LOCAL

New Castle Playhouse to host 'The Princess Who Had No Name' Friday

Louise Carroll
Special to the Ledger
The New Castle Playhouse will present "The Princess Who Had No Name" in August, about a princess trying to find out about her identity. Pictured are Sophia Lang (left) as the princess, and Sarah Tabish as the Queen of the North.

NEW CASTLE − "The Princess Who Had No Name" is a play combining the charm of many fairy tales with a mystery waiting to be solved.

As the Princess wakes up alone in the forest, she has no memory of her past. To solve the mystery, she seeks to regain the memory of her past, and she gets a lot of help from well-known fantasy favorites who live in the Misty Forest.

Director Peggy Hanna said they have Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Hansel and Gretel, Goldlilocks and the Three Bears, and other characters. The Princess gathers information along the way, but not everyone is friendly. She has to beware of Rumpelstiltskin and a few others.

It’s a funny show with some new takes on the familiar fairy tales that everyone loves. Adults will get some chuckles from the show, as there are some clever lines that go over the children's heads.

"It's a funny show, a mixture of fairy tales. The Princess will find her identity, and everyone will live happily ever after," Hanna said.

Hanna made a special effort to let children, ages 5 through 17, know about the auditions because there had been a gap in children's shows due to COVID. The result is a cast of 45, with a few who haven't yet gone to kindergarten.

"I think it is important because not every child is athletic, or sings and dances, but they can shine in this play," Hanna said.

Before the show, a number of children pretend to be animals crawling on all fours and wearing an animal face such as a fox or bear, and interact with the audience.

The tables have been removed from the Annex, and there are chairs with lots of floor space so children can sit on the floor to watch the play if they wish.

The play will feature a cast of 45 children between the ages of 5 to 17, including a few who haven't reached kindergarten yet. Pictured are, from left, Kennedy Case, Olivia Flamino, Maven Burick, and Aubriana Perry as the Fairies.

Hanna said it is a short play, but she opted for an intermission because young children have a limited attention span. During the intermission, a gift shop created by Wendy Kinnear will be open with moderately priced items like crowns available.  

For the perfect picture opportunity, there will be a throne, so every child can feel like royalty.

When intermission is over, the 'animals' will "interact with the audience again, encouraging them to be seated. 

It’s a unique take on fairy tales, but don't worry, the Princess will find her identity, her prince will find her, and everyone will live happily ever after.

"The Princess Who Had No Name" will be held at the New Castle Playhouse, at 202 E. Long Ave., at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Aug. 18-20 and 2 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 21.

All tickets are $13. For reservations, call (724) 654-3437 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.