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.

Sneeuwitjie en die Sewe Dwergies by Lalie Beukes (1959).

The text

Sneeuwitjie en die Sewe Dwergies ("Snow white and the seven dwarfs") 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.

Performance history in South Africa

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

The text

A version of the tale created by Janice Honeyman for PACT Drama in 1987.

Adaptations and translations of the Honeyman text

A newly adapted stage version was done by Maralin Vanrenen in 1993-4, and in the same year it was also adapted and translated into Afrikaans by Nerina Ferreira as Sneeuwitjie en die Sewe Dwergies.

Performance history in South Africa

1987: 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: 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: Produced by students of the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department, directed by Mark Graham in the H.B. Thom Theatre in September 1993.

Sneeuwitjie by Johan Esterhuizen and company (2002)

The text

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 in 2002.

Performance history in South Africa

2002: 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 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.

A set of work copies of Esterhuizen and co's workshopped Sneeuwitjie text, found in the Stellenbosch Drama Department archives in 2022.

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