“It’s in the form of a fairy tale, with knights and dragons, wizards and magic,” said director Jyl Hewston, “and it has all the fantasy and action that appeals to children. But there’s a lot of humor and interactions that only teenagers, university students and other adults will get. So it entertains everyone.”
Playwright Medoff would agree. Commenting on the play’s popularity since its 1990 premiere, he said: “Through one of those magical theatrical accidents, the play appealed equally to children and adults."
“It’s also a good show for a family to see together,” Hewston added, “because it hits on a lot of issues for parents and kids to talk about—like what does it mean to be a hero.”
Especially because in this case, the hero is a Princess. (Although, before the story’s done, there is more than one unlikely hero.) As the play opens, young Stefanie is coping with an absent father (presumed lost on his heroic quest), a morose and disengaged mother, and squabbling siblings. So as one character says, she is “ mother to her mother, father to her brothers and sister, and king to her kingdom. Sometimes Stefanie felt very much like Cinderella: Expected to serve everyone, ask for nothing, and never, ever complain.”
“However, unlike Cinderella,” Stefanie responds, “ I have enormous feet and absolutely no time whatsoever to find the proverbial handsome prince.”
But when the evil sorcerer Leopold T. Bosco imprisons her mother in his ring and turns her siblings into swans in an effort to take over her kingdom, Stefanie must rise to the occasion—while fending off Leopold’s loathsome advances.
Leopold manufactures a war between Stefanie’s kingdom and a neighboring land and its mutton-munching monarch. With the aid of an apparently gruesome magician, Stefanie sets out on a quest that includes confronting a fire-breathing dragon, and involves a number of twists and turns, along with sword fights and magical effects.
Interaction with the audience is built into the script and enhanced by the set that wraps around the Gist Hall Theatre. “Various characters talk directly to audience members,” Hewston noted, “and there will be wizards and knights and enchanted children moving up and down the aisles, with battles on platforms above the audience. The latest trend in movies is 3-D, which creates the illusion that things are coming into the audience. In this production, things really are in the audience.”
That leads to one caution. “Having the dragon that close to you might be too intense for really small children,” Hewston said. “This show isn’t really for infants and toddlers.”
But for everyone else there’s humor--including puns, sight gags, cross-dressing even Shakespeare didn’t dare try, and a set that combines elements of Elizabethan theatre with punk and contemporary urban styles. Also enough magic spells and magical creatures to satisfy Harry Potter, as well as music and physical action. Plus several surprising takes on heroism, an inter-species love story, and fresh approaches to familiar features of classic fairy tales—including the happy ending.
Newcomer Sarah Dwyer plays Princess Stefanie, with the experienced support of Nathan Emmons (he played Tybalt in the recent North Coast Repertory production of “Romeo and Juliet”) as sorcerer Leopold, who drips evil when not trying to sell souvenirs to the audience. Anthony DePage (who appeared in two previous HSU productions this year: “The Homecoming” and “City of Angels”) plays a dual role that’s part of the fairy tale surprise.
Also fresh from the same duties for NCRT’s “Romeo and Juliet” are scenic designer—and HSU Theatre graduate student—Calder Johnson, and sword fight choreographer Jasper Anderton (who also plays the mysterious Scarlet Knight.) Anderton just directed the Ferndale Repertory production of “Wait Until Dark.” Steven Dewey contributes original music as well as sound design.
Other cast members seen in previous HSU productions this year are Emily Ruebl (“The Homecoming”), Steven Robert King and Brittany Williams (“The Marriage of Bette and Boo.”) The rest of the cast is: Everardo Cuevas, Don Skaggs, Matt Kirchberg, Jessi Walters, Sarah Sedlack, Jasmin Bisiaux and Chelsea Snyder.
The HSU Department of Theatre, Film and Dance presents “Stefanie Hero” by Mark Medoff, directed by Jyl Hewston, Thursdays through Saturdays April 1-3 and 8-10 at 7:30 pm, with a Sunday matinee on April 11 at 2 pm, in the Gist Hall Theatre on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $10, $8 children and seniors, with a limited number of free seats for HSU students at each performance, from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door. For all ages older than toddler. http://HSUStage.blogspot.com.