"CINDERELLA.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 44, 22 June 1915, Page 7

"CINDERELLA.”

i OR THE LITTLE CLASS SLIPPER. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. j I The object for which the above pantomime is being presented at the Town Hall on Thursday and Friday nights is a specially worthy one. The Fire | Brigade is deserving of the support of every resident of Stratford, and these efforts to raise funds for the purchase of a motor-engine are commendable in a two-fold degree, for the reason that duty and pleasure are closely entwined. The company of juvenile amateurs who have the production of “Cinderlella” in hand were fortunate in having such a practical and clever exponent of I theatricals as Madame Mcßeth, who has spent many weeks in training her i pupils. As sole directress, the public may depend upon it, Madame Mcßeth has got something worth the money. Ballets are her strong suit, and the Ballet de Fairies and La Petite Ballet, as well as La Jockey Dance, afford ample scope for her histrionic ability. The young people have responded well to their instructions, and the result is very pleasing. “Cinderella” is produced in four acts, particular attention having been paid to the scenery and stage effects, into which special lighting has been introduced. ’ The dresses are splendid 'specimens of the dresmaker’s art. and have been specially made for the occasion. Old as is the fairy tale of “Cinderella,” it will be interesting at this stage to recall it. “Cinderella” was the of an honest gentleman, who took for his second wife a proud and disagreeable woman with two daughters exactly Jike herself. The stepmother, jealous of the girl, gave her all the dirty work of the house to 'do, made her sleep in an attic on a 'straw mattress, with only a cigar and !not a looking-glass in the room. When | her daily work was done, she used to I sit down in the chimney-corner among Ihe ashes, from which reason the two 'sisters .gave her the nickname of 1 “Cinderella.” For all her shabbiness, however, Cinderella was more hand(some than they with all their fine clothes. When the King’s son gave a ball, the two young ladies were in,vited, and Cinderella exercised all her 'skill to adorn them. While doing this, the sisters taunted their step-sister about not being able to go to the ball, stating that “people would only laugh to see a little cinder-wench at a ball.” But after they had gone, Cinderella, sat down by the kitchen fire and cried, when her fairy godmother appeared beside her. and on being told what was the matter, said H Cinderella was a good girl she would go. Obeying her godmother, Cinderella brought a large pumpkin from the garden, and this, with a stroke of the fairy wand, was turned into a coach, lined with rosecolored satin; the mouse-trap was brought from the pantry, and the six fat sleek mice it contained were changed into beautiful black liorses; a

I black rat sufficed to provide a coachman, who had very hue whiskers, and I six lizards immediately became six J footmen in splendid livery. “Well, |Cinderella,” said the godmother, “now yon can go to the ball.” “What, in these clothes?” said Cinderella piteously. Her godmother laughed, and ; touched her with her wand, at which her wretched threadbare jacket became. I stiff with gold and sparkling with jewels, her woollen petticoat changed into a gown of sweeping satin, from underneath which peeped but her little feet, no longer bare, but covered with silk stockings, and the prettiest g'avs slippers iri the world. “Now, Cinderelhr, depart,” said the godmother;

“hut remember, if you stay one instant after midnight, your carriage will become a pumpkin, your coachman a rat, your horses mice, and your footmen lizards j while you yourself , j will be the little cinder-wench you were ' jan hour ago.’’ At the ball Cinderella was received by the Prince with great enthusiasm, and he quickly fell in love with the beautiful and unknown princess, and the King and Queen and all the court admired her greatly. In the delight of listening to the Prince’s pleasant talk, she forgot the time, and when the clock scrucK twelve she started up and fled away. The Prince followed, but missed her, and only saw running out of the palace gates a little dirty girl. Cinderella arrived home breathless and weary, without carriage footmen, or coachmen, and the only thing to remind her of the ball was one of her little glass slippers—the other she had dropped in the ballroom as she ran away. The Prince, however, by • chance, picked up the Llipper, and, > o that he could find the owner, ordered that it he fitted on to the foot of every lady in the Kingdom, stating that he wished to marry the lady. When the herald with a flourish of trumpets arrived at the home of the two sisters, they made every attempt to get their clumsy feet into the glass slipper, hut all in vain. “Let 1 me try it on,” said Cinderella, at >'

which the others hurst out laughing. Hu t they could not interfere with the I rov il decree, and the herald, seating, Ci-.. lerelhi on a three-legged stool in the kitchen, put the slipper on her ' pretty little foot, which It fitted exjactly; she then drew from her pocket (the fellow-slipper, which she also pul on. and stood up—for with the touch of the magic shoes all her dress was changed likewise—no longer the poor despised cinder-wench, but the beautiful lady whom the King’s son loved. The sisters threw themselves at her feet, bogging her pardon for all their former .unkindness, and Cinderella forgave them readily. She then departled to the King’s Palace and was mar--1 ried immediately to the Prince. 1 The full dress rehearsal last night showed that the performers, though not exactly letter-perfect in their parts, only required a little finish to make the performance quite presentable. With the popular prices that are being charged, there should be a full bouse to greet the rising of the curtain at eight o’clock on Thursday night. Half an hour’s real merriment precedes “Cinderella,” the farce “Laughing Gas,” being presented by several local actors. Reserved seats may be booked at Grubb’s music depot.