Nashville Stagecraft's CINDY & ELLA Begins Tonight

Based on the ancient pan-cultural fairytale of Cinderella, Nashville Stagecraft's adaptation is a far cry from the popular Disney cartoon. Cindy & Ella, opening tonight, August 8th at the 4th Story Theater, follows three women coping with life in an isolated Oklahoma farming community at the height of the Dust Bowl.

The violent and traumatic death of young Cindy's Wicket's mother has left her on the brink of madness, and when her manipulative Aunt Eudora arrives claiming ownership of the home, a violent battle of wills ensues. Meanwhile, Eudora's daughter Ella must wrestle with her own desperation as she watches her hopes for a future vanishing beneath acres of dead corn and her mother's all-consuming greed. When a handsome young man from Chicago arrives offering to buy the land, the stage is set for a final conflict over control of the homestead and the lives of all who live there.

Co-author Sara Gaddis directs the original work and elaborates on the choice of Cinderella: "We wanted to tell a story that was immediately recognizable to everyone, but still left room to explore the darker themes and character relationships in an updated environment," The Cinderella story is more than 3000 years old and there are versions of it in almost every culture, from the Germany to Vietnam. "We began looking at the power dynamics between characters and the messages those ancient stories were sending, especially about the value of women in society, we realized there was real potential to continue the discourse about gendered expectations, and the effect those have on women." In other words, don't expect a cartoonish pumpkin coach or Prince Charming; Cindy & Ella deals with adult themes of sex, love, and expectations fearlessly. The show is recommended for audiences ages 13+ due to adult situations and violence.

Gaddis and Schuffman have written together since 2010 and have produced original work independently in New York City and Nashville, including spring's The Mad King Lear. Lucy Turner(Bad Seed, Miracles on Honey Bee Hill, The Caretakers), Lanie Shannon(Royal Gambit, The Glass Menagerie), Harley Walker(The Drowsy Chaperone), and newcomer Adam Bridges star. Performances are this weekend, August 8th and 9th, and August 15th and 16th at the 4th Story Theater at the West End United Methodist Church.

Nashville Stagecraft is dedicated to making theater a dynamic and relevant part of Nashville's cultural conversation. Education, inclusivity, and craftsmanship are integral to the company's mission.

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