Creative Cauldron’s Snow White/Blancanieves is more than just a reimagining of the classic fairy tale — it’s a testament to the power of storytelling to build community. Performed primarily by the Learning Theater Ensemble, a youth company that nurtures young performers, the production embraces bilingualism not just as a theatrical device but as a way to foster connection and inclusion among the young performers and audiences.
Directed by Laura Connors Hull and Lorien Jackson, this adaptation — with music crafted by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith — blends English and Spanish with ease, making language an integral part of the storytelling. Characters switch languages fluidly or have translators clarify certain phrases (the squirrels were exceptionally adorable; how much better would our region be if its squirrels were translators?). Rather than a traditional Snow White centered on royal intrigue, the production allows the young actors to have fun with the show.
According to the director, much of the performance was developed through an improvisational process in the early weeks of rehearsal. The Learning Theater Ensemble develops its production so that all of its performers have a chance to shine. Why stick to 7 “miners” (as they’re called here) when the original Disney script almost had 16? The liberties make the production the performers’ own and allow them to bring an infectious energy, their enthusiasm radiating throughout the intimate space.
Speaking of which, the new space Creative Cauldron calls home is exceptional. The Snow White/Blancanieves is backed by a professional team, with lighting by Lorenzo Miguel doing wonderful work in creating a fantasy setting in the black box space. Costumes and props (Margie Jervis) are impressively crafted and delightfully used.
The production has all the hallmarks of a professional enterprise crafted for the Learning Theater Ensemble and suggests a great space for theater enthusiasts to find their passion. The music (Helen Hayes Award winners Conner and Gregory Smith) was wonderfully produced and performed. The leads for the Evil Queen (Lenny Mendez) and Snow White (a role shared by Isla Bitici and Savannah Wheeler) carried the cast through the tongue-in-cheek, and occasionally meta, interpretation of this work.
Creative Cauldron and the Learning Theater Ensemble have created an exceptional mission in leading this production as a bilingual enterprise. In exposing young artists to new languages, they’re building community where Spanish, in particular, is continuously growing. One quibble is that the script could have used an editing eye from a native Spanish speaker. A significant number of phrases and words were mistranslated, to the extent that the word “justo” was commented on by audience members in the performance I attended.
Overall, Creative Cauldron is creating a safe space for new youths to find a love of theater with enjoyable and exceptional productions that different audiences can embrace.
Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
Snow White/Blancanieves plays through April 6, 2025, at Creative Cauldron’s new home, 127 E Broad St, Falls Church, VA. Showtimes are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for students, and $15 for live-streaming, with family 4-packs available for $65. Purchase tickets online or call the box office at 703-436-9948.
The program for Snow White/Blancanieves is online here.
Snow White/Blancanieves
A Learning Theater Production
Music by Matt Conner
Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith
Directed by Lenny Mendez & Laura Connors Hull
SEE ALSO: Creative Cauldron to present bilingual ‘Snow White/Blancanieves’ (news story, March 21, 2025)