The A-State Theatre department is returning to the stage this weekend one last time this season with their performance of Roger and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” 

This show comes at the very end of the school year and theatre season, meaning that the theatre department has spent months preparing. 

Dallas Martinez, the director of “Cinderella,” said that the cast and crew wanted to focus on particular aspects of the show to avoid telling the same story that has been told so many times before. 

“It’s a growth of a character, I kind of narrowed the focus on nature, growing, blossoming and blooming as it unfolds, focusing in on floral elements to represent that throughout the show,” Martinez said. 

Emily Provence, a senior theatre major from Searcy, Arkansas, who is playing the role of Ella for this production,  said the reasons for “Cinderella” being the final show of the season were mostly logistical. 

“It takes the most time to develop,” Provence said. “The designs and the builds are pretty big and pretty dense, which takes a lot of time, it’s a really big and fun show.” 

Provence said Roger and Hammerstein’s version of “Cinderella” is different from ones that audiences may have seen. 

“It is very much a golden age musical, so it has the sound of really nostalgic “Cinderella” stories from our childhoods, but the story is a little bit different,” Provence said. 

Katherine McDaniel, a sophomore theatre major from Paragould, who is playing Madame, the wicked stepmother, said that this show is not entirely different from the classic Disney version, but not entirely the same either. 

“With the Disney version, you don’t have as many characters as this production has, it’s the same storyline, with the same ending, but there are more characters involved and a much bigger story being told,” McDaniel said. 

Isaiah Wallis, a first year theatre major from Harrison, Arkansas, said that the audience should keep an eye out for the lessons within the show. 

“There’s plenty of lessons to be found, one of my favorites is that it is not bad to ask for help and as you’ll see throughout the show, there are plenty of moments where none of the characters could have done what they wanted to do without another character’s help,” Wallis said. 

Kritsen Sullivan, the show’s music director said that there is something for everyone in “Cinderella.”

“It’s 100% family friendly and you will not be disappointed, you’re going to hear music that is probably familiar to you as well as some new things that will make you sit on the edge of your seat,” Sullivan said. “It’s really exciting music.”

The show will only run this weekend so do not miss out on the chance to see the show and support the hard work and dedication of the entire theatre department. 

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday in the Drama Theatre at the Fowler Center. 

Tickets can be found online by following the link in the Theatre Department’s Instagram page bio @astatetheatre. 

Arkansas State University students can get in free with their A-State student ID. 

Categories: Arts & Entertainment