Snow White

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.

South African dramatizations of the story

At least three pantomime versions of the story have been created performed in South Africa over the years.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Janice Honeyman

A version of the tale created by Janice Honeyman for PACT Drama. Later adapted for performance by Maralin Vanrenen

Performance history in South Africa

1987: Performed by PACT in the Alexander Theatre, Johannesburg, directed by Janice Honeyman.

1993-1994: 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.

Sneeuwitjie en die Sewe Dwergies by Nerina Ferreira

This is an Afrikaans version of the Honeyman text, adapted and translated by Nerina Ferreira.

Performance history in South Africa

1993: 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: Produced by students of the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department, directed by Mark Graham in the H.B. Thom Theatre in September 1993.

Sneeuwitjie en die Sewe Dwergies by Lalie Beukes.

A 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.

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)

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 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.

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