Once upon a time … These four little words signal the entrance into the land of fairy tales. It’s a land with its own special characters: the poor but virtuous girl, the handsome prince, the ugly stepsisters, the wicked stepmother, the fairy godmother. And these characters live by a special set of fairy tale rules: the good guys win, the bad guys lose, and most importantly, they all live happily ever after.
Phoenix Theatrics’ latest production, “Cinderella Wore Combat Boots” by Jerry Chase, has all of the usual fairy tale elements, but along the way, they’ve become a bit jumbled. Cinderella would rather wear sturdy boots than a delicate glass slipper. The prince is painfully shy and tongue-tied. The stepsisters are boy crazy. The stepmother is just silly. And the fairy godmother that is bringing this whole wacky production to life is director Jill Sherinsky.
“I’m always looking at scripts, and this one just jumped out at me. It’s the Cinderella story, but with a real twist to it. The characters are real characters,” says Sherinsky with a laugh.
And though she’s a fan of the traditional Cinderella story, she’s enjoying giving it a zany spin.
“I do have a sick sense of humor, and this just seemed to reach out to me,” she says. “I wanted to do something manageable and silly. I wanted to do something fun.”
And Chase’s comedy fits like, well, a glass slipper.
“The way the author wrote it, it just seems so ridiculous, it’s fun. He’s twisted it just enough that it’s not the same old thing.”
Nothing about this production is the same old, same old for Sherinsky. She worked backstage for her high school theatre productions, then when her mom started volunteering at Applause Theatre, she went along for the ride. Before she knew it, Sherinsky was asked to jump into a role on stage.
“I did it, I got the bug and I’ve been it in ever since,” Sherinsky says.
But “Cinderella Wore Combat Boots” marks her directorial debut. “It’s the first time I’ve ever directed anything, so I’m terrified,” she says. “I wanted to throw my hat in the ring and give it a shot.”
Though Sherinsky is understandably nervous about her first time in the director’s chair, she credits her cast and the rest of the Phoenix volunteers with helping make the whole thing a fairy tale experience.
“We’ve got a great crew and the cast is phenomenal,” she says.
From a pair of 7-year-olds playing mice to the teens and adults bringing the zany Cinderella bunch to life, everyone is contributing to the magic.
“The cast is great,” says Sherinsky. “They really made the characters their own. They’ve really risen to the occasion. It’s just been a great collaboration, and I’m grateful to every one of them.”
The only challenge the fledgling director will admit to is getting the cast to learn its lines, but she has no doubt it will be ready by opening night. And while Sherinsky is having a ball in her new role as director, she’s ready to be transformed back into a cast member.
“I’ve been lucky to have really fun roles over the last few years. I’d like to get back on the stage. For as easy as it’s been, now that I’ve done it, it’s not my first love,” she says of the directing gig. “But that’s not to say never again.”
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“Cinderella Wore Combat Boots,” June 12-13, 19-20, 7 p.m.; June 14, 2 p.m., Phoenix Performing Arts Centre (409 Main St., Duryea). Tickets: $12. Info: 570.457.3589
