The True Tale of the Sleeping Beauty (ISBN 978-1-7342460-0-1) is a play in 3 acts by Emily Wood and Michael Wood, which was first performed by the Brush Creek Players in 2014.
Special “Pandemic Reopening Performance Prices” — SAVE $100! For productions beginning by 6/30/25, order the entire Sleeping Beauty performance pack — including scripts and unlimited performances over a 90-day period for just $250 (details below)
Characters: 6 male and 10 female (requires 4 male and 5 female characters, others are flexible)
The story of the Sleeping Beauty is a familiar one, although the details may vary. The original Brothers Grimm tale does not provide a complete narrative, but it does include intriguing details – such as the lack of satisfactory tableware as the reason for the evil enchanter’s exclusion (the original tale also includes 13 “wise women” – the script reduces that to a more manageable seven).
The original tale also includes problematic aspects. The Beauty sleeps for 100 years and has no prior connection with the prince. His “love” for her is awakened simply by her appearance as she lies in sleeping death. The well-known animated film wisely rejected that approach, as well as the uncertainty as to whether the princess (not to mention all those in the castle) is awakened by a kiss or simply because the curse has run its 100-year course.
More significant is the relative lack of agency on the part of the princess herself. Of course, this cannot be entirely corrected given the underlying story of the curse. The sleeping princess cannot awaken herself, but events need not end with the kiss. In the present story, there is still the evil enchanter with whom they all must deal. This script gives each of the enchanters a personality of her (or his) own. The six enchanters encounter mutual suspicion, misunderstanding, courage, and even nobility in the face of certain defeat.
The script also provides a larger “back story” to the hero’s romance with the princess, as well as adjusting his own royal background and thereby forcing the young lovers to face challenges of their own, separate and apart from the evil enchanter’s curse. Ultimately, though, the story remains the story of true love, and of the curse, which provides a dramatic and powerful villain – a villain whose evil and magic ultimately must face the nature of love and the promises of past friendship.
The script is suitable for audiences of all ages, and it provides opportunities for actors of all ages and experience levels. It can be produced using either a cast of young actors, a cast of adult actors, or a combination (for example, casting a child actor as the Enchanter Coral, even in the presence of an otherwise adult cast, can prove very effective).
- Performance Rights for The True Tale of the Sleeping Beauty (non-profit and educational theaters — others contact Evander for pricing): $35 per performance;
- Acting Edition: $8.95 each
- Stage Manager’s Edition: $14.95 each
- Performance Pack: Regularly prices at $350, now just $250
(includes 18 acting edition scripts; 2 stage manager’s edition scripts; electronic script; and unlimited performance rights over a 90-day period)
Contact MDW@evanderpublishing.com for production rights and other orders. Evander will provide an invoice when your order is shipped, payable within 30 days and before any performances occur unless otherwise negotiated. You may also contact Evander at (503)508-3682 or by standard mail at 2345 Gibsonwoods Ct. NW, Salem, OR 97304.