Plot
'The Ash Girl, a new take on the Cinderella story, whilst keeping the happy ending of original fairy tale it puts its own spin on the plot' http://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/play/1639/the-ash-girl
'When an invitation to The Ball arrives at the Ash girl's house, from Prince Amir, she can't bring herself to believe that she, like her sisters, can go. With her mother dead and her father away, she must learn to fight the monsters that have slithered and insinuated their way into her heart and mind' http://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/plays/the-ash-girl-iid-16797
'The Ashgirl is a retelling of a Cinderella story where the Seven Deadly Sins make their way into her mind'
'The Ashgirl is a retelling of a Cinderella story where the Seven Deadly Sins make their way into her mind'
Characters
Ashgirl- Estelle
Judith- Connor Stacey
Mother- Jack
Princess Zehra- Kizzie
Princess Amir- Tamera
Paul- Isabella
Slothworm- Asly
Angerbird- Maggie
Angerbird- Maggie
Envysnake- Me
Lust- David
Lust- David
Gluttontoad- Caelan
Pridefly- Hannah
Greedmonkey- Ahmed
Sadness- David
Man in the Forest- George
Owl- Chloe
Otter- George
Fairy in the Mirror- Kizzie
Themes
Fantasy
These are the things in 'The Ashgirl' that makes it a Fantasy;-A Villain (The Mother)
This is typical in fairytales as there is always a villain to cause conflict in the piece of drama. The stereotypical actions that fall into a villains hand are: Causing harm to the hero/heroine/family, A competition between the hero/heroine and the villain, Pursuing the hero after they have succeeded in winning the fight/obtaining something from the villain. In our play 'The Ashgirl', the key actions from the Villain- Mother- is causing harm to the Heroine- Ashgirl.
-A Hero/Heroin (Ashgirl)
This is also a classic character in fairytales as they are the main character of the storyline. The actions that a typical hero takes are; A departure on a quest, seeking help to a 'Donor'- a character who tests the hero- and marrying a Prince/Princess. But also, the actions of a Heroine are; Needing help, getting captured and having/finding something/one they love. Ashgirl is a Hero because she has help from a 'Donor' which is the Fairy, She goes on a quest to the Ball and has to make it back home before she goes back to her cleaning outfit and she also finds her love to Prince Amir when she goes to the Ball. But she is also Heroine because she is 'captured' by her evil Mother as she never lets her go anywhere, she is also in need of help which the Fairy comes along and helps her and finally, she finds someone she loves; Prince Amir.
-Unnatural events (Seven Deadly Sins in Ashgirls mind, the Fairy, Otter, Owl and Mouse)
This is typical in a fairytale and without it, it wouldn't be one. The common events to happen with abstract enchantments are; talking animals, objects moving, animals turn into humans or the other way round, magic spells, etc. The Ashgirl had these unnatural events such as; Talking animals e.g. bird, snake, monkey, toad, worm, fly, otter, owl and mouse. Also, the otter turns into a human and the mouse turns into another 'animal'- Dragon. And finally, the Fairy's spells e.g. with Ashgirls dress.
Teenage Girl Identity
One of the main themes throughout this play is 'Teenage Identity'. This is a stage of your physical human development that teenagers go through. This occurs in the events of Ashgirl when she wants to find who she is and who she wants to become as she has been stuck in that building most of her life. This is why the film/s are made for young children, to help them improve their findings and become the person they will one day be.
The whole play of The Ashgirl is her searching for herself and becoming happy e.g. with love of Prince Amir and finding her Father. She has the helpv in finding her identity, from her Step Sisters and Mother. This is because they push her about and make her determined to do something. This makes her determined to find herself and to do other things as well.
Romance/Love
-The relationship between Ruth, Judith and The Mother
Ruth and Judith are very competitive and are constantly fighting for the approval of their mother. Ruth is spoilt, she wants everything to go her way and has never grown up whereas Judith is arrogant and snobby as she thinks she is better than her sister Ruth. I think the Sisters are secretly scared of their own Mother. This is because she is filled with pride and control against the sisters and also Ashgirl. Ruth and Judith do look up to their Mother and they do the things they do (to Ashgirl) by their Mothers influences.
