The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon
at Northwood High School

Reviewed on November 14, 2015

Alexa Tucker
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Montgomery

"If you clap hard enough, Hansel will live!" urged the narrators. The audience applauded frantically as Hansel, deceived into thinking he could fly, teetered on the edge of oblivion. The clapping rose to a crescendo as Hansel tipped forward… and fell to his death. In Northwood High School's zany production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, the audience quickly learned to expect the unexpected, because fairytales don't always have a fairytale ending.

The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, written in 2007 by Don Zolidis, attempts to combine 209 Brothers Grimm fairytales into a single coherent storyline. Well-known stories such as "Cinderella" and "Rapunzel" are mixed in with obscure tales such as "The Devil's Grandmother" as the narrators take the audience on a whirlwind adventure through the time-honored and surprisingly gruesome tales.

Bold character choices and over-the-top movements characterized the cast of Northwood High School's The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. Despite the script's challenges, the tireless ensemble created distinct and memorable characters in limited amounts of stage time, crafting the parody of classic fairytales into an entertainingly quirky production.

From the opening scene, Emily Tartaglia and Simon Enagonio as Narrator 1 and 2 anchored the show with their strong stage presence and abundant energy. Entrusted with the responsibility of knitting the eclectic storyline together, Tartaglia and Enagonio skillfully commanded the stage and even incorporated the audience at times. As Hansel and Gretel stumbled upon the gingerbread house of the evil witch, Tartaglia and Enagonio led the audience in cries of "Don't go in there!" and "Peer pressure, peer pressure" as they desperately attempted to convince the hapless children to simply go home.

Ricardo Chicas stood out in his roles as Devil, Prince, and Hansel, crafting distinct performances with each. As the Devil, Chicas showed that even a prince of hell can have a loving relationship with his grandmother, adorably offering to summon his grandfather's soul from Hades to comfort the sweet old lady. As the brave and handsome Prince, Chicas' interactions with Sarah Staggs as Rapunzel were endearingly awkward as the two repeatedly refused to fall in love at first sight.

Stephen Smestad also gave a standout performance. After all of the other actors succumbed to apparent food poisoning in the final act, Smestad was left frantically sprinting back and forth across the stage as he attempted to single-handedly act out the story of Cinderella. Hilarity ensued as he donned various wigs, dresses, and even fake birds, playing nearly every role in the well-known fairytale. The delightfully sinister Crab Ensemble also elicited huge laughs from the audience, echoing their leaders in high-pitched screeches as they vowed to take over the world. Despite problems with diction and pacing, the actors displayed great commitment to their roles as they portrayed a myriad of classic fairytale characters.

Featuring well-known settings such as the gingerbread house and the home of Little Red's grandmother, the simple yet effective set perfectly complemented the eccentric feel of the show. Although the set changes were lengthy, the actors effectively utilized the pit in front of the stage, whether climbing up to Rapunzel's tower or plummeting to their deaths.

W.H. Auden once said, "The way to read a fairytale is to throw yourself in." At Northwood High School's wildly kooky production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, the audience was certainly thrown headfirst into an exciting and unexpected take on classic fairytales, leaving with a smile on their faces and a new perspective on the time-honored tales.

Sarah Damers
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Montgomery

"Sometimes, there is no fairy godmother, just a lot of birds."

No one could have imagined that the tales written by the Grimm Brothers so many years ago could be so outrageously different from the ones we have come to know and love today. In Northwood High School's production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, the cast takes the audience on a story-telling adventure like no other, returning to the origin of the stories with a delightfully contemporary twist and without all the magic and the fairy godmothers.

The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, written by Don Zolidis, encompasses 209 of the Grimm Brothers' tales and incorporates them into a whirlwind production of true frenzy and laughter. The show was published in 2007 and opened its first production in October of the same year. From unfamiliar tales like "The Devil's Grandmother" to more popular stories like "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Cinderella", The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon takes the audience for an unexpected ride through the surprisingly peculiar stories.

In the roles of Narrators 1 and 2, Emily Tartaglia and Simon Enagonio sprang onto the stage with an energy and enthusiasm that served as a perfect backbone to the production. Tartaglia and Enagonio made a wonderfully eclectic and witty pair whose vivacity fused the show together. Both acted in complete contrast to one another throughout the entire performance, foiling each other's outbursts and actions. Through audience incorporation and comedic exchanges, Tartaglia and Enagonio were a magnificent duo that made the show entertaining for the entire audience.

A few of the featured actors truly stood out by creating hysterically unforgettable characters. Ricardo Chicas commanded the stage as Devil 1 and 2, Prince 2, and Hansel. Chicas cleverly created sensationally divergent characterizations for each of his small, featured parts, making him a wonderfully captivating and entertaining part of the show. Among the other superb actors was Blake Johnson as the Enchantress. Johnson's characterization of the formidable and opinionated Enchantress, equipped with an animosity towards patriarchal society, made her another riotous and delightful performer to watch. Lastly was Stephen Smestad, who through his energy, managed to run back and forth across the stage, hysterically portraying multiple characters at once in an unforgettable interpretation of the tale of Cinderella that had the audience roaring.

The technical aspects of the show were definitely an obstacle due to the challenge of having to represent an immense number of stories in a single show. The set perfectly captured the cartoon-like nature of the show and worked wonderfully to set each of the scenes. Although there were some prolonged transitions, the cast admirably never let the lull affect their performance. The use of a fog machine and occasional spooky setting affably complemented the overall magical feeling.

