Joaquin Miller Elementary School fifth-graders presented the play One Bad Apple in the school auditorium on Thursday evening, December 6. The students, mainly from teacher Melissa Pamperin’s class, also performed the play for their fellow school-mates in two performances on Friday, December 7.
“Imagine a world in which the Cinderella, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, but most especially Snow White are not the innocent victims of horrific pain and suffering, but are, in fact, the instigators of their mother and step-mothers’ pain,” explained Pamperin, who wrote the play and co-directed with retired teacher John Ossiff.
“In this version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Snow is a spoiled, snotty princess who is often sent off to stay with the long-suffering dwarves as a consequence of her sneaky, snarky behavior. Her poor step-mother, Eva White, (it’s a play on Evil) owns an apple orchard that was left to her by Snow’s father.”
“It has been a profitable business until Snow began telling everyone that the apples were poisoned with pesticides. With no other recourse, Eva hires a lawyer and they take Snow to court for slander where the judge, Madame Mirror, proves to be the fairest in the land and sentences Snow to a nap deep in the forest where she won’t be able to bother anyone for a long time.”
Approximately 40 students got involved with the production as actors, lighting and sound crew and backstage crew. Play performance has been used by many educators throughout Burbank Unified and the entire country to engage and teach students of varying English reading and speaking abilities.
“The kids began work in September on the show and put on a truly fabulous play,” commented Pamperin. “They are an incredibly talented and dedicated group of kids!”
