Despite the crappy weather outside last night, An Beal Bocht was packed for a stage reading of BRIO award winner Linda Manning’s Bite the Apple. Following the lives of six female fairy tale characters (Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Snow White, Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Gretel) post “happily ever after,” Bite the Apple gives a witty, modern, and unique twist on the lives of the demure ladies we’ve come to know over time. Though this was just a reading, Linda Manning did a masterful job intertwining the storylines and lives of the separate characters.

The actresses brought the snappy dialogue to life with commanding and convincing performances.

I’ve always felt that fairy tale princess were so two-dimensional with their lack of sense and ambition (hence why Belle from Beauty and the Beast was always my favorite) and Bite the Apple is a refreshing take on the classic stories. I can’t wait to see it come to fruition as a full production.

Sidenote: this was actually my first time going to An Beal Bocht even though, it has a strong fan base. It seems like a chill,cozy, spot to have a drink and catch up with friends. I also really like how community-based it is with different events each night to keep patrons entertained. The only downside is the monstrously long staircase you have to climb up if walking from the 238th train station. If it were closer to the East Side, I’d totally be there all the time, though.

I unfortunately didn’t grab any pics, so you’ll have to go see for yourself.