What To Know About This Production
Story readaptation, restaging and new choreography
by Megan Nicko - Inspired by David Chavez
2023
Based on the short story by Hans Christian Anderson. Like many of Anderson’s tales, “The Red Shoe’s” has a moralistic message. The tragic flaw is sin in the form of envy, jealousy, temptation, selfishness, greed, and no other than sinful nature. The tragic flaw of vanity and disobedience leads to virtues of modesty and obedience. Megan has adapted the short story, giving it additional restaging, new characters, story interest, and meaning.
Synopsis according to Megan Nicko…
The “Red Shoes” is a story true to our everyday nature. Karen, a poor young girl, who is teased by the other girls in her community because she is poor and has no money to buy a pair of shoes, finds judgment of others that her appearance is not as acceptable as theirs. Karen’s mother offers to buy Karen a new pair of shoes. Karen only has a heart and eye for the very stunning red shoes the Shoemaker has created. The Shoemaker sees the opportunity to tempt Karen as he sees her envy for these Red Shoes. Temptation is the very nature, we all face daily, “sin”. Karen insists on the Red Shoes and no others. The moment Karen puts the Red Shoes on she is transformed into a beautiful young lady and begins to dance with beauty and grace.
Karen sinfully flaunts the shoes in church in front of all the young girls, making them very envious. Due to Karen’s sinful behavior, she is reprimanded by the Pastor, who demands she remove them and not to wear them again. Karen refuses and causes a scene in front of all, disrupting the church sermon, which results in her mother having a heart attack. Due to her mother’s illness Karen removes the shoes and surrenders them to the Pastor.
Karen tends to her sick mother. However, her thoughts wonder back to the Red Shoes and decides to leave her mother’s side to retrieve the shoes. Karen cannot resist once she finds the shoes and decides to slide them back on to her feet. Watching close by, the Shoemaker sees that the temptation of the beautiful Red Shoes is more than Karen can bare. As Karen selfishly dances around, the Shoemaker puts a spell on the shoes to punish Karen. While dancing, Karen loses full control of her movement and realizes that the shoes will not allow her to stop dancing. Karen soon realizes that the shoes are controlling her. The Red Shoes begin to make Karen travel further and further away from her home. Karen is given a vision of her mother being carried away to be put to rest. Karen is now struck with regret that she had chosen a pair of shoes that blurred her love for her mother.
Karen is taken through valleys and mountains and haunted by the father of all Sin, “Satan”. Satan then provokes Karen making her dance through a journey that takes her to a circus and through a Gypsy village. Karen is punished by clowns and gypsies. Through her aimless journey Karen finally regrets her mistakes and sees how sin leads to unethical choices. Karen feels guilt and remorse in her actions that has led to her mother’s death. Is it too late? Has her vanity and disobedience left her no hope to repent? As the Red Shoes continues to force Karen to dance onward, she is brought upon an executioner’s home. Karen pleads with him to cut off her feet. The Executioner sees Karen’s remorse and wants to free her from the chain of spells put upon her. He cannot as he knows only the grace, death, and resurrection of Jesus can free her from her sins.
Instead of cutting off Karen’s feet he leads Karen to the only one who can break her chain of spell. As the holy children approach Karen, she is filled with the amazing grace of love and how repentance and asking for forgiveness can lead to her chains being broken and setting her free.
Karen watches the precious souls as they descend into heaven. She has new hope through her acceptance of Jesus and the unending love of his amazing grace.
How will you respond the next time you are tempted by our sinful nature: envy, jealousy, temptation, selfishness, and greed?
Performance Dates
- Jun 3 Saturday 6:30 PM
- Jun 4 Sunday 2:00 PM