To The Editor:

I’d like to highlight the story about how The Snow Goose was created, what makes it special, and why you must see it.

The Snow Goose first appeared in 1940 when Paul Gallico’s short story The Snow Goose: A Story of Dunkirk was published in The Saturday Evening Post. It was expanded and published as a novella on April 7, 1941. Donna Lynn Hilton, artistic director of the Goodspeed in East Haddam, received the book as a gift for Christmas 1985 and fell in love with the story. Now, 31 years later she brings this extraordinary story to the Goodspeed for its Premier.

The Snow Goose tells the story of Frith, a girl who finds a wounded snow goose in the marshlands the Essex coast of England. She takes it to a nearby lighthouse and encounters an isolated, reclusive man, described as having a warped body, called Philip Rhayader. The two of them begin to heal the bird together. A friendship is formed that changes their lives, impacts the entire community and saves the lives of many. It’s a parable about friendship, and ultimately and more deeply, our connection to the natural world and our place in it.

In mounting this production, Goodspeed made a commitment to cast physically disabled artists for the stage production because of Philip’s disability, which is alluded to in the story. While this is not the first time Goodspeed has committed to authentic representation in its productions, the choices for Snow Goose required that the entire organization — from the front of house team to the production team, the marketing team, and the creative team in the rehearsal studio — consider a wide variety of perspectives and allow those perspectives to shift our practices. That we become comfortable working through the fear that we may not get it “right.” That we learn, and grow, and become more compassionate humans through this work.

Even before casting, based on the description of Philip, Goodspeed engaged Talleri McRae, an accessibility consultant. She explained that “Portraying disability on stage is not just about representing circumstance, it's about representing culture … When a theatre casts an actor who lives with their disability every day, who understands the nuances of being disabled by inaccessible environments on a regular basis, their performance is so often light years ahead of a performer who is 'putting on' a disability only for the time they are on stage. Responsible representation lives in the details — and casting actors with disabilities is a great way to explore the nuts-and-bolts specifics of what having a disability looks like and feels like in a tangible way — and then share that with an audience." McRae opined that "It's interesting, isn't it, that as a society, we don't have a lot of practice talking about disability? Sometimes folks just need permission to say the words."

Central to the story is the character of the Snow Goose. As an actual goose was out of the question, Goodspeed commissioned acclaimed puppet designer Nicholas Mahon to create Princess. Mahon believes “the characters and the story already carry a soul of their own, and our work is to listen for it.” His design brought together objects, materials, movement, and human presence until something unexpected began to breathe — until a collection of parts became a living story. Princess flies above the stage, around the balcony, and directly over your head — she will bring you joy and tears, but never will you lose sight of what truly brings her life: a community of artists.

The other aspect of any stage production is the costumes. Goodspeed was fortunate to find Mallory Kay Nelson, who, as a disabled person herself, is the principal designer for the PHAMALY Theatre Company in Denver, Colorado. The entire company was made up of disabled performers, and that became her standard.

Designing costumes always means thinking about how clothing moves, where it puts pressure on the body, how someone gets dressed, and what they need to do on stage. With disabled performers, they are essential. As a visibly disabled designer, Nelson also found that she enters the fitting room differently. Many disabled performers have spent their lives being stared at or being asked intrusive questions about their bodies in public. She has an immediate understanding that allows her to have more open conversations about their bodies, their movement, and what they need from their costumes. Designing for disabled performers is collaborative. Disabled people are experts in their own bodies, and the best designs come from listening, experimenting, and creating together.

(Note: Some of the material in this letter has been adapted from Curtain Magazine, Summer 2026 published by Goodspeed Musical.)

Sincerely,

Anne Rothstein

Newtown

Editor’s Note: The Snow Goose continues at Goodspeed Opera House until October 18. Find Matt Austin’s review, “Goodspeed’s Latest World Premier, ‘The Snow Goose’ Shows Great Promise For Its Story And Stars,” in our print edition of September 25, 2026 and online at newtownbee.com under Features.