By putting a fresh new spin on many beloved fairy tales, Northwood High School's production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon brought to life the beloved fairy tales in a way no one could have ever imagined.

Andrew Sharpe
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - ARL/MC/Mont/DC

A thick fog descends over the audience in the mystical land created by the two brothers Grimm. A spotlight shines upon one of the narrators as the journey back to the world of fairy-tale endings and evil stepmothers begins in Northwood High School's zany performance of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.

Don Zolidis wrote the Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon in 2007 to attempt to combine all 209 stories of the original Brothers Grimm collection. Two narrators guide the audience through popular stories like "Cinderella" and "Snow White" to more outrageous ones like "The Devil's Grandmother" and "The Girl Without Hands." The narrators constantly find themselves in the center of the story as they strive to blend all the stories into one. The show is full of audience participation and modern interpretations of the classic tales everyone knows and loves.

Emily Tartaglia and Simon Enagonio fueled the energy of the show as the narrators. Emily's more grounded characteristics helped contain the outlandish acts of her co-host. She grasped the humor in her lines and brought the audience into the show with her charming disposition. Simon did a pleasant job of incorporating himself in the stories with characters such as a wacky game show host and frustrated relationship coach. His "extreme" nature helped ensure the fast-paced portrayal of the massive amounts of tales. The narrators played well off each other and had several memorable moments including a two-minute lightning round of all the stories.

Ricardo Chicas portrayed several of the characters in the fairy-tales. His characters displayed significant vocal and physical variety. As the cunning devil, Ricardo showed his ironic soft side on his final road trip with his dying grandmother. Ricardo was also hilariously uncomfortable as Rapunzel's prince when he refused to follow the guidelines of the story and fall in love with her at first sight. Another standout performance was given by Blake Johnson as the Enchantress. Her feminist manifesto was a crowd favorite and her commitment to the role of overprotective stepmother of Rapunzel was certainly entertaining. Stephen Smestad performance not only showed great feats of athleticism, but also great skill in portraying all the characters in Cinderella. The vast array of people and animals played by Smestad was quite a spectacle to watch.

Despite at times being inaudible, the cast altogether did a praiseworthy job of still representing the basis of the stories. The crab ensemble was a highlight of the show because of their unique characterization and elaborate placement in the story. Although some pop culture references fell short, the entire cast displayed creative ways of trying to relate to a younger audience.

The technical aspects of the show were definitely a challenge because of the need to represent a colossal number of stories. The set represented the cartoony and stylistic simplicity of the fairy-tales which worked well in utility and maneuverability. Despite some awkwardly long transitions, the cast was commendable in not letting the lapse in time affect their characters. Lighting was executed adroitly with a much needed addition of a spotlight. The overall feeling of magic and mystery was enhanced with the use of a fog machine and dark setting.

With a fresh modern take on the Brothers Grimm stories, Northwood High School's solid production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon brings to life the charming and sometimes truly horrific tales of human greed, desire, and lust.

Eni Oyeleye
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Maryland Theatre Guide

Humanity has long relied on the fairy tales of old to give us what we all crave: happily ever after. But what if that happily ever after wasn't always quite so happy, and what if there was a common thread stringing our most beloved tales together? If this is what you happen to be looking for, look no further than Northwood High School's furiously fast-paced production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.

Published in 2007 and written by playwright Don Zolidis, The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon quickly became a staple among high school and community theatre groups. The play is noteworthy for its comedic interweaving of both well known and obscure Brothers Grimm fairy tales such as Cinderella and The Devil's Grandmother, its audacious smashing of the fourth wall, and its lively incorporation of audience interaction.

The production's greatest boons were its high energy, strong characterization, and cohesive ensemble work. From characters with one line to the principal roles, nearly every actor took advantage of their stage time, creating distinct and memorable characters. The actors also incorporated the audience in an effective and non-distracting manner.

Emily Tartaglia and Simon Enagonio were delightful as Narrators 1 and 2, respectively. Both helped keep the sometimes frenetic production grounded and offered an ever present and humorous backbone to the production. The pair was effective both as a cohesive ensemble and as individual actors. Enagonio created a wildly enthusiastic, mildly oafish, and oddly endearing character, and often had to be reigned in by Tartaglia's more focused, but still lovably charming demeanor.

Several featured actors gave laudable performances in their roles as the Brothers Grimm fairy tale characters. Ricardo Chicas was a standout as the Prince, the Devil, and Hansel. His lovable, enchanting portrayal of the Devil would make anyone want to make a deal with him. As the charming and handsome Prince, Chicas made it certain that the audience would fall in love with him along with Rapunzel. With his characterization of the impressionable Hansel, Chicas took a page out of the after school special playbook, hilariously imploring his sister to succumb to peer pressure. Blake Johnson was simultaneously humorous and harrowing as the archetypal Enchantress. Armed with a vendetta against the patriarchal constraints of society and a devotion to new wave feminism, Johnson's portrayal of the oft-maligned Enchantress offered a new, comical twist on why she is so protective over Rapunzel.

Despite lengthy set transitions, the minimalistic set generally complemented the unconventional nature of the play. One highlight of the set design was the use of the pit to create the illusion of actors falling to their death.

The outlook was anything but grim on Northwood High School's awesomely offbeat production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.