-The relationship between the Man In The Forest (Ashgirls Father) and Ashgirl
As the audience, you don't know who the 'Man In The Forest' is until Act 2. But as a cast member, I know who he is in the play- Ashgirls father. Their relationship is quite complicated, in the fathers mind as Ashgirl doesn't remember much of him as he left her when she was young. He left her because he grew feelings for her and felt that he couldn't be around her which was best for him and Ashgirl. But Ashgirl never knew that and doesn't know the reason why he left her.-The connection between Ashgirl, Prince Amir and Princess Zehra
Before Ashgirl met Prince Amir she felt lonely, unwanted, miserable, etc. But when she was at the Ball, she was delighted that someone took notice of her and her beauty. This made her fall in love with him and made her feel special. Prince Amir falls in love with her because she is different to anyone he has ever met. He doesn't care about his mothers approval because he knows he's found the right one. By the end of the play, Princess Zehra notices that the love of his life doesn't need to know any questions about him or in general, as long as he is happy thats all she cares about. She approves his love and supports him.
-The relationship between The Sisters and Ashgirl
Ashgirl feels threatened from the ugly sisters. This is because they always knock her down and treat her like a piece of dirt. In my opinion, I think the Sisters are envious of Ashgirl but they hide their feelings by bullying her. Their nastiness and cruelness is influenced by their Mother as she makes them do those things. But they have to do it because they are scared of her and the actions she would take if they don't obey her orders.
-The relationship between The Mother and Ashgirl
The Mother treats Ashgirl like a doormat. She makes her daughters do the evil things to her as she has the power and control to do so. Though she does say nasty things to her throughout the play, she gets the Sisters to do the work for her. The Mother doesn't treat her fairly and uses her to get what she wants e.g. the house clean, food cooked, clothes made, etc. This shows the Mother is lazy and selfish.
-The relationship between Paul and Prince Amir
Paul is a young man who is Prince Amir's helper. Prince Amir bosses him about in the play and doesn't realise how arrogant and prideful he is towards Paul. I think Paul is envious towards Amir as he gets everything done for him and that makes Amir be selfish towards everyone. At the end of the play, Paul has enough with how Amir treats him and they have a fight in Act 2, Scene 7. This shows their relationship strongly by showing their angry towards each other and letting their feelings out.
-The Seven Deadly Sins and Ashgirl
The Seven Deadly Sins represent Ashgirl's emotions and they follow her around where she handles with different situations and people in the play. As one as the Deadly Sins, I think Ashgirl is afraid of the Deadly Sins/ her feelings and emotions because she doesn't want them to be exposed. In the play, The Sins also represent other characters such as; The Sisters, Mother, Paul and Prince Amir. This is to represent clearly on their emotions and feelings in that scene.
Requirements and Parameters-
Production SideRequirements (needs):
-Set
There are only 3 settings throughout our play which includes; a forest, a palace, the house. We decided to use Pallets for our set. They will mostly be used for the background in the Forest scenes with the Deadly Sins in.
- Costume
We will all need our individual costumes for our own characters. This is one of the most important things to be doing and have done by the week before the performance. Especially as they have to be specific for the Seven Deadly Sins and some other characters too.
- Props
We will need specific props for specific scenes and moments of the play. This includes; Envelopes, Scrolls, Torch, Walnut Shell, Owl puppet, 3 pairs of white spider gloves, basket, old clothes, etc. If we do not have these specific scenes, some scene will not work.
- Lighting
We won't have much lighting as we will not have any blackouts but will have some red, green,etc, lighting. The person uncharge of the lightning won't be able to physically do anything about the lighting until all the scenes are planned out well and that person has seen the lighting at the Theatre we are performing at to see if they have all the colours and are able to the things they want.
- Sound
We will have sound/music for nearly every scene. Having sound sets out the mood and atmosphere in the scene. For example, in the forest scene with the Deadly Sins, we might play the sound of birds to show the audience where the setting in and make them feel like they are in a forest.
- Publicity
We will need to advertise the play with; leaflets, posters, sponcers, etc. If this isn't advertised well enough then we will loose money and not make enough profit for our performance.
Parameters (limitations):
- Budget
We have a budget of how much we spend on costume, props, set, decorating materials and props e.g. paint, etc. The less we spend on these things the more money and profit we make. For example, we have 209 seats altogether at the theatre. If we were to set the prices for £5 each, we would make; 5x209=1,045. Seeing this made us want to put the prices up more but gave us an estimate of what we would be aiming for- above.
