Arm Candy: a funny feminist fairy tale play with a steampunk twist

by Hillary DePiano, Giambattista Basile

Arm Candy is a funny feminist fairy tale play with a steampunk twist!

When the brilliant Betta builds herself a groom out of sugar, a greedy queen steals him from the wedding. Now Betta must save both her handcrafted husband and reputation before time runs out. The result is part 17th Century gender-flipped steampunk Frankenstein, part madcap romantic comedy and all around fun!

Alchemy and elbow grease replace wishes and magic in this modern retelling of the Italian fairy tale Pintosmalto from Giambattista Basile’s The Tale of Tales (Il Pentamerone, Lo cunto de li cunti).

Comedy / Fantasy / Steampunk45-60 minutes2 male, 3 female, 1 any (5-7+ performers possible)Features

Small cast with majority female roles.Opportunity to add additional performers and an ensemble as needed.Opportunities for physical comedy, singing, dance and puppets.Great length for drama competitions and classroom study.

62 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2025

About the author

Hillary DePiano is a playwright and author of fiction and non-fiction, best known for her adaptations of Carlo Gozzi's The Love of Three Oranges and The Green Bird, which have been performed in theaters around the world. A folk and fairy-tale nerd, Hillary has mucked with myths from the nursery to the North Pole in over two dozen plays and other fiction works. As her alter ego, The Whine Seller, Hillary is also the author of multiple non-fiction titles including bestsellers about selling on e-commerce platforms like eBay, writing, and publishing. Since 2010, Hillary also has volunteered with NaNoWriMo and its sister event, Script Frenzy, as a Municipal Liaison helping writers of all ages get excited about literacy and the written word. She currently resides in New Jersey which inconsiderately contains four oranges.

For more information about her books, plays, and blogs or to connect via social media, find Hillary DePiano at HillaryDePiano.com.