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Author
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Comment
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Mirjana1
Registered User
(10/18/05 2:38 pm)
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Appropriate ending for a puppet show
The research on fairy tales is new to me, and I find it fascinating. I am a puppeteer from British Columbia, just starting to get serious about it, and I am preparing a puppet show based on the opera "Rusalka" by Antonin Dvorzak. Rusalki are Slavic mythical forest fairies, very different from western fairies as they are spirits of drowned young girls, or brides who died on their wedding night. They are often cruel, as they lure men into forest lakes and drown them, so they are not always benevolent; however, they are not evil characters either, rather sad and misterious.
The story of Rusalka is a version of "Little Mermaid", but it is happening in the forest's lake. The heroine dies along with the prince, who, cursed with her love, can't live without her, although he betrayed her previously.
I am dwelling over the ending: should I remain true to the story and let them die (and how would my audience, 3-6 years old react to that, and more importantly, how would they parents react), or should I let them "walk" into the lake, without mentioning death per se? Not having much experience with children psychology, I am seeking and advice on what is "healthier" for such young audience.
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Breena
Unregistered User
(10/18/05 3:26 pm)
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Puppet show
If it were up to me to pick the correct ending for this puppet show it would be that the prince and heroin do end up dying. But seeing as im a teen and am used to death in movies and plays I would suggest that you let them happily walk into the water and end it at that. If you wanted to get creative, you could completly change the ending by finding a happy medium. You could make so they say good-bye and go of on another adventure that can only be accussed by walking to the bottom of the lake and finding a hidden gateway. You of course wouldn't have to show all of that because it may get alittle complicated, but its just a thought. Hope you can work something out!!Best of luck!!
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered User
(10/18/05 8:47 pm)
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Re: Puppet show
I would go with them walking into the lake. The ones who are old enough to understand will get that it's a symbol of death, and the ones who aren't won't be traumatized by it. That's my preference.
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Mirjana1
Registered User
(10/20/05 3:09 pm)
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Appropriate ending for a puppet show
Breena/Veronica,
thanks so much for the ideas, it helps a lot to have feeback. If anyone else has an opinion, please bring it up!
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neverossa
Registered User
(10/21/05 4:54 pm)
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rusalka, rusalki
rusalka is one of may favourite fairy! I wrote a poem on her some years ago... but in Italian, my language. Anyway I think the walking in the lake a good end, because it is not destroying the sadness of the tale and yet leave open the door of a possible future "salvation". Rusalki are not always bad, sometimes they're just personifications of the river... I think it is hard to define what is good or bad in fairyland. Anyway she's a kind of interrupted creature, that's why she kills. She died before her time. This is more my imagination than a suggestion, but I've always thought that for once, it would be wonderful to give these kind of creatures the possibility to live the life they couldn't... As for example through a son: what if a child came out of the lake, after the prince and rusalka are gone?... Or something like that.
Good luck! Wonderful thing working with/for children... I've been working with them almost all my life beside my studies- now that I'm far I miss "my children" a lot.
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Mirjana1
Registered User
(10/24/05 3:41 pm)
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Rusalki
Hi, Neverossa,
Thank you for your reply and suggestions.
Rusalki are my most favourite fairy characters of all times, since the childhood. I wish there was a club just for Rusalki, as they are to me far more mystical than the westernized little flower fairies, childish and always so happy. Rusalki have far more mystery in them, which may come for the fact they are so sad, or at least I see them as such. The combination of the forests and lakes where they live is another motif that is very mysterious - the silence of the lake in the woods, the darkness off it - I get goose bumps just thinking of it.
The story I am putting together is something I wanted to do for such a long time, and now I am ready for it. If you haven't seen the opera "Rusalka," I strongly recommend it, for the beauty of the story and the music (particularly so popular "Song to the Moon", so well sang by Renee Fleming). I think London opera may have done it in the past, not sure about it.
As we share such fascination with Rusalki, I'd like to send you a photo of the puppet once I finish it. My e-mail address is miryana@shaw.ca, I live in Vancouver, Canada.
My web site is www.puppetspurple.com
Thank you again for your reply
Miryana
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