Max Arbes and CL’s Curt Holman discuss two Hans Christian Andersen adaptations: The Center for Puppetry Arts’ Sam the Lovesick Snowman and Synchronicity Performance Group’s The Snow Queen.
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ICE CAPADES: Sam the snowman and his friend Alice the dog (Photo ©2008 Center for Puppetry Arts)
At the end of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Ariel becomes a walking, talking human and weds the prince under a rainbow. That’s not how Hans Christian Andersen would remember it.
The Danish author’s original version concludes with the prince marrying someone else and the mermaid throwing herself into the sea, where she dissolves into foam and becomes a spirit. Many of Andersen’s classics follow the example of the Brothers Grimm and offer harsh cautionary tales in sharp contrast to today’s uplifting messages for young ears. Shaping themes to fit contemporary concerns is part of the process of handing stories down through generations.
The Center for Puppetry Arts’ Sam, The Lovesick Snowman and Synchronicity Performance Group’s The Snow Queen each offer charming versions of Hans Christian Andersen tales, yet espouse opposite philosophies of adaptation. (more…)
