Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: There's the animated Disney version of "The Little Mermaid," the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy-tale version -- and Dan Shaffer of Jeannette's version. The director of Greensburg Civic Theatre's Greasepaint Players production this weekend gives a new twist to the tale of a young mermaid who longs for a prince and a life on dry land. He says the main difference between his story, which he wrote for a friend, and the original Anderson story is that in his version, the mermaid doesn't die.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Updated 'Mermaid' goes for happier ending
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: There's the animated Disney version of "The Little Mermaid," the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy-tale version -- and Dan Shaffer of Jeannette's version. The director of Greensburg Civic Theatre's Greasepaint Players production this weekend gives a new twist to the tale of a young mermaid who longs for a prince and a life on dry land. He says the main difference between his story, which he wrote for a friend, and the original Anderson story is that in his version, the mermaid doesn't die.
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I think its wonderful that they are reviving the Hans Christian Anderson version of the Little Mermaid, and I really wouldn't condemn them for changing the end to a happier one. Although you can argue that not all endings are happy, and that by changing this one you are not staying true to the play, I think we all want a fairytale ending for a fairy tale story. Especially when kids are watching. It would be so unfortunate to see the look on a group of little kids faces after seeing the version at which the little mermaid dies at the end. Little sad tears would be shed. Also, it's great that the original story is being told, just retold in a way that is much more appropriate/ comfortable audience, an adjusted, tweaked original story is better than no original story at all.
I hope parents explain what's going on in this production to their kids, because I can see some potential for major confusion here. Kids are going to assume that the production is going to be Disney's The Little Mermaid, when in fact it's an altered version of a different story. The confusion isn't necessarily a bad thing. Hopefully it will get kids and their parents engaged in a conversion about theatre.
Yet, the more I think about it, the more confused I get. Why is this production decidedly not Disney, yet Disney-fied with "some loosely based elements of the Disney movie" and a Disney-er ending? It sort of sounds like this company might've wanted to produce Disney's The Little Mermaid and just not had enough funds. Fair enough. I don't have enough funds to produce that either.
Then again, maybe I'm being harsher on this production than I should be because I just really hate that story. (Why would you EVER give up being a mermaid to be a boring human?)
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