A familiar fairy tale gets a sinister twist as Douglas College students stage their next production.
The Ash Girl, featuring the talents of the college's theatre department and stagecraft and event technology department, is onstage at the New Westminster campus's Studio Theatre from March 9 to 17.
Timberlake Wertenbaker's adaptation of Cinderella follows the adventures of the orphaned lead character, Ashgirl, who crashes the prince's ball with help from her fairy godmother. There, she falls for Prince Amir, a lonely foreign royal in exile, and plans to meet with him again after the party.
But, as she rushes back to the castle, she clashes with all kinds of monsters in the woods surrounding the castle. The monsters represent the sins of mankind; they confront Ashgirl and reflect the darker sides of her heart.
Kathleen Weiss, guest director from the University of Alberta, said the play explores themes of depression, family dysfunction, forced displacement and more.
"Fairy tales expose the shadow side of our natures and counsel us on how to face them," Weiss said. "The Ash Girl pairs fantasy and beautiful magic with monsters lurking in the dark, waiting to pounce on any sign of human weakness. The creatures Ashgirl meets are very much her shadow selves personified, representing the parts of ourselves we all try to suppress."
Thrasso Petras, co-director, said the cast "thoroughly embodies" those themes in their acting, giving a three-dimensional look into widespread struggles with mental wellness.
"Without sacrificing charm or humour, The Ash Girl explores a journey of mental health from resistance and withdrawal to capability and agency," Petras said. "As teachers and mentors, these are pieces of human experience that we cannot overlook in the work we create with our students."
The cast includes Evann Hutton of New Westminster and two Burnaby students, Dalyn Rimar and Sami Maia (originally from Brazil), along with Angel Amparo, Jodie Anguinaldo, Michael Bernard, Darren Bolognese, Julie Koebel, Sophie Mildiner, Sophie Offei, Brenda Polidorio, Emily Wilkinson and Kelly Zhou.
The Ash Girl is onstage March 9 to 17 at the Studio Theatre at the New West campus, 700 Royal Ave. Tickets can be purchased online.
Audience members will need to wear a mask and produce proof of vaccination and identification.
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