SNOW WHITE AND HER NARCISSISTIC STEPMOTHER

The next day dawned bright and clear and the fairy twins decided to leave the enchanted forest for a day and journey into the human world--always an adventure--and see how Snow White was doing.  They felt sure that their lovesick parents would be mooning around all day and would hardly notice they were gone.  It was too, too tiresome.

"Now remember, Annalisa, fairy time is different from human time.  Snow White may be much older than when we saw her last."

"Snow White is a really silly name, don't you agree, Arabella?  So she has very white skin.  Well, la ti da; it's no whiter than ours."

"I'm surprised they didn't name her Coal Black for her dark hair," said Arabella,tossing her own lustrous curls.  "Oh, my goodness, speak of the devil!  Isn't that Snow White herself?"

"Well, it certainly is!  I didn't realize we'd crossed over into the human part of the forest.  You would think they would give the poor child a new dress.  They must have let the hem down and let out the seams."

"At the very least," said Arabella.  "Snow White has developed breasts!"

"So she has," murmured Annalisa.  "I wonder if we ever will.  There's no sign of them at present.  I've checked.  Flat as a pancake."

"Of course we will," said Arabella emphatically.  "Mother has them. Let's fly over and stop that horrendous singing.  Good grief, I've never heard such a high voice in my life. She could shatter glass."

The fairy sisters flew over and kissed the girl on her snow white cheeks.

"Oh, my fairy friends! I am so happy to see you again at last!" cried Snow White. "I had hoped you would come.  I have been so lonely."

"We've missed you too, Snow," said Annalisa, kindly. "We wondered how things were at home."

Snow White burst into tears.  "Oh, they could not be any worse, dear friends.  My new stepmother doesn't like me at all.  And when Father isn't around, she says cruel things to me.  She says I'm too pretty!  She wants to always be the fairest in the land!"

"Perhaps you could go to school in a far away land," suggested Annalisa. 

"Or you could marry a handsome prince and live in his kingdom!" cried Arabella, who was a romantic and hoped for this fate herself.

"Those are both wonderful ideas!  I shall talk to my father the King when he comes home in a few days. Thank you my friends! said Snow.

Little did the friends know that the Queen had a plan of her own for her lovely stepdaughter and it would be carried out that very night.

                  TO BE CONTINUED

BLITHE SPIRIT

Mr. Russell chose the witty British farce Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward for the last play of the year. Our accents had to be very,very British and the play must be performed at lightning speed.  Now this was Macon, Georgia where if you asked to borrow a pin your friend would ask, "A safety pin or a fountain pin?" No one spoke at lightning speed. So a huge challenge lay before us.

Angela Lansbury as Madame Arcati

During a seance performed by a daffy
medium, Madame Arcati,
the leading man's dead
wife, Elvira, appears.
Witty chaos ensues. My beautiful friend Kathy played Elvira in silver makeup and a flowing lavender gown (our idea of what a spirit from beyond would wear).  I played Madame Arcati, an absolutely wonderful role that many famous character actresses have played. At some point Charles' present wife also departs this world and reappears in full silver makeup.  It is a delightfully silly play that the whole cast loved doing.

During the day we sewed costumes, built sets,
found props and, oh, attended some classes. My
roommate Linda and I would dash from the theatre over to the dining room where we served meals to all our friends. However, the waitresses ate first which meant we devoured as much of that good Southern cooking as we wanted. Why we didn't all weigh 200 pounds I do not know. After all the food and dishes had been cleared away, we girls had to reset the tables with real linens and the napkins had to be folded a certain way.(On Sundays the linens were pink.) Then we dashed to rehearsals at 7 P.M., worked until 10 and then repaired to Shoney's Big Boy as we were starving.  Linda and I never had any money to spare, but the drama majors were tightly bonded and we did not go hungry. We had to sign in at the dorm by 11 and then we began our homework.  How we had the energy for this frenetic lifestyle I do not know, but we were having a wonderful time.  Blithe Spirit played for two nights to laughter and applause from our generous audiences.  Then it was all over.  We began to dismantle the sets and put away the costumes. I felt an enormous letdown; we all did.

I ran into Mr. Russell in the stairwell.  We were both subdued as the sense of letdown was mutual.  The year was almost over. I wondered what he would do this summer. I knew I couldn't go home.  Wesleyan gave me a sense of purpose; the school was my anchor, but now I felt at loose ends, rootless, empty.  Tears came to my eyes.

