Plays | Dalrymple

MAKE BELIEVE

"Children grow up believing wholeheartedly in the most unbelievable things. So how is it we ever lose faith in the power of our imagination? My wish with Make Believe is to remind the audience, magic not only exists, it also contains an inescapable soul, which has never left us.

I began writing the play with its six characteristic sisters and soon after I was surprised to learn that a similar family of six sisters did in fact live next door to two of the most imminent folklorists of the 19th century; the Brothers Grimm. From these sisters the brothers collected many of the fairy tales we know of today such as Rumpelstilzchen, The Singing Bone, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, etc.

This strangely synchronistic turn of events has made me believe there is a deeper meaning guiding the Make Believe fairy tale. In a humble effort to thank these women for sharing their enduring and enchanting stories, I graciously dedicate Make Believe to The Sisters Wild."

~Dalrymple MacAlpin

Banner background_edited_edited_edited.png

The Theatrical

debut of Make Believe by Dalrymple MacAlpin was produced by Paul Emery and had its world premiere in Nevada City, California, January 25th 2019 at the

Nevada Theater.

Synopsis~

Make Believe is an archetypal fairy tale which studies the duel nature of darkness and light. It takes place in a late 19th century dilapidated orphanage run by the negligent, Agnes Pumpernickel. Within its decayed and moldering walls live six eccentric sisters, Wendel, Wanda, Winky, Florence, Fern and Fand. Little do the sisters realize they are actually otherworldly daughters of a goodly Fairy, Theodora Willowand.

The six sisters are brought to the orphanage after being kidnapped by their mother's malevolent twin brother, Thistlethorn Witherwand. Thistlethorn disguises himself as the cantankerous gardener, Alfred Abernathy, keeping a scrupulous eye on the girls to ensure they never discover the true nature of their otherworldly origins.

Meanwhile, in the faerie relams Theodora sacrifices her eyesight in order to summon the mystical guardian of each daughter and one by one they pierce through the veil and bring the girls home. Thistlethorn and Theodora finally succumb to their fate by drinking of each other’s tears. They die the death of one dimensionality, unashamed of the light and unafraid of the dark.