"Never - Neverland Productions" a division of The Edison's Children's Theater company will present the interactive children's tale "Sleeping Beauty". Performances are scheduled for March 21, 27, 28 at 3:30pm at Edison Community College in the Old Auditorium renamed by the production company as "EDI Snowman Theater".

This is the true story of Sleeping Beauty as told by our resident dragon, Fraganard. This adaptation of the fairy tale is based on the writings of Dr. Richard A. Gardner author of "Fairy Tales for Today's Children" and Dr. Nancy Davis P.H.D. author of "Once upon a time...".

Matthew and Joshua Williams of Piqua are the writers and directors of the play. They have used magic and mythology to create a story that includes a number of positive psychological messages and also omits unrealistic expectations such as "Happily Ever After," perfect marriages, magical solutions, and perfect people. As with all Edison Children's Theater performances, there will be audience participation and humorous scenes and plot lines. Special effects and hand puppets are important components of the play.

Both Williams brothers have participated in several Edison Theater performances. Matt Williams has attended Edison and is presently enrolled in the technical theater and design program at Clark State. Joshua Williams is currently attending the art program at Edison

In the cast is: Melissa Gabriel (Greenville), Ben Caldwell (Sidney), Abbey Davis (Piqua), Nick Rowe (Troy), Trina Dao (Piqua), and Renee Jones (Anna).

Tickets are 3$ for adults and 1$ for each child. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be reserved by calling (937) 778-8600 or 1-800-922-3722, ext. 398. Tickets are also available at the door as space permits. Group rates and special group performances are available.

Heidelberg Document

European dragons are commonly regarded as brute and wayward beasts. Not so in Heidelberg. There dragons were part of everyday life. Their eggs were commonly found in the river Neckar. People collected them, hatched and raised the dragons. The young dragons became loyal keepers and protectors of the house. Additionally they helped to light the hearth - remember, there were no matches at that time! Of course every blacksmith owned a dragon.

People living near the river Neckar, and especially fishermen preferred the water-loving female dragons. Only male dragons were able to fly. They were preferred by farmers and wine-growers. Old legends even tell about dragon-riders - who knows? Female dragons were very intelligent. There are reports, that some of them were capable of the human language. They were beloved by wise women, alchemists and sorcerers, and scholars, who often had philosophical discourses with their dragons.

People inhabiting only small rooms kept dwarf dragons. In this species both sexes had wings. Their eggs were commonly found on the sunny hillsides in the vicinity of Heidelberg.

Christianity brought an end to these good old habits - the keeping of a domestic dragon. Clergymen interpreted dragons as an offspring of hell and prohibited any contact with these animals. Disobedience was rigorously punished.

Meaning and Depth of the Play

Sleeping Beauty - Sleeping Beauty is typically the story of a girl thrown by the winds of fate and is rescued by a prince she hardly knows. The prince is rewarded with her hand in marriage. Sleeping Beauty is a two dimensional doll to be won at the local save the princess festival. She is cursed as a child and then the curse is softened with a life lost of independence. I think the evil fairy that cursed her with death was more merciful.

Our production in keeping with our charter of child empowerment and the upholding of life choices have produced a story of intricate meaning which If you are one of those who don't like to know don't read on.

Sleeping Beauty, Rosamond, starts as a baby who is curse by the fairy Morgana. Morgana is angry because she wasn't invited to the party. The name Rosamond comes from earlier text of Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Beauty has been written and written by many cultures and many different authors. Versions vary just as much as versions of the Bible. The character Morgana is based on the Arthurian Archetype. Morgana is the symbol of vindictiveness. She didn't see herself as evil just bringing justice to a wrong put on her by King Arthur's father. When Arthur was fatally wounded she was one of the 4 Faye women who took Arthur to Avolon to be healed. The stories of Sleeping beauty never gave this fairy a name. She was always referred to as Evil Fairy or Evil Witch or Evil Fairy Godmother. I gave her a name to personalize who she was create a reality to a person who does evil and doesn't see themselves as such.

The curse of needles at age 16. Is symbolic of a perpetuated evil. This is the age where most young ladies (1 out of 3) are violated and left for spiritually dead. As the sleep is symbolic of. The parents are unaware of the danger but the dad has outlawed needles. She asks what a needle is and they don't give a response and the person who gives her the needle is someone they all know in the court.

