←Recommendations of After Happily Ever After

Do we feel a little sorry for poor Prince Charming? So handsome, so clichéd, so shallow, so DUMB. Poor schmuck just wants his story to turn out right and sassy, independent Princess refuses to play along. Rachel Feeny-Williams turns the tables on her title's cliché with verve, wit, and economy. But just as Princess has her woodsman waiting, so Prince Charming can always find the Duchess he cares about just as much (or as little) as he cared about Princess.

What a fantastic show by the incomparable Rachel Feeny-Williams. Brilliantly crafted to expose the sham that is fairytale endings by telling the story just after. As a reader you become stuck between the pathos of Charming and the independence of Princess. Rachel hits you hard with some really important truths about relationships along the way, including the cyclical nature. Really great show by a fantastic playwright.

A hoot and it strikes at the fecklessness of the fairy tale template. Wish there were more like Princess and fewer like Prince. (Maybe he should drop the title and just be Charming, get to know some folks, friends and such, before settling down.) Why do fairy tales seem to value beauty above all else? With humor and panache, HAPPILY EVER AFTER advocates getting to know each other before we wed. Has anyone in a fairy tale had a date? I like Princess for having a "cheeky snog" (perhaps in the snug of a pub) with the woodsman.

Princess is a hero to us all - just a girl doing her job with confidence and realistic expectations. Rachel has done it again with clever dialogue, real emotions, and fully realized characters - all in just five minutes!

This short play is a charming twist on a fairy tale ending. Feeny-Williams did a great job at making me care for each character and their own “happily ever after.”

This is a five minute play that packs a punch! Charming is so clueless, and yet the audience knows his charm is razor thin and he doesn’t really want to be in love as much as adored. Princess is beautifully self-actualized. Great short play for teens and young audiences, and even older people who grew up on these misguided fairy tales!

Prince Charming and his out-of-date expectations meet their match in the witty. self-assured Princess (her name, not her title!). This is a clever play on the false narrative of a happily ever after conclusion to any story.

What spirited little piece! The opposing views are lovely, the nod to women's lib (is there a more modern term for it than that?) fantastic, the fact that in the end another potential partner rolls along so everyone does in fact get their happy ending. A very fun romp that should be required reading for every young girl along with the children's book the Paper Bag Princess. Enjoyed this a lot.

I love fairy tales, and I love them debunked and shown for the (potentially damaging) nonsense that they really are! After Happily Ever After is an adorable comedy that debunks the Happily Ever After idea with verve and sass. I love the costume change, and the great one-liners! These are well-written roles and the whole world (including the woodsman!) feels rich and well-conceived. Thank you!

Isn't it the truth? The fairy tales we grew up on were just a means to an end of the book photo opportunity. After the last page, what happens? But we can't stand there in our heavy gowns, waving and smiling forever! Funny piece. Would be fun to stage. Great for your student performers!