The Story Builders The Six Bridges
Nan Gurley (Layla) and Brian Webb Russell (Illy)
in Theater Craft’s TPAC production.
by Carolyn German
“Hip, imaginative,…the Best Production of 2003” Kevin Nance, The Tennessean
“ The cleverest, richest, most delightful and provocative play for young (and not so young) people I have come across in years.” Eric Booth, Faculty: The Juilliard School, Tanglewood, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center Institute.
the synopsis
Enter the office of the Story Builders, where new fairy tales are created and old fairy tales are “managed”. When the boss rejects their latest submission, The Lady of the Language (Layla) and The Grand Illustrator (Illy) must create a brand new story by noon. The morning is full of interruptions from the story world: Snow White’s Wicked Queen is out of apples, and Jack’s Giant has a terrible case of indigestion. Worst of all, Cinderella’s Wicked Stepsister has changed her lines in the story: She has told Cinderella to “take a break”! Cinderella files an official complaint, and Layla and Illy call the rule-breaking Wicked Stepsister (Penny) into the office. Penny apologizes profusely, insisting that she just hates to see Cinderella be so “wishy-washy”. Illy and Layla offer Penny a transfer, but she insists that “the Wicked Stepsister is perfectly me, I am bossy and rude, everybody says so.”
So the Story Builders send in a temporary replacement for Penny while she takes on the office tasks required to “clean up her own mess”. Even with the girl underfoot, the Story Builders get back to creating. But as the new fairy tale unfolds, so does Penny’s real personality: smart, honest, polite and energetic. And when Cinderella calls in to say she doesn’t want Penny to come back, Penny is devastated, and is left “without a story”. Layla and Illy help Penny see that she made the choices that led to this, and then set Penny to work again, this time by having her act out the new tale they are now close to finishing. With Layla and Illy encouraging Penny to use her own mind to find solutions for the new story, Penny finally begins to see her own strengths. Layla and Illy see them too, and in the end they offer her the main character in this freshly-built fairy tale. And as they set out to take the new story to the boss, Penny realizes that as difficult as it is to leave behind the familiar, she is ready to move on.
the details
Unit Set
Running Time 55 minutes
Cast of 5 (3 women, 2 men)
the characters
Layla: The Lady of the Language. 40 or older. Efficient and energetic. Wordsmith.
Illy: The Grand Illustrator. 50 or older. Spry. Abstract artist.
Penny: Young. Unpretentious. To the point. Resourceful. Lacks confidence.
Female Voices: actress to portray characters heard over the “field phone”. These are: Snow White’s Wicked Queen ( has a wicked voice but is actually polite), and Cinderella (clear headed gal who looks out for herself).
Male Voices: actor to portray characters heard over the intercom and “field phone”. These are: Morley (the executive secretary with an Irish accent); The Frog (a “regular joe”); and The Giant (a patient man with a huge voice, and a huge belch)