Snow White is a fairy tale by the brothers Grimm.

Not to be confused with Snow White and Rose Red (in German Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot), also in the collection by the Brothers Grimm.

The story

Snow White is a German fairy tale published under the Low German title Sneewittchen by the Brothers Grimm in 1812 in the first edition of their collection Grimms' Fairy Tales (listed as "Tale 53").

The tale was often dramatized and as the role of the dwarfs became more prominent, it would gain the title Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. For instance, a 1912 Broadway play called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs apparently first gave the seven dwarfs individual names. This was followed by a similar title and emphasis in the iconic Walt Disney animated feature film, released by RKO Radio Pictures in 1937, itself the best known inspiration for many subsequent versions of the tale.

Translations and adaptations

There have been several stage versions of the story have been created performed in South Africa over the years. These include:

Sneeuwitjie en die Sewe Dwergies ("Snow white and the seven dwarfs") by Lalie Beukes (1959). This is an Afrikaans one act version of the tale, written for children as performers. The text was published in the collection Spel vir die Jongspan ("Play for young people") by Gerhard J. Beukes and published by J.L. van Schaik publishers in 1959.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Pam Emslie (1986)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Janice Honeyman (1987)

A newly adapted stage version of Honeyman's text was done by Maralin Vanrenen (1993-4), and in the same year it was also adapted and translated into Afrikaans by Nerina Ferreira as Sneeuwitjie en die Sewe Dwergies. Published as a performance text by DALRO

A new Afrikaans version of the tale, simply called Sneeuwitjie ("Snow White") was workshopped by the cast under the guidance of Johan Esterhuizen, who then compiled and adapted the final performance text for performance (2002).

Performance history in South Africa

1985: Snow White staged by students of the Edgewood College of Education, adapted and directed by Lorna Shadwell.

1985: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs staged by Pretoria Theatre for Children at the Piet van der Walt Theatre (Pretoria), H.F. Verwoerd Theatre (Springs), and Vereeniging Civic Theatre, adapted and directed by Barbara Basel.

1986: Pam Emslie's version presented by Robin Williams Junior Drama Studio at the Port Elizabeth Opera House, directed by Robin Williams.

1987: Honeyman's original text performed by PACT in the Alexander Theatre, Johannesburg, directed by Janice Honeyman.

1991: Honeyman's original text performed by PACT in the Alexander Theatre, Johannesburg, directed by Janice Honeyman.

1993-1994: The Honeyman text performed in the Tropical Nites Theatre at the Wild Coast Sun from November 1993-January 1994, adapted and directed by Maralin Vanrenen, with Antoinette Kellerman.

1993: Nerina Ferreira's translation Sneeuwitjie en die Sewe Dwergies produced by PACT Drama , directed by Peter Terry, musical direction by Louis Fouché, choreography by Jill Osborne, starring Hannes Muller, James Borthwick, Rika Sennett, Antoinette Kellermann, André-Jacques van der Merwe and others.

1993: Nerina Ferreira's translation produced by students of the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department, directed by Mark Graham in the H.B. Thom Theatre in September 1993.

2002: Sneeuwitjie by Johan Esterhuizen and company performed in the H.B. Thom Theatre, Stellenbosch, by students of the Stellenbosch Drama Department, directed by Johan Esterhuizen, with the workshop group, consisting of Natasha Taljaard, Denene Erasmus, Vicky Davis, Beth Prins, Charlene Thomas, Laurita Small and Danette van der Westhuizen.

Sources

"Snow White", in Wikipedia, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", in Wikipedia, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs_(1937_film)

Gerhard J. Beukes. 1959. Spel vir die Jongspan. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik.

Theatre pamphlet, 1993

Antoinette Kellerman's copy of the typed text of Maralin Vanrenen's English version of Honeyman's text, found in the Stellenbosch Drama Department archives in 2022.

Antoinette Kellerman's annotated DALRO copy of the typed text of Peter Terry's version of Nerina Ferreira's Afrikaans version of Honeyman's text, found in the Stellenbosch Drama Department archives in 2022. Now held in the Performing Arts Research Collection (PARC) at the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation, Stellenbosch.

A set of work copies of Esterhuizen and co's workshopped Sneeuwitjie text, found in the Stellenbosch Drama Department archives in 2022. Now held in the Performing Arts Research Collection (PARC) at the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation, Stellenbosch.

Greyvenstein, Walter 1988. The history and development of children's theatre in English in South Africa. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Johannesburg: Rand Afrikaans University.

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