I decided early on that I didn't want to go the route of “if you're very kind then you'll have a happy ending.” People are more complicated than this, and I personally never liked that Cinderella was always so sticky sweet, though I admired her resilience. Instead, I made her argumentative and frustrated. It was also important to me to develop the character of the prince, and so I gave him sarcasm and cheekiness to balance Ella out (not to mention allow for some fun bickering!), as well as his own journey with finding his place in the world. Beyond this, everyone except for the Fairy Godmother has a name. I did this to keep an air of mystery about her, because I personally like some questions to be left unanswered.

In terms of staging, it was my goal to create a Cinderella that focused on the characters of the story rather than rely on hefty special effects. The original production of this script was presented as part shadow play, with a white scrim upstage center. With footlights placed behind the scrim, we were able to stage several magical moments such as the hazel tree growing, the pumpkin becoming a carriage, Ella's transformation, and the step-family tying on the slipper while Ella was locked in the kitchen. This effect ended up being so striking that we ended up adding the Godmother's shadow (bird wing and all) appearing during the prologue and Max's escape from the palace. If you choose to go this route, there's no end to the images you can create! Projections can also be an effective and simple effect, or you can choose to have the bigger moments like the pumpkin growing or Ella's transformation happen offstage. That said, feel free to make the production as flashy as you can allow! Just know that you're not required to.

At the end of the day, I believe the key ingredient to a production of this script is honesty. Actors should be encouraged to find the real person in these characters, rather than playing to the stereo-type that they're based on. Please feel free to find our own take on this “Once upon a time” in terms of the design and costuming. Bottom line, it is a fairy-tale, and so you should have fun creating it!