'THE SNOW QUEEN' Crew converts fairy tale into extraordinary play

The production -- including the set, props and costumes -- is enchanting.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
If you've had enough "Rudolph" and "Jingle Bells" to last until next holiday season and are yearning for entertainment that is out of the ordinary, then "The Snow Queen" is a must-see.
This original production is showing at Walnut Lodge Yoga and Movement Center in Sharon. Owner Abbey Alter wrote the script, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, and her husband, James Willaman, wrote the exquisite music, which he performs on guitar and synthesizer.
Story with a message
This is a tale of triumph of good over evil, and the power of love and purity of heart. It is the story of demons who possess a mirror that distorts all that is beautiful and good into something ugly and hideous. The demons, thinking they are so clever, decide to take it to the heavens, but as they fly higher and higher, it becomes so heavy that it drops and shatters into millions of pieces, some no larger than a grain of sand, which scatter all over the earth.
One day, two poor children are planting roses, when the boy, Kay, gets a piece in his eye. He becomes nasty and, in the following winter, is lured to the icy abode of the Snow Queen. Gerda, out of her love for Kay, risks her life as she goes through a series of adventures to rescue him.
Mesmerizing
The presentation of this story is absolutely enchanting. Magical. Spellbinding. Mesmerizing. The venue is a beautiful old church, and Alter and her crew have used this small space in the most creative way.
Sam Perry is the narrator who fills in the blanks between dialogue. People play people, animals, talking flowers, water and even puppets. Sometimes puppets play people, in a mixture of reality and fantasy. The extraordinary props, set and costumes make it all seem strangely believable.
Highlights
Ron Gracilla built the fascinating puppets, beginning with Grandmother, a giant head and torso, capable of the most comic expressions. In fact, while most of this play is serious, Gracilla's presence always provided comic relief. The other giant puppet was the Finn woman, a huge body with arms, which Alter operated with sticks. Other puppets included a crow with a country accent and Ba, the walking reindeer.
The appearance of the Snow Queen always changed the mood to somber, reflected in the music, like gongs ringing over a barren landscape. Professional dancer Jill Niess magnificently played this role. Her icy, unflinching expression was bone-chilling yet alluring in its stark beauty. Her movements, all en pointe, were cold and expressionless yet hauntingly gorgeous.
Tony Kropp designed the giant singing flower costumes, whose wearers stood in holes with the stage built up around them. They sang mournful and mysterious songs, meant to give Gerda the clues she sought, then disappeared "into the ground." What an imaginative scene!
When Gerda finally reached her destination, she was attacked by the snowflake guards with cone arms and shields. She collapsed and began praying fervently in a state of delirium. White glittery angel puppets, also designed by Kropp, swooped down on a string from the choir loft, setting her free.
This whole production utilizes every resource efficiently, from the physical space to the talents of the community, resulting in a very unique and highly recommended play.
X"The Snow Queen" runs today at 2:30. There are also school daytime performances Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Space is very limited. For more information, call (724) 346-4746.