On opening night Friday, Charlie Mitchell said he was pleased.
The UF associate theater and dance professor had just watched the premiere of "The Snow Queen" at the Hippodrome State Theatre, a play he was commissioned to write by Hippodrome directors. The play, which he also directed, runs until Dec. 20.
"The audience seemed really responsive," he said. "I got a lot of positive comments afterwards."
The play, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, follows the story of a writer who moves in next to a single mother and her daughter. The writer then writes a fairy tale with the daughter as the hero, he said.
He said the play features eight actors, including four UF students and two UF alumni.
Mitchell said he went to great pains to make sure the story relates to children and adults. The themes revolve around friendship, journeys and finding love again.
"Everyone can relate to love," Mitchell said.
He said he has written about a dozen plays, but this is the first he’s written for the Hippodrome.
Lauren Warhol Caldwell, the artistic director at the Hippodrome, approached Mitchell to commission the play, said Sarah Darden, the marketing and communications director at the Hippodrome.
"We definitely like having that connection and that tie with UF," she said.
Tickets cost $18 to $35 depending on seating, and students can receive a $10 discount, she said.
"I hope everyone comes out," said Mitchell. "I think the UF community and the Gainesville community is really going to enjoy it."
Eddie Datz, a UF theatre performance freshman, said he has been looking forward to seeing "The Snow Queen" since the beginning of the semester. He makes a point to see many shows and also heard about the play in Mitchell’s theatre appreciation class.
Datz said he thinks theater can be therapeutic for students and helps to relax their brain.
"All you care about for two hours is the Snow Queen or whatever’s going on," he said.