"A little of the magic has worn off, hasn't it?" he said with a wistful smile. I nodded.

And then we just stood there, looking at each other for a while but saying nothing.

AN ADDITION TO THE FOREST FAIRY FAMILY- Part II

"And that, Girls, is how babies are made. Do you have any questions?" the Queen said, hoping they did not.

The twins looked at one another in utter disbelief.  Had their mother gone mad?  Surely nothing Mother had described had ever actually happened.  It all seemed...well...

awkward and rather uncomfortable.

Arabella stared at her father and said, "Papa, is any of what Mother said true?"

"Yes, my dear child, all true," said Father, looking dreadfully embarrassed.  "You have to remember that when people are in love..."

"It doesn't sound at all romantic," said Annalisa, doubtfully.

"Oh, no!" cried Arabella.  "Are you telling us that Aurora, the sleeping beauty and the Prince did...."

"Well, if they have a baby, I would imagine that they did!" said Father with a hearty laugh that was surely fake.

Mother decided to step in and stop this discussion before it slid into even more dangerous territory.  "I really think that I need to think about cooking dinner. Are you hungry, my love?" said she, smiling, to her beloved.  "I made a lark pie this morning and all I have to do now is--"

Two screams of horror rent the evening air.  The sisters were staring at their parents as if they had finally realized a shocking truth.

Not only had Cinderella and Prince Charming engaged in these embarrassing behaviors, but their very own parents must have....

"Are you telling us that you..."

"Is it possible that you and Father..."

The Queen smiled at her daughters.  "Yes.  Your father and I love each other very much and we are thrilled to be giving you girls a baby brother or sister. My darling, come and help me with dinner.  You can pour the wine."

After their parents went inside the house, the girls sat quietly as they slowly accepted

what they had heard on this memorable day.

"Well, it can't be that dreadful or no one would ever do it, I suppose," said Arabella.

"They only have to do it the one time," murmured Annalisa.

"Yes, that's true," said Arabella. "And maybe it's not so bad.  And babies ARE very sweet."

"But how does the baby get out of Mother?"

"Well, I suppose Mother says some magic words and the baby just pops out."

"Oh, well, that makes sense," said Annalisa.

"Tomorrow we should fly over to the next kingdom and visit Snow White.  And meet her beauteous stepmother!"

"Good idea," agreed Arabella.  "And I want to look into that magic mirror and see who is the fairest fairy in the land.  Could it be me?"

"Oh, no, my dear.  It will be me for sure!" said Annalisa.

Hand in hand, the fairy twins skipped down the garden path.  It would be a while until dinner.

TO BE CONTINUED

AN ADDITION TO THE FOREST FAIRY FAMILY

The fairy twins were bored.  Extremely bored.  They had not rescued anyone in many weeks and Annalisa was distressed that everyone in the enchanted forest was doing so well that their valuable services were not needed.  And Arabella had a fit of pique every time she saw her beloved parents acting lovesick.  Gazing at one another.  Calling each other Darling and Sweetheart.  Holding hands and kissing.  Apparently love was tiring because they went to bed early every night before the moon rose.

It was too tiresome!

"Oh, my love, I have news!" said the Queen to her husband.  "Do you remember when King Frederick who lives in the next kingdom lost his wife?  Well, he and his pretty young daughter have been on their own ever since.  But now the King has married again!"

"Yes, I have heard!" said the King, reaching for another cup of raspberry wine.  "And I understand she is quite beautiful, but rather vain about it.  Looks in the mirror every day.

"And the mirror speaks to her and tells her she is the fairest in the land," said Mother.

A talking mirror?  Well, this was interesting indeed.  The twin sisters immediately began to pay attention.  Who knew when they might be needed?  They must be ready!

"What does the daughter think of her new stepmother, I wonder?" said Annalisa, hoping for a little family discord.

'After all," said Arabella, "Snow White is quite a little beauty herself."

"Snow White is just a child!  Surely the Queen couldn't be jealous of her own stepdaughter," said the Queen, reaching for another muffin.

"Mother, another muffin, really?" said one of the twins. "You've had two already!"

"And, Mama," said the other twin, "you are becoming just a little bit plump."

