The real Cinderella

By Karen Raffaelo

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Lake Toho has an outside presentation by the arts community, as a yearly event. This year was a retelling of Cinderella, in a one-man show; written, directed, and presented by Thomas Wood.

“My version goes more into the mythological parts of the stories,” Wood explains, “the dark and gory parts that Disney forgot.”

Wood has been professionally acting for eight years; he has performed at Mad Cow many times. But this was his first time performing his own work.

The adult version of Cinderella did gather a crowd of young teens and some children. The topics of sex, drugs, and violence did have effects on the crowd.

“I love this, all the characters are messed up,” Krissy DeJesus, a local high school student.

There is a sexually crazed prince, sisters who mutilate themselves, a stepmother who plans a murder, and Cinderella is smoking something that makes her hallucinate.

“It is not for young children, but it’s really nothing more than a PG-13 movie,” Courtney Young mistakenly brought her younger children to the event. Her teenager daughter attended the event as extra credit in her drama class.

The show seemed to go well, and many guests talked with Wood after the event.

“I have small dreams,” Wood laughs, “I make them come true every time I act in front of a crowd.”