The Good Fairy Flora curses Rosamond with a curse to save her from a curse. When dealing with victimization. The cure is as painful as the original disease. She is cursed not to die but to sleep.

No needles funny clothes. It is the cost of living without something instead of having a healthy understanding and respect for it. Understanding the positive and negative of it and living with it. It's not what you know that will kill you. It's what you don't know.

King Joringel and Queen Jorinda are names from another grim fairy tales. An evil witch captures both of them and leaves Joringel and takes Jorinda and turns her into a bird. She puts Jorinda in a cage and their she stays till Joringel find a magic object which renders the witch powerless and he touches her with the object and she changes back into Jorinda the human. These two symbolize husband and wife who don't get along. She is a bird in a cage because her husband sees himself as master. It isn't until the end where she takes control and shows initiate that she is free. She has to tell the King how it is. "I am the Queen and what I say equally goes!"

Lord Kishwa is symbolic of a person who wronged the child I was. I look as if outside myself at that little innocent person that I was and I see how he treated him and what he said to him. That poor child was victimized by this man who had been place in a position of authority. A lord who groveled under the ruling class. He is symbolic of what I feel is a great evil. A person who does evil things because he is weak and under the context of what society thinks. If there is a witch burning he is there. If there is a crusification of a Jesus he is there. If there is a extermination of the Jews he is there. He is the most dangerous element in our society because he is allowed to go on after he continuously perpetuates his evil. People don't see him as he is only the victims do. But someday those victims have a voice and someday those that survive and the truth will be know and those who was this element will be cleaning floors.

The Prince is a manly man. And yes he is wearing real leather.
The Prince and Princess Rosamond's love is developed over the course of a life time. ONE of my greatest complaints with this fairytale is the prince kisses princess, they go off and get married and live happily ever-after. This is unrealistic and is a dangerous distortion of truth. This distortion in truth I have seen in many adults who end up in divorce. In six months in knowing each other they get married and another year latter or some hold on under the belief that divorce is wrong for another 10 years and then end in divorce. People can only live in hell for so long. These failures can be traced back to the very beginning in how they met each other and how they nurtured the relationship. Why be in such a hurry? Take time to know the other person. I mean real time like a couple of years. Develop a relationship built on knowing and trust. Take time to know your partner.

In this play Rosamond has played with the Prince in dreams ever since he was a child and has come to love him because of how much fun she has had (over a given space of time) in those dreams.

Morgana a victim. I wanted to show that people who do bad things to each other don't do it out of strength of superiority but out of weakness. One day they were victims also. The prince creates the balance when he say "When you grew old enough to understand it you were no longer a victim. If that is not the case then we are a world of victims." We are all victimized in some time of our life we have too many unhealthy people in this world to go threw life unscathed. But how we react to the victimization will determine how we will victimize those around us. Thus perpetuating the cycle. The cycle has to stop somewhere.

The Prince is turned into a frog. He is changed from being a manly man into Kermit. But as he says "I got better."
Princess Precious is symbolic of self centered woman who tell everyone "I'm better than you". She is the woman who looks for the perfect man without being the perfect woman. When she finds the perfect man and she kisses him, he leaves. She ends up with a frog that she always tries to turn into a prince. The frog doesn't care about the deception he gets kisses and his dreams are fulfilled. He gets to be with the woman he always wanted and he is willing to play slave to her.
Princess Rosamond after the 100years sleep and breaks up the fight. The evil fairy doesn't get destroyed by the prince.

Rosamond vs. Morgana

Rosamond confronts Morgana but not in an angry way. Not in a confrontational way. But she asks "Why did you hurt me?" This disarms Morgana who is used to angry confrontation. Morgana cannot use her justification of action and breaks down realizing what she did was wrong. Rosamond points out what was done to Morgana, Morgana did to Rosamond. Morgana feels guilt and apologizes. Rosamond doesn't let her just clear her conscious and Morgana breaks down and cries. The prince wants justice and says "Aren't you going to punish her?".
Then Rosamond says "The very thing that has caused her to act this way is the very thing that tares her up inside. She didn't act this way because she was bigger or stronger but because she was hurting and wouldn't let go.
At the end Rosamond befriends Morgana which is what Morgana really needed. In essence Rosamond saves Morgana's soul.
Morgana promises the Queen to make restitution. Another important part of repentance.

This altered plot is the way it really happened as confirmed by our resident dragon, Fraganard.