Sleeping Beauty

Panto may still be relatively unknown to American audiences, but Presidio Theater has beautifully rendered its intoxicating humor to the Bay Area.

More often than not, there is an undercurrent of consistency among the way these villains look, act and speak. One that just so happens to look a lot like marginalized communities.

I could spout out critiques like “heteronormative standards” and “patriarchal hegemony,” but the foundation of it all is the implied inferiority of Disney’s female characters.

Viewers were greeted by heavy canary blue curtains and gold piping that lined the edges to reinforce the typically elaborate set design of SF Ballet productions. In the same vein, the costume design by Jens-Jacob Worsaae implemented opulent velvet robes, gaudy headpieces and an abundance of ornately decorated tutus.

Bringing such an epic tale to a small stage could easily have been an obstacle, but artistic director and choreographer Matthew McCoy uses it as an advantage to create an intimacy with the audience.