Snow White

When Tall Stories Theatre Company brings Snow White to town, the kids’ classic will take on some unexpected twists—unexpected for those accustomed to the cheerful Disney version of the tale, anyway.

The London-based troupe’s adaptation of Snow White is heavy on the fairy tale’s more barbaric aspects, harking back to the darkness of the original Brothers Grimm version.

In Tall Stories’ hands, for example, those seven once-adorable gnomes are downright rude and crude (and oddly, all seven are played—brilliantly, we hear—by the very same actor). The true identity of the wicked queen is served up by Tall Stories with a chilling twist. And even the sugary Snow White herself boasts a few malevolent character flaws. The bottom line? Jaded adults will likely enjoy this show as much as kids.

Staged with a scant three actors and relying on minimal sets and props, the production is driven by a mix of music, mime and physical theater—all hallmarks of the 7-year-old internationally honored company.

Snow White comes to the Hudson Middle School (Harry Howard Avenue) on Saturday (March 2) courtesy of the Hudson Opera House performance series. Shows (intended for those age 6 and up) are staged at 10 AM and noon; tickets are $5 adults, $3 children, $10 family. Call 822-1438 for reservations or information.

Daisy Craddock and Sarah Sterling

This exhibit of recent work by painter Daisy Craddock and photographer Sarah Sterling—opening this weekend in the Main Gallery of Time & Space Limited—seems designed to foster quiet contemplation.

Sterling looks for what she calls “found compositions.” Whether in nature (Ice Woods #2, pictured) or in a cityscape, she does not set out with any preconceptions. Sterling lets the images find her.

“When I am working,” she has said, “I am either drawn to a place or I’m at the right place at the right time with my camera. . . . I contemplate things as they are and use that to describe my private world in not just its emotional, but also its spiritual, essence.”

Craddock has also taken the inspiration for her recent work from nature. As the gallery notes explain, the palette for these new paintings originated a few years ago in three small studies on paper, made from a Catskill farmhouse window on different mornings. Like the artists she admires—such as Mark Rothko—Craddock strives for deceptively simple images. In these paintings, she balances capturing the image with more formal considerations.

This delicate balance of beauty and formal rigor has earned Craddock critical praise. The New York Times said of Craddock’s work, “One feels timeless rhythm and summery light, and Emersonian divinity that may be comforting in times of mourning, confusion and fear.”

Like now.

Works by Daisy Craddock and Sarah Sterling will open Saturday (March 22) and run through April 19 at Time & Space Limited (434 Columbia St., Hudson). Gallery hours are 11 AM to 2 PM Monday through Friday, 11 AM to 4 PM Saturday and Sunday, or by appointment. There will be an opening reception this Saturday from 6 to 8 PM. For more information, please call 822-8448.

ECAC Division I Men’s Hockey Championship

Unfortunately for local college-hockey fans, neither Rensselaer nor Union made it this year to the final four of the Eastern College Athletic Conference hockey tournament, to be held tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday at the Pepsi Arena. The Skating Dutchmen—who have never made the ECAC final four—had one of their best seasons ever, finishing sixth to earn home ice in the first round of the playoffs, but were swept in two games by resurgent Rensselaer. The Engineers—who have made the final four more often than not over the last dozen years—finished 11th in a dismal regular season, then suprised Union but, predictably, were ousted in two games by powerhouse Cornell, currently ranked No. 2 in the nation.

The Big Red of Cornell are the team to watch in this weekend’s tournament; they’ll face off against Brown at 3:30 PM Friday. At 7 PM Friday, Dartmouth will take on Harvard. The third-place game will be at 3:30 PM Saturday, followed by the championship at 7 PM. The tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I hockey tournament. This is the first time the ECAC tourney has been held at the Pepsi; for the past 10 years, it has been at the Olympic arena in Lake Placid.

The ECAC Hockey Championship takes place tomorrow (Friday, March 21) and Saturday (March 22) at the Pepsi Arena (51 S. Pearl St., Albany). Adult tickets are $52 for both days or $30 for either the Friday or the Saturday session; students are $45 all-session and $25 single-session. To purchase tickets, call 476-1000.