- Time
We have approximately 7 weeks to produce this play for the 19th of May 2016. As long as that sounds, it isn't enough time as we also have the production side to it and try to get our play out their as much as we can.
- Venue Construits
This includes the Set e.g. if it can go through the theatre door. We have to think carefully about this as we will be using Pallets that are big so we have to think about the spacing at the Theatre as well.
- Transport
As some of the cast live outside MK, we have to make sure everyone can get to the theatre. This is because if they couldn't, we'd have to think about an alternative or something else.
- Scheduling
We will need to have everyone available at the same time. So we will make a scheduling table and ask who is not available where and what time. This will make it easier to work out which scenes to do which day with who.
Performance side
Requirements:
- Full understanding
This includes a full understanding of my character, other characters and the play. This will help me with my coursework but also with how I show my behaviour with the other characters on stage
- Research
I will need to do a lot of research to help me deliver the characteristics of a snake in a human form. This includes; watching videos, watching films, watching snakes, listening to snake sounds, practising at home, etc.
- To know the health and safety regulations
I will need to know the Heath and Safety in the Theatre we are performing so there are no accidents before the show starts.
Parameters:
- Not knowing my lines/ the script
If I do not know my lines and queues, then I will not achieve a high standard performance in rehearsals or on the performance night.
- Lack of research
If I do not do enough research for my character then I will not successfully deliver my character well enough and will get the grade I do not want.
- Venue
We will not be able to practise much with the space at the theatre we are performing in. We will only have the day of the performance to rehearse. This will give us lack of knowledge with the space and a lack of time.
- Casting
As there is only 17 in the class, some people have been double casted. This will make things difficult with costume and make up and scenes. But this is something we have to plan out carefully in rehearsals.
We have a budget of how much we spend on costume, props, set, decorating materials and props e.g. paint, etc. The less we spend on these things the more money and profit we make. For example, we have 209 seats altogether at the theatre. If we were to set the prices for £5 each, we would make; 5x209=1,045. Seeing this made us want to put the prices up more but gave us an estimate of what we would be aiming for- above.
- Time
We have approximately 7 weeks to produce this play for the 19th of May 2016. As long as that sounds, it isn't enough time as we also have the production side to it and try to get our play out their as much as we can.
- Venue Construits
This includes the Set e.g. if it can go through the theatre door. We have to think carefully about this as we will be using Pallets that are big so we have to think about the spacing at the Theatre as well.
- Transport
As some of the cast live outside MK, we have to make sure everyone can get to the theatre. This is because if they couldn't, we'd have to think about an alternative or something else.
- Scheduling
We will need to have everyone available at the same time. So we will make a scheduling table and ask who is not available where and what time. This will make it easier to work out which scenes to do which day with who.
Performance side
Requirements:
- Full understanding
This includes a full understanding of my character, other characters and the play. This will help me with my coursework but also with how I show my behaviour with the other characters on stage
- Research
I will need to do a lot of research to help me deliver the characteristics of a snake in a human form. This includes; watching videos, watching films, watching snakes, listening to snake sounds, practising at home, etc.
- To know the health and safety regulations
I will need to know the Heath and Safety in the Theatre we are performing so there are no accidents before the show starts.
Parameters:
- Not knowing my lines/ the script
If I do not know my lines and queues, then I will not achieve a high standard performance in rehearsals or on the performance night.
- Lack of research
If I do not do enough research for my character then I will not successfully deliver my character well enough and will get the grade I do not want.
- Venue
We will not be able to practise much with the space at the theatre we are performing in. We will only have the day of the performance to rehearse. This will give us lack of knowledge with the space and a lack of time.
- Casting
As there is only 17 in the class, some people have been double casted. This will make things difficult with costume and make up and scenes. But this is something we have to plan out carefully in rehearsals.
Cinderella Research
The original plot;
'Cinderella is the beloved child of a widowed gentleman. Her father remarries to a widowed woman, who has two daughters of her own (ugly step sisters). After Cinderella's father dies unexpectedly, her Step-mum is revealed to be a cruel and selfish woman, and Cinderella is humiliated and mistreated by her stepfamily, who take over the estate and ultimately reduce her to being a scullery maid in her own home. Cinderella then grows into a kind and gentle young woman and falls in love with the Prince of their Kingdom'
The first film was an animated one, made in the 1950's in America, produced by Walt Disney.
The film won 3 Awards for; Best Sound, Best Originally Score and Best Song.