Father laughed heartily although the girls didn't think they had said anything funny.

Mother had an odd little smile on her face.

"Perhaps it's time to tell them?" said Mother, her hand tenderly touching her belly.

"Yes, of course, tell them, my dear," said Father, putting his arm around his wife.

"Don't keep us in suspense," cried Arabella.

"Well, Girls, I'm going to have a baby!"

The sisters were thunderstruck; their little rosebud mouths fell open.  How could this be?

"Will this...baby...live here...with us?" said Annalisa, who could not imagine such a thing.

Arabella, who was naturally suspicious, narrowed her large blue eyes.  "Where did this baby come from?  We want to know."

Mother laughed nervously and looked at Father who was staring at his feet.

"Well, it's a bit complicated.  Perhaps my dear," said Mother looking at her husband, "you could shed some light on the subject.  Please."  

"NO, no," said Father who was horrified.  "I have no light to shed.  None at all."

"Well, my dear little girls," said Mother.

There was a long pause.

TO BE CONTINUED

MEDEA - Part II

Rehearsals for Medea were incredibly difficult.  The play itself is challenging for undergraduates and the role of Medea demands a huge expenditure of energy.  Mr. Russell wisely directed us to play against the inherent melodrama of the script.  If I became too big in my portrayal, he would come to my side and say in a low voice, "You're milking it a bit."  That's all I needed to hear.  It turned out we were perfectly attuned to one another.  Mr. Russell instinctively knew how to direct me.  He needed only to say a few words and I knew what he wanted. This kind of rapport between director and performer is very rare as I was to realize many times in the coming years.  I was working in a joyous creative bubble that real life could not pierce.  Until it did.

Medea kills her sons at the end of the play.

During the last week of rehearsal I developed a painful sore throat and could barely speak.  I went to the Infirmary feeling desperate and they decided to admit me.  I knew if I stayed I would miss the role of a lifetime and nothing would keep me from playing Medea.  I told the nurse I would go and get my nightgown.  I left and didn't look back.  Hysterical, I called Mr. Russell who sent me to a throat specialist who prescribed powerful antibiotics and--miracle of miracles--I regained my voice and did the two performances.  Something quite magical happened while I was onstage--something that had never happened before or since.  I was completely confident and in command.  I wanted the play to never end. In my mind's eye I can still see the long lines of friends and strangers waiting to tell me they had been moved, that the play had meant something to them.  They offered me flowers and small gifts.  I shall never forget it.  I looked over at Mr. Russell to whom I owed  my performance.  He had a wistful smile on his face and I suddenly knew that nothing like this would ever happen to me again.  I would never perform as well again; I would never have such sensitive direction and surely no one would line up to speak to me after a performance.  And I was right--no theatrical experience has ever come close to that one.  In my memory we are all bathed in golden light and smiling at one another.

Note:  None of the above pictures come from our Wesleyan production of Medea.  There are no extant photographs from our production, but I would give anything to have one.

MEDEA, Part I

 

A new drama professor entered our lives my sophomore year, a man who was to change my life.  Mr. Russell was very quiet and didn't seem to notice me at all.  But I noticed him.  He announced that he would direct Robinson Jeffers' version of the Greek masterpiece Medea.  The play centered on Medea, a woman of passionate, but primitive emotions who becomes intensely jealous when her husband, Jason, falls in love with another woman.  She enacts the most horrifying act of revenge imaginable--she murders her two little sons fathered by Jason.  I wanted to play that role more than I had ever wanted anything in my life.  No one could imagine me playing the part.  My speech teacher said my voice was far too light for Medea.  And Mr. Russell, who was to direct the production, did not seem to know that I existed.  But I knew there was more to me than the skinny, inexperienced kid who joked her way through life.  I knew pain well and I could use it.  I gave an intense, emotional reading, but I could not tell if I had done well.  Several days were to pass before the cast list was posted.  And then I couldn't bring myself to look at it for fear the pain of disappointment would be too much to bear.

But I was given the part.  My throat closed up and I could not speak.  The other girls began to congratulate me, hiding their surprise.  I smiled and nodded but was silent.  I glimpsed Mr. Russell across the stage.  He turned and looked at me and I knew then that it would be all right. Quickly, I turned away and picked up some costumes to take upstairs.  Rehearsals would begin the following week.