By Spencer Sterritt

Sleeping Beauty to grace the stage in Carlton production

Nov 16, 2015 | 5:49 AM

The latest production from the Mad Hatter Theatre Company, an extension of Carlton Comprehensive Public High School’s drama class, hopes to energize audiences with the tale of a sleeping woman.

They’re presenting Sleeping Beauty, their adaptation of the classic tale most famously put on the silver screen by Disney in 1959.

This version is a return to the original tale however. The character of Maleficient is now called by her original name of Frytania.

There’s also no dragon at the end. Drama teacher and director David Zulkoskey said they’d featured a dragon when they put on Sleeping Beauty before, but it was too scary for some children.

“It’s very much a family show, a fairytale for all ages,” said Zulkoskey 

Homeless shelter discussion

City re-groups for temporary shelter location

12h ago

Police activity

UPDATED: Increased police presence at Sturgeon Lake

17h ago

RAILWAY CLAIM

Ottawa settles 93-year-old land dispute with Flying Dust First Nation

17h ago

He and his students were out at the Evergreen Artisan Market at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre on the weekend, milling through the crowds in their costumes and handing out pamphlets.

This is the first role for Jordyn Pillar, who plays Sleeping Beauty. She said she was surprised and shocked when she learned she’s landed the lead role on her first audition.

“I just wanted to be part of the drama club,” she said.

Even though Sleeping Beauty is the main character she’s a younger child for the first half, so Pillar is only in the last half. And then half of that half is spent pretending to sleep.

Pillar said acting like she was sleeping was one of the biggest challenges. “I just lay there with my eyes closed and try not to move, and I actually try not to fall asleep.”

Since the main character spends a quarter of the movie asleep, the production has become more interactive, and is done in a pantomime style. That means characters interact with the audience, talking back and forth and working with what the audience gives them.

The acctresses were on stage for the first time at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre on Saturday.

Anika LaFitte, playing Frytania, was on the other side of the curtain for the last four plays. “It’s my last year at Carleton and I wanted to go out with a bang,” she said. “It’s a different experience but one I’m grateful to have.”

LaFitte hopes to continue acting after she graduates.

For Zulkoskey the best part of the production is seeing how his actors interpret and present their characters. “They bring their own creativity to it, and make it very innovative.”

On the flipside, one of the biggest challenges the Mad Hatter Theatre Company has faced is taking the show on the road.

The company will visit eight schools in the division as part of their tour, and creating a mobile set has been a challenge.

“You have these wonderful ideas for the set, but we have to remember that it has to fit into a small trailer and van we’ve gutted for transport.”

To get around that limitation, much of the set is assembled on aluminum scaffolding, which Zulkoskey says lets them create a sense of depth and height in their sets, while also being easy to break down and transport.

This will be the theatre company’s 20th tour.

The first showing of Sleeping Beauty is at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre on Nov. 21 at 2 p.m., followed by another show on Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.

ssterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit