‘Snow White’ and the One Overworked Dwarf
Snow White (Breanna Maloney) is excited to tell her story to new people by acting out the parts with her seven friends… but six of those friends failed to arrive today. It’s up to Snow White and Number 4 (Lindsey Middleton) to tell the story on behalf of the entire fairy tale’s cast of characters, including all seven dwarves, the evil queen, the huntsman, the prince, and many more!
County Stage presents Greg Banks’ adaptation of Snow White directed by Cara Rebecca at the Eddie Outdoor Pavilion as the final play in their summer’s repertory season. When I first arrived, I parked just outside of the Eddie’s barn and wandered for a bit, eventually finding another group of theatre-goers searching for the pavilion to wander with. It was not until some staff setting up a wedding on-site told us which way to go that we had the slightest clue as to where the show would take place. So I walked along a lovely path through a garden and over some water, only to arrive at the actual venue and find there was parking there all along (I include this as a warning to you, dear reader; the walk is lovely, but the days are hot. Ask for directions and drive directly to the venue if you want to avoid sitting in your sweaty clothes for the duration of the show).
The Pavilion is a lovely venue, and the dressing along the supporting beams suit the show well. The wood lattice arches with interwoven vines create a quaint but enchanting setting for the piece, and the small plastic stained-glass patterned panels enhance that feeling even more. When I arrived, the company’s technical director, Skylar James, was placing leaves over some of the equipment around the stage (a precaution to protect the devices from the heat, but the aesthetic it helped create was equally as vital). Frank Denato’s set consists of seven deceptively simple chairs and two sets of what appear to be wooden rafters on wheels. This leaves plenty room for the performers to play, while also allowing the space to act as a variety of settings, depending on how the pieces are rearranged.
The outdoor venue lends itself so perfectly to the magical-yet-grounded feeling the story demands, however it also may be the production’s greatest issue. The Pavilion is located in a field, with the audience seated in Adirondack chairs outside of the structure’s shade, so the sun beating down for the play’s entire 90 minute run time (plus the time you spend waiting for the show to begin, if you arrived early) is a tough sell. The heat is tiresome, and this was evident in the audience the day I went; children were restless, jokes were getting little more than faint chuckles, and it seemed that most peoples’ drinks were empty before the show had even passed the halfway point. The pre-show address from Managing Director Kristen Leboeuf even included mention that there was no intermission, but the performers may take brief breaks to cope with the heat. I felt bad because the show was executed well, but the audience seemed too exhausted from the heat to adequately react to the players.
The performances definitely merit a reaction; despite the pre-show warning the two actors take no breaks, and the entire run-time sees them both remaining active, leaping and running around the stage and through the audience. Middleton regularly takes on the roles of all seven dwarves and has a pose to distinguish each character from the next. While telling the story, the dwarves also cannot all be standing in the same location, and so she will sprint across the stage to resume the role of one character for one line, before leaping to the floor to deliver another. The feat would be impressive in any environment, but sustaining that energy underneath the terrible heat of the sun is simply unbelievable. Maloney also has her fair share of playing multiple characters, but her performance really shines in some of the humour. Her brief time playing the prince was a standout of the entire show for me thanks to the over-the-top physical warm-ups she does to prepare for a kiss, and to the unbounded narcissism she characterizes so perfectly.
Snow White brings a lot of positive elements to the table: the script is sharp and fast paced, the actors are tactful and energetic, and the setting is simply stunning. Really, the only thing working against it is a lack of shade that makes it difficult for audience wits to keep up in the dog days of Ontario’s summer. County Stage has an enchanting production on their hands which I would gladly recommend to any family looking for a nice day trip; I just would suggest picking a day with some clouds or a breeze.
‘Snow White’ is presented by County Stage and will be playing at the Eddie Outdoor Pavilion until August 17, 2025. Tickets and more information can be found here.