Sequels;
'Cinderella ||: Dreams Come True'- The second one was released in 2002
'Cinderella |||: A Twist In Time'- The last one was released in 2007.
Cinderella Adaptations;
There has been many adaptation of 'Cinderella', with many different storylines;
'Cinderella'- 1960
'If The Shoe Fits'- 1990
'Ever After: A Cinderella Story'- 1998
'Confessions Of A Stepsister'- 2002
'A Cinderella Story'- 2002
'Ella Enchanted'- 2004
'Enchanted'- 2007
'Another Cinderella Story'- 2008
'A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song'- 2011
'Into The Woods'- 2014
'After The Ball'- 2015
'Cinderella'- 2015
Theatre:
Cinderella was also adapted into a Musical at the theatres. The musical was first performed on stage in 1957 in London. After that, stage productions started to show around the world, including; U.S.A.
Many of the actors in the stage production were up for awards such as;
Best leading Actress
Outstanding Costume Design
Outstanding Hairstyling
Etc.
The Cinderella Story has also been adapted into Ballet pieces at the theatres.
The first Ballet piece was called 'Sadler's Wells Ballet', it was performed on stage at the Royal Opera House in 1948.
Ballet in theatre is performed today and adapts many films/books in their productions.
Characters in Cinderella
Evil Step Mother
1960 2015
The step mothers appearance has changed a lot between 1960 to 2015. From having the colours of; purple to green and gold. Using purple for the Evil Stepmother in 1960 was a good colour as the colour Purple has its connotations of; Pride, Wealth, Creativity, etc. This shows the Stepmothers character well as she very prideful with her power of money and her power against her daughters and Cinderella. But in 2015, the colours changed massively using the colours green and gold. The connotations of green are; Ambition, Greed, Jealousy. The Gold connotations are; Wisdom, Money, Strength, Confidence. This shows the Godmothers appearance strongly as she is greedy to be wealthy as she wants her daughters to marry a Prince, She also has an ambition of picking on Cinderella and bossing people around. Her character has always stayed the same, as she has always been a nasty, selfish woman and then by the end of the film/s she loses her ambition and gets nothing. This has always been the case as part of the fantasy storyline.
Step Sisters
The Ugly Stepsisters appearance have been similar throughout the years it has been adapted. They always have matching clothes but different colours. They wear bright colours such as; yellow, pink, blue, orange. This is to clearly show their personality of their stupidity, clumsiness and selfishness. The connotations of yellow are; Joy, Happiness, Mental Activity. The connotations of orange are; Determination, Aggression, Enthusiasm. And for pink it is; Sweetness, Love, Femininity. These colours show their feelings towards the storyline as they have 'Aggression' towards Cinderella getting her way and happiness, but also to each other as they only want it their own way, they have 'Sweetness' to them but only to their mother and the Prince and they are also 'Determined' to make their Mother proud of them and get the Prince. Their characters have always been the same; nasty, stupid, eager, etc. And this has not changed throughout the adaptations of the fantasy.
Cinderella
As the main character of the fantasy, this characters appearance and character wouldn't change. The pictures (above) from 1960 to 2015 show clearly that the idea of her image hasn't changed. With her maid outfit, the 1960 image shows her wearing a dark brown top with blue long sleeves, a light brown skirt and a white apron around her waist. But in the 2015 image, Cinderella is wearing a light blue dress with a dark pink apron. Although the colours aren't similar (except the blue), the appearance has some similarities as they are both dresses to show her innocence and they have their hair tied back in a simple way but elegant in a way to show their beauty. But with her Ball outfit, the 1960 image shows her wearing a long light blue dress with blue gloves. And with the 2015 image, it also has her wearing a light blue long dress. The connotations of light blue is; Purity, Loyalty, Wisdom, Confidence, Faith. Cinderella's outfits symbolise her personality strongly, her character has been adapted in many ways but it has always kept her one main personality; her kindness. For me, this fantasy represents bullying and the way people see and represent teenage girls. This is because Cinderella gets bullied by her Step Mother and her Step Sisters, and though it is by her family you would think it is all a joke, but it clearly shows it isn't. I think the film/s show Cinderella's journey on how to cope with her hard time which is a good lesson to be shown to teenage girls. This is why this fantasy is aimed at children.
