'Snow Queen and the Goblin' comes to The Theatre Factory in Trafford

It certainly is a fitting time of year for a children’s story about a snow queen living in an ice palace.

Throw in a goblin who’s the queen’s minion and you have the makings of The Theatre Factory’s Kidworks production of Martha Bennett King’s play, “Snow Queen and the Goblin,” being staged Jan. 19-25 at the Trafford theater.

The play was dramatized by King from a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, “The Snow Queen,” which also inspired Disney’s megahit movie, “Frozen.”

D Palyo of Glassport is directing his fifth production at The Theatre Factory. He chose this one, he said, because he’s a big fan of the classic European fairy tales and he’s excited to bring one of Andersen’s creations to life.

The magic of theater

“Seeing characters like this living and breathing right in front of you is the magic of theater,” Palyo said. “It’s something that movies and television aren’t able to offer. The message of this adaptation is to be grateful and appreciate the gifts we have in life. Some of these characters don’t realize these things until they have lost them.”

Eliza Orlic of Harrison City, a senior at Penn- Trafford High School, portrays the Queen.

“She is all about what she wants,” Orlic said. “She wants kids and happiness in her palace, but the only way for her to get that is to take children from Earth and separate them from their families. They eventually lose their happiness and turn into ice children. She cannot figure out why so she keeps taking more and more.”

Royal role

She doesn’t feel that her character is a bad person, she said, because “she wants the children to be happy, only she does not realize that being with their families is where they are happiest.”

Orlic said she wanted to perform in this production because “The Theatre Factory has been a big part of my middle school and high school career, so doing shows here the year before I go to college is very important to me.”

She last performed at the theater in “Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook.”

Kat Shaffer of Jeannette is also happy to be in the cast of “Snow Queen and the Goblin” as the Grandma – especially since she’s sharing the stage with her son, Tyler Shaffer, 9, who is acting in his first show as one of the Snow Children.

“I couldn’t be more excited to get to share it with him,” she said. “He has been around theater since he was in my belly and has recently decided he wants to be on stage. He also loves singing and currently wants to become a ventriloquist when he grows up.”

Shaffer’s character is “your typical grandmother,” she said. “She loves her grandkids with all of her heart and would do anything to protect them. She reminds me a lot of my Oma.”

Sharing the joy

Bringing the joy of live theater to children is one of her favorite parts of performing, Shaffer said.

Some of her favorite roles have included the White Witch in “Narnia,” Elaine in “Nightwatch” and Amanda in “The Glass Menagerie.”

“I believe families should see this show because it tells a story of resilience and the importance of family and friends, while making you giggle,” she said.

The cast of “Snow Queen and the Goblin” also includes: Laurana Roni Miller, Mya Kochasic, Abby Tatton, Paul Mills, Nick Shermeto, Chloe Stack, Tika Gill, Jackson Scott and Trinity Alaia.

Candy Williams is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.