful!

New contributing editor, Amanda Bergloff, has created some unique digital art for each of the stories and poems in this issue, making the chosen entries even more fun to read.

Although Kate Wolford, always curates wonderful writing, we've particularly enjoyed this issue's creative short stories and evocative poems. While we acknowledge that we might be influenced due to this fairy tale being one of our favorites, and that we got uninterrupted time to read the whole issue in one lovely sitting with some fabulous tea to go with it, we maintain it's a great issue with lots of lovely writing, well worth your time to peruse.

You can find the 'entry' and Table Of Contents to this current issue HERE.

And, if you're interested, Gypsy wrote a personal entry, reflecting on retellings of this fairy tale, at Fairy Tale Footnotes HERE.