Q & A with the ‘Evil Stepmother’

Jessica Long, 25, has to wear some “really wonderful” aging makeup to be transformed into the evil stepmother, one of the more fascinating role’s in the classic story Cinderella, which will take the stage at New Town High School starting July 15, and running until July 24.

The community theater production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s interpretation of the classic is put on by and co-directed by Ted McCadden and Jay Althouse.

Owings Mills resident Long, who is a property manager by day in Ellicott City, spoke with Patch about transforming into the first villain she’s ever played.

There has been some literature written over the years about how some of the fairy tale villain characters are misunderstood. What would you like people to understand about the evil stepmother?

I don’t want her to come across as a caricature, like an evil person. It’s deeper than that. She’s someone who is incredibly bitter and disappointed with her lot in life. … She’s stuck with this stepdaughter she, quite frankly, didn’t want…. I think Cinderella has this charming personality that makes everyone want to like her. It makes the stepmother resent her more. She has to work harder to bring her down.

How do you get in the “evil stepmother” mentality? When I walk on stage, it starts with how you carry yourself. It helps [how] the ensemble members and the children we have in the show--they seem a little afraid of me. They don’t want to talk to me. They look at me like I’m going to bite them or something. That helps too.

This is interesting role, especially today because many families are blended and women mother children that aren’t biologically “there’s.” Do you think there is still a stigma attached to the role of stepmother? I think that there is a little bit--I think more of a stigma towards a stepmother than a stepfather. I feel like people think if a man is willing to step up and willing to be a father, than he should be applauded, but I think a stepmother still has a tiny bit (I can’t speak from personal experience) --like the children feel a little bit of competition with that person for the father’s love.

What do you find yourself thinking about as you play the role? I think, ‘Does she feel any love in her heart for anybody but herself?’ For some people who play this role, her motivation for everything she does is really selfish, while she may feel…I don’t think she loves her daughters the way a mother really should.

General admission for the play, is $16.