By STU CLAMPITT
news@readthereporter.com
Three young sisters get abandoned in the woods and have to find their own ways in the world. That is the premise of the Carmel Community Players (CCP) productions of This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing, staging June 13 to 22 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel.
The Reporter spoke to CCP Director Amber K. Roth about what audiences can expect and why it is being billed as a modern fairytale.
“I think the whole reason why we have a modern fairytale is that it’s not one of your classics like Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, or The Little Mermaid where we have that deep history with it,” Roth said. “This is very much more modern. It was made in 2011, and so it has more relevance to nowadays and what children may go through in today’s age. There’s fine little references here and there to more modern technology in it, while still staying to the classic story of children being in the forest and exploring the world.”
Photo provided
One obvious question is why these three sisters are abandoned in the woods in the first place.
According to Roth, Albienne, Beatrix, and Carmen are triplets with a happy family life until their mother passes away. Their father finds new love in the form of a classic fairytale evil stepmother.
“Evil stepmother and the father make some choices that the father later regrets,” Roth said. “Essentially they get left in the woods by their woodcutter father, and then it is an opportunity to learn how to essentially forge your own path in life. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. So we see them handle grief and the loss of a mother. We see them learn how to navigate now being 12 years old, because we do see them over the span of life up to the age of 31.”
One sister heads west to find her life in the world. Another heads east. A third stays put and builds a life where she is. As the years roll by, each new experience comes with a new lesson, a new perspective, and maybe even a little bit of magic.
“Our set definitely ties in to the whimsy of everything,” Roth said. “We have two trees to help us indicate we are in the forest, and in the back are three flats that together make a map so we can see each journey that our protagonists are going down. Think of your traditional very large treasure map that pirates have, where it’s weathered and falling apart. We have one with a compass in the middle to show that they are each going on a different path, and that there’s no necessarily right or wrong way to go about life. It’s just taking what life has given you and making the best of situations.”
This Girl is CCP’s 2025 Rising Star Production, which features a cast of young performers and is a show the whole family can enjoy.
“I think one of the great things to mention is that this show is TYA – theater for young audiences,” Roth said. “Even though it handles, at points, heavy subject matter, the show is designed for all audiences – especially our younger kids. The show is no more than 75 minutes long, so it’s a very quick one act that anybody from the age of 4 to 94 should be able to sit through and be engaged in.”
You can see This Girl at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel, June 13 to 22. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Go to carmelplayers.org or call (317) 815-9387 for tickets.