MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS (April 9, 2025) — Local theatregoers will have the opportunity to experience an "enchanted" evening this month when Monmouth College stages a community production of Cinderella.
The collaborative production, which also includes contributions from the Buchanan Center for the Arts, the United Way of Greater Warren County, and the Galesburg Community Foundation, will be staged in the college's Wells Theater the evenings of April 24-26, with matinee performances on April 26-27.
Monmouth theatre professor Vanessa Campagna will direct and provide the choreography for the classic tale, of which she had four choices of versions.
"Ultimately, I settled on the Enchanted version due in equal parts to logistical considerations and my own preferences," she said. "Recognizing that a significant portion of our audience will include children, the Enchanted version's shorter runtime makes good sense. I was twelve when this adaptation was first televised, famously featuring Whitney Houston and Brandy as the Fairy Godmother and Cinderella, respectively. My younger sister Gina and I were thoroughly captivated from start to finish. I am eager to provide others with a similar experience."
But Campagna likes the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II version for deeper reasons, as well.
"I love the theme of the Enchanted version, and it's focus on inclusion," she said. "Cinderella is an outsider who is empowered by — as the Prince and Cinderella both say — 'kindness and respect.' Of course, there's magic, too, but the dialogue consistently establishes the need for people to promote the welfare and belonging of others."
With the production including more than 80 participants (actors, musicians and technicians) who range in age from eight to more than seventy, Campagna said the theme of inclusion "works perfectly our production of Cinderella is an intergenerational experience that brings the community onto campus for the purpose of making art and building community through that process."
A related theme, even if less evident in the text, is social mobility.
"The notion of social mobility is important on a college campus," she said. "Education is a pathway for upward mobility and human flourishing. I see these concepts as the undercurrents of Cinderella's story, and I think they echo the spirit of Monmouth's mission.
Together again
In the spring of 2023, Campagna directed The Little Mermaid, another community production that featured talent of all ages. Emma Romano ('25) of Wilmington, Illinois, played the role of Ariel, while Colin Kreipe ('26) of Carlinville, Illinois, was Prince Eric. Two years later in Cinderella, the pair are similarly cast, as Romano will play the title role and Kreipe is, again, the prince.
Colin Kreipe and Emma Romano, shown here in The Little Mermaid from 2023, are once again cast as a prince and the title character, respectively, in Cinderella
"The callbacks were very, very competitive," said Campagna of the audition process. "But we decided that bringing them back again in the central roles is the way to go."
By all accounts, Romano and Kreipe were fantastic in The Little Mermaid. That said, "It's incredible to see how their talents have developed," said Campagna. "They're finding new interpretations of otherwise stock characters. I think audiences will notice this and be impressed with their development as singers, actors, and dancers."
Campagna appreciates that, like Romano and Kreipe's artistic growth, Cinderella and her story depend on the power and resources to fulfill one's potential.
"The Fairy Godmother tells Cinderella that her transformation won't come 'until you're ready to take control of your own destiny.' Cinderella accepts this call. I like to think the Fairy Godmother would not have done it otherwise. Cinderella exercises agency and gains a transformative experience."
There are other transformations in store for theatregoers. The classic Cinderella moments of a pumpkin becoming a stagecoach and an everyday work dress becoming a gown will happen in real-time, in full view of the audience.
"They'll happen magically," said Campagna, who offered special credit to Tamima Tabishat for "her tremendous skill in the design and construction of the gown."
Monmouth College, the Buchanan Center for the Arts, the United Way of Greater Warren County, and the Galesburg Community Foundation will present Cinderella at 7:30PM, April 24-26, and at 2PM, April 26-27, in Wells Theater on campus. Tickets can be purchased online at purplepass.com/mccinderella.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and $6 for students, faculty, and staff with a Monmouth College ID.
