SLUG: Sleeping Beauty performance hopes to awaken youth’s interest in theatre

Rick Nelson compared attending theatre to a habit, and under his direction, Nelson hopes children get hooked with the heartwarming classic “Sleeping Beauty.”

From July 19 until July 22, Rose Stage College will host Sleeping Beauty in the H.B. Atkinson Theatre, located on RSC’s main campus. Performance times are 7:30 p.m.  July 19-July 21, and 2 p.m. July 22. Tickets are $5, and $3 with Rose State College ID card.

There also will be a dinner theater performance on July 19 with the meal served at 6 p.m. The dinner theater performance will be in RSC’s main dining room. However, reservations are closed.

Good times

Nelson, head of RSC’s theater department, described the play as the happiest of all fairy tales.

In the story, Sleeping Beauty sleeps for 100 years, waiting for her Prince Charming to wake her from her slumber, if at all.

Nelson’s choice of presenting Sleeping Beauty developed for two reasons. First, there aren’t as many plays performed locally in the summer for children to see, and second, Nelson hopes the production of the fairy tale will “generate a new audience,” he said.

 “If we do it right, they will want to come back,” Nelson said.

Lead role

Samantha Reed, a sophomore majoring in elementary education, plays the role of Sleeping Beauty. She said to prepare for it she looked back at her childhood to recall what she thought a princess would act like.

She admittedly harbors a soft spot for children due to their sweet and honest nature, she said.

Describing her audition, Reed said, “I was really nervous, but once I let myself get into character, I wasn’t nervous anymore.”

Both Nelson and Reed noticed a trend in entertainment today where fairy tales are retold as spin-offs, but in this particular production, the focus will be on the traditional Sleeping Beauty story.

Nelson commented the play remains true to its origin in the French fairy tale.

“We’re getting back to the classics,” Reed said.

Reed likes that the play is family oriented. For example, Sleeping Beauty’s parents are distraught when their child falls asleep due to a spell.

“But it’s also got romance in it,” Reed said. “That’s nice.”
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