The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon brings comedy to the community
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon included a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. The Black Box Theatre was filled with laughter as the actors brought the stories to life. “I especially loved watching the younger children light up when they recognized a fairy tale character—or even talk right back to our actors in the moment,” Director Blake Bowen said in an email. “Children’s theatre, when done well, creates a completely different kind of energy than most plays and musicals. It’s truly a unique experience.” Photo by Kevin Fowler.
By Nicole Wadkins
Staff Reporter
The Performing Arts department brought comedy to the community by presenting The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis. The show is a fast-paced comedy that attempts to combine all 209 Grimm fairy tales into one show. “To be fully transparent, there aren’t a full 209 stories told, but it certainly feels like it,” Director Blake Bowen said in an email.
The production utilized two narrators and a crew of actors to act out stories including Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel and more. Bowen emphases that the key for performers in such a fast-paced show is to stay in the present instead of thinking about what comes next. The actors should “focus on what is in front of you,” he said. “Tell that story to the best of your ability based on what we’ve rehearsed and move on to the next.”
The production ran for about an hour and 20 minutes without intermission. Bowen encouraged the audience “come in with an open mind and ready to have a good time,” he said. “There’s a lot of laughter and a lot of energy filling up the theater.”
For Bowen, what makes any of the productions he has directed unique is the collaboration behind the show. “You have a group of artists from different backgrounds coming together with the sole purpose of entertaining the audience by working their craft,” Bowen said. “That’s the magic of theater and why it’s impossible for two productions to be alike.”
This is the second season that LCC is offering free admissions to its shows, and Bowen has seen an increase in attendance at all of the shows—even having sold-out houses. “Audience feedback has been incredible, and the community truly appreciates having this avenue to experience live performance free of change,” Bown said. “We are extremely proud to offer free theatre to everyone and hope the community continues to take us up on the opportunity.”
The next LCC Performing Arts production is 1984, adapted by Nick Hern for the stage from George Orwell’s classic novel. The show will run on April 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18 at Dart Auditorium.
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