FAMILY FARE
By Laurel Graeber

Don't Bite That Apple!

You can see the Seven Dwarves onstage for the next few weekends, but you won't recognize them as Sleepy, Grumpy, Dopey et al.  They're Tom, Dick, and Harry or more likely these days, Andrew, Christopher, Alexander etc.

Inviting six characters from the audience to play dwarves is just one of the charming conceits in "Snow White and The Magic Prince," from Arnie Kolodner Magic and the Melting Pot Theatre Company.  Mr. Kolodner himself plays the seventh dwarf (on his knees), along with everyone else except Snow White.

Like Mr. Kolodner's recent "Cinderella," "Snow White" combines traditional theatre with magic.

A variety of objects, from a broom to a dish of apples seem to appear almost from thin air.  And if your child finds mistakes like calling Snow White "Snow Shovel" just hilarious then this is the show for you.  (You may even chuckle yourself.  Mr. Kolodner's Evil Queen persuades Snow White to let her/him in with the line, "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.")

My own son, Matthew, was thrilled to play a dwarf, following every stage direction perfectly except one:  to give Snow White a big kiss and a hug before heading off to the mines.