Characters in Cinderella
Evil Step Mother
1960 2015
Step Sisters
The Ugly Stepsisters appearance have been similar throughout the years it has been adapted. They always have matching clothes but different colours. They wear bright colours such as; yellow, pink, blue, orange. This is to clearly show their personality of their stupidity, clumsiness and selfishness. The connotations of yellow are; Joy, Happiness, Mental Activity. The connotations of orange are; Determination, Aggression, Enthusiasm. And for pink it is; Sweetness, Love, Femininity. These colours show their feelings towards the storyline as they have 'Aggression' towards Cinderella getting her way and happiness, but also to each other as they only want it their own way, they have 'Sweetness' to them but only to their mother and the Prince and they are also 'Determined' to make their Mother proud of them and get the Prince. Their characters have always been the same; nasty, stupid, eager, etc. And this has not changed throughout the adaptations of the fantasy.
Cinderella
As the main character of the fantasy, this characters appearance and character wouldn't change. The pictures (above) from 1960 to 2015 show clearly that the idea of her image hasn't changed. With her maid outfit, the 1960 image shows her wearing a dark brown top with blue long sleeves, a light brown skirt and a white apron around her waist. But in the 2015 image, Cinderella is wearing a light blue dress with a dark pink apron. Although the colours aren't similar (except the blue), the appearance has some similarities as they are both dresses to show her innocence and they have their hair tied back in a simple way but elegant in a way to show their beauty. But with her Ball outfit, the 1960 image shows her wearing a long light blue dress with blue gloves. And with the 2015 image, it also has her wearing a light blue long dress. The connotations of light blue is; Purity, Loyalty, Wisdom, Confidence, Faith. Cinderella's outfits symbolise her personality strongly, her character has been adapted in many ways but it has always kept her one main personality; her kindness. For me, this fantasy represents bullying and the way people see and represent teenage girls. This is because Cinderella gets bullied by her Step Mother and her Step Sisters, and though it is by her family you would think it is all a joke, but it clearly shows it isn't. I think the film/s show Cinderella's journey on how to cope with her hard time which is a good lesson to be shown to teenage girls. This is why this fantasy is aimed at children.
Fairy
The age of the fairy has differed throughout the adaptations of Cinderella. This is shown where the first image of the 1960s animation where the Fairy is an old woman. But with the 2015 film, the Fairy is made to be in her 40/50s. As you can see, the colours haven't changed as they are both bright colours such as; blue, pink and white. These colours are soft, pure and calm colours to represent the safety and helpfulness of the Fairy. White is the colour of Encouragement, Protection, Hope, Peace, Calm and Comfort. These are all the qualities of the Fairy as she gives Cinderella the encouragement to go to the Ball and feel beautiful. But she also gives her the hope of good things happening in her life and makes her believe in herself when no one else did.
The age of the fairy has differed throughout the adaptations of Cinderella. This is shown where the first image of the 1960s animation where the Fairy is an old woman. But with the 2015 film, the Fairy is made to be in her 40/50s. As you can see, the colours haven't changed as they are both bright colours such as; blue, pink and white. These colours are soft, pure and calm colours to represent the safety and helpfulness of the Fairy. White is the colour of Encouragement, Protection, Hope, Peace, Calm and Comfort. These are all the qualities of the Fairy as she gives Cinderella the encouragement to go to the Ball and feel beautiful. But she also gives her the hope of good things happening in her life and makes her believe in herself when no one else did.
The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins have their 'desire for more and the human need for excess'.
'Each sin goes against the root of 'Christianity'.
The Sins
Pride- 'An excessive view of one's self without regard for others'. Pride is viewed to usually lead the other sins, it is also the most serious of the deadly sins.
Greed-'An excessive pursuit of material possessions'.
Wrath/Anger- 'Uncontrollable anger and hate towards another person'.
Envy- 'The intense desire to have an item or experience that someone else possesses'.
Lust- 'An uncontrollable passion or longing, especially for sexual desires'
Gluttony- 'The excessive ongoing consumption of food or drink'.
Sloth-'Excessive laziness or the failure to act and utilize one’s talents'.Adaptations
'The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins' - 1971
Awards; 1996
'Best Movie' 'Best Villain'
'Best Desirable Male'
Theatre
The Seven Deadly Sins have also been adapted into theatre e.g. ballet. Such as;
'The Seven Deadly Sins (Ballet Chanté)- 1933
This storyline is performed all over the country and still is being performed e.g. New York City Ballet in 2011.
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