Fifteen months ago, the Creston Valley was abuzz with chatter about the Footlighters Theatre Society production of Cinderella.
For the first time in memory, a theatrical production had sold out for all three nights. Now, with the anticipated popularity of a sequel, The Stepsisters’ Revenge, a Saturday matinee has been added to accommodate the throngs.
Sequels haven’t been the stock in trade for Footlighters’ productions over the company’s 21-year history, but this one was a natural, said writer/co-director/co-star Jason Smith.
“At the end of every play that’s successful we always talk about sequels, but mostly in jest,” he said. “But with three full houses and having so much fun with Cinderella we just didn’t seem to stop talking about a sequel this time.”
Smith said writing the script, following up on Frank Goodsir’s Cinderella, was an unusually quick process.
“One day I wasn’t busy and I went on to my computer. It all just came so fast, I couldn’t believe it.
“Writing is usually a slow process, but this time I had already been in the role” — as Lady Violet, one of the two ugly stepsisters — “and I knew the characters. It just spilled out of me — I couldn’t type fast enough!”
For The Stepsisters’ Revenge, Smith wanted more of an ensemble cast, with less attention on just a couple of characters. This time around, the prince, Cinderella and her stepmother have meatier rolls. And new characters are introduced.
The Stepsisters’ Revenge picks up the Cinderella story after a year has passed. For Cinderella, “the bloom is off the rose,” Smith laughed. Cinderella and her handsome Prince Charming “are like an old couple, except they have 26 kids,” orphans they adopted in Cinderella. And the prince doesn’t seem to be maturing in marriage, so the new princess isn’t getting much support from her husband.
“The stepsisters, Lady Violet and Lady Petunia, are serving time in prison, and their mommy is in hiding, just waiting for her opportunity to spring them loose,” co-director Gillian Wells said.
Prison? Yup, they were sent to the big house after being convicted of cruel and unusual treatment of their stepsister, now Her Majesty Cinderella.
“They were waterboarding her, apparently!” Smith laughed.
Wells said Cinderella’s change in circumstances hasn’t been a bed of roses.
“She has all these kids to care for, an immature husband, and she’s still fearful of her stepsisters, even if they are in jail! And even living in a fabulous castle, she worries about everything. Being a mother is harder than she ever thought.”
While Smith and Brian Lawrence are reprising their roles as Lady Violet and Lady Petunia, and Jennifer Adams and Gail Kitt return as, respectively, Mummy and the Fairy Godmother, new faces are seen in other roles. Anna Payne plays Cinderella and Jesse Moreton is Prince Charming. The stepsisters have Frankenstein’s Monster (Kevin Boehmer) on their side, while Cinderella has the inept protection of a Knight (Logan Thompson), a Wizard (Gary Atha) and an Enchantress (Natascha Sundby). Other roles are covered by Gwen Benty, Morgan Benty, Suzanne Chubb, Darlene Knudsen and Peter Simon.
Familiar tunes from Broadway musicals are sprinkled throughout the show, mostly with new and humorous lyrics.
Could there be a sequel to this sequel? Smith laughed and admitted, “I have an idea for another — and it’s genius, I think!”
The Stepsisters’ Revenge runs for three nights and a Saturday matinee from March 17-19 at Prince Charles Theatre. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students/seniors and $5 for children under 12, available at Black Bear Books, Creative Fix and Kingfisher Used Books.