Children's Theatre of Cincinnati Gives Classic Fairytale 'Cinderella' a Southern Twist

A one-woman show that reimagines the classic fairytale Cinderella is coming to the Fairfield Community Arts Center.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) will present Cinderella Wore Cowboy Boots for one night only on Jan. 26. The traveling show is for children ages 4 and up and promises “knee-slapping” comedic moments and heartwarming life lessons.

“I love children's theater. I am working with children for a reason,” says Rosvic Siason, who plays Cinderella. “They are our future and we introduce them to these stories. We all have situations at one point in our life that look like this conversation or this tragedy you might have seen in an art piece that just kind of helps you develop your brain and how to think as a developing person. It’s really important to expose kids to theater and well-rounded actors that they can talk to for guidance.”

Cinderella Wore Cowboy Boots is complete with a Q&A session after the interactive show commences. And yes, Cinderella delivers her solo act with a bit of a Southern twang.

As far as the happily-ever-after fairytale goes, the “Cowboy Boots” storyline is fairly similar to the original, Siason tells CityBeat. She says it has a more contemporary, casual tone with touches of ad-lib and improv moments that incorporate modern lingo. Viewers can expect a more simplified version of the story, but that doesn’t make the delivery an easy task. Siason portrays five characters in the show, including Southern Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother.

“These one-man, one-woman shows have so much beauty to them because it is very raw,” Siason tells CityBeat. “People actually follow along a lot easier than you think. It's not so much like I need to put on a different hat — even though I kind of do put on a different hat and a different voice for every character — but they follow through. If I pretend like there's a door in front of me and something is behind that door and I'm afraid of it, they're thrilled; they're afraid, even though they can see there's nothing behind the door. It's easy for us to share a feeling because, in these one-person shows, you have to be very open. And, essentially you are everybody.”

The audience is important, too, she says. They will be prompted to interact, deliver lines and repeat after Cinderella throughout the production. Cinderella Wore Cowboy Boots will deliver a funny, meaningful twist on the classic fairytale that prompts audiences to expand their imagination.

“Using imagination helps kids to think of things in more ways than one,” Siason says. “It opens them up and makes them think, ‘Hey, this is one way this could work.’ Or, ‘I could try this way,’ and then see what happens. I think it's important to always think outside the box.”

Cinderella Wore Cowboy Boots premiers on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Fairfield Community Arts Center. Visit fairfield-city.org for tickets and more information.

In February, TCT will also showcase Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella: Youth Edition,” from the 17th-24th. Visit thechildrenstheatre.com for more information.


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