There is a special place in theatre heaven reserved for Don Zolidis. The former middle school and high school teacher has used his experience with students and the logistical challenges faced by those in educational theatre to generate a veritable treasure trove of plays—well over 100 in total—created specifically for young theatre makers. He has adapted several of his works to be performed as one-act plays or via Zoom, and his website contains scenes and monologues for young actors looking to hone their craft. As educational institutions slash their arts budgets, Zolidis is fighting valiantly to empower young people to create vibrant, meaningful theatre that engages them and their audiences.
In the recent past, Champaign-Urbana has seen several productions of Zolidis’s plays, including My Little Titus Andronicus, and 10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse, both of which are goofy, fast-paced comedies that harness young performers’ energy, playfulness, and desire to reimagine familiar tropes using a modern sensibility. Twin City Theatre Company’s Stars of Tomorrow production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon zealously follows suit.
We are all familiar with Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s catalog and the innumerable adaptations thereof. The German brothers collected and published hundreds of folktales, preserving them for generations to come and unwittingly providing the Disney corporation with a bountiful stream of source material. Pop Quiz! Which of the following animated movies was not based on a Grimm fairy tale?
(a) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
(b) Pinocchio
(c) Cinderella
(d) Sleeping Beauty
(e) The Princess and the Frog
(f) Tangled
Trick question—they are all adaptations of stories pulled from the Grimm Brothers’ collection!
Their works also include Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, and Little Red Riding Hood. By now, most of us know the original Grimm fairy tales contain dark and twisted elements frequently omitted from their cartoon counterparts. Hansel and Gretel prevail by shoving a witch into a blazing furnace. Rumpelstiltskin tears himself asunder after getting his foot stuck in a hole in the ground. Little Red Riding Hood fills a wolf’s stomach with rocks and tosses it into a river. My heart goes out to the German children who listened to these stories right before bedtime.
In The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, the plucky ensemble aims to tell all 209 Grimm stories in less than two hours. As the two narrators inform the audience during their lightning quick opening banter, “That comes out to three plays a minute!” “Or a different number, if you know math!” Controlled chaos gleefully ensues, as the actors scramble hither and thither to perform renditions of as many fractured fairy tales as possible.
The stories exuberantly flow into each other, while the narrators provide enough structure and cohesion to hold everything together. Though the production falls short of covering all 209 stories, it succeeds in presenting not only the Grimm Brothers’ greatest hits, but also some deeper cuts, such as The Devil’s Grandmother and The Girl Without Hands. I was wholly unfamiliar with the bizarre tale of Faithful Johannes, but now it is irreversibly burned into my memory! The performance’s notable moments include a fashion runway duel between Snow White and the Evil Queen, a princess calling out her father for showing advanced symptoms of Nice Guy Syndrome, and a single actor forced to play every role in Cinderella after the rest of the ensemble consumes bad beef backstage and the actress playing the titular character storms off upon learning the original Cinderella enjoyed the help of exactly zero fairy godmothers.
The production spans multiple comedic styles, from fast-paced, vaudevillian dialogue, to metajokes and self-aware commentary, to absurdity bordering on the surreal—the abrupt and unexpected appearance of two surly crab people brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. Every ensemble member portrays at least two characters, though most play three, four, or even five. Not to be outdone, the narrators get in on the action, inserting themselves into the scenes as necessary. It is a pleasure to see actors enjoying themselves onstage, and the entire cast looks like they are having the time of their lives.
Chandra Galloway, who created Twin City’s Stars of Tomorrow productions in 2018, makes the most of her directorial debut. Between the large cast, various settings, numerous rapid entrances and exits, and a plethora of props, this show demands precise planning and organization. Galloway delivers both in spades. Drew Bagby, who serves as both set and sound designer, ensures the actors have exactly what they need by creating a minimal set to accommodate over a dozen different stories, along with sound cues to support the action without pulling focus unnecessarily. Eli Barton’s lighting segments the stage and gives each story its own space, and Spencer Baker’s props effectively flesh out the worlds in which the stories occur. Claire Stenzel’s costumes sufficiently suggest the many distinct characters without burdening the actors as they scamper about the stage.
Champaign-Urbana is home to tremendous theatrical talent, all the way down to the youth level. Twin City’s Stars of Tomorrow productions are an excellent and valuable platform for students to put that talent on full display. The young people who have brought The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon to life are having a blast. If you are in the audience for one of their upcoming performances, you will too!
Twin City Theatre Company’s Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon
Parkland College Second Stage
2400 W Bradley Ave
Champaign
June 28 & 29 at 7:00 p.m.
June 30th at 2:00 p.m.
$10-$18