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>> AT RIVERSIDE THEATER, THE CLASSIC TALE OF A RASCALLY TROLL TAKES ON NEW LIFE 'RUMPLESTILTSKIN' IS THE NAME--FOR FUN

August 28, 2008 1:18 am

By COLLETTE CAPRARA

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

"We tell the cast, 'You'll hear squeals, and then the lights will go on!'" That's how Carole Schrader, production manager for Riverside Dinner Theater, describes the way she dealt with a phenomenon that was unique to children's theater shows. When the lights are blacked out before a show begins, groups of schoolchildren always scream, drowning out the actors' cues--so she decided to use their response as the cue itself!

Likewise, Riverside's cast and crew have developed a number of innovative ways to engage young audiences, all of which will come into play when "Rumpelstiltskin Is My Name" premieres this Saturday.

"You have to be bigger than life for children," said Leah Karkenny, who plays two roles in the performance: the mother of Laura (the damsel in distress) and the witch.

"The kids really love the children's theater shows, but sometimes they get a little scared if there are characters like witches, so we try to play up the comedic factor. You have to be corny, tripping here and there and pretending to hurt yourself--but not really."

In Riverside's version of the classic story, Rumpelstiltskin is a troll-like character who has been granted special powers by the witch. He connives to make Laura tell the townsfolk that she can weave straw into gold--and when the queen of the impoverished kingdom demands that she do so, she is at the mercy of Rumpelstiltskin to perform the feat.

He agrees to help, but only on the condition that Laura promise to give her first-born child to him. Though she agrees at that time, when she does later have a baby boy, she looks for a way to get out of that bargain. The troll tells her she can be released from her promise only if she can guess his name.

Confident that Laura could never discover his secret, he celebrates deep in the woods, doing a jig and singing a little ditty that includes his name. Though the ending of the tale will remain a secret until showtime, it can be said that Rumpelstiltskin gives new meaning to "exploding with rage"!

The production will be packed with exciting special effects, including strobe lights, thunderclaps and fog, though stage manager Ben Lennon says: "We make sure that it's not too scary for kids. We tried to lighten up the script so it won't be too dark."

Riverside children's theater performances include a box lunch of chicken nuggets, an apple, chips and a cookie.

"Our fairy-tale shows feature a situation with good versus evil and the good always wins," said Schrader. "So there's a lesson to be learned, and it's fun for kids to come and have lunch, spend time with their family, and see people singing and dancing."

"It's a really good cultural experience for children to be introduced to musical theater when they're young," adds Karkenny.

Performances are followed by a meet-and-greet session with the actors in the lobby. All children must be accompanied by a parent or adult chaperon.

Collette Caprara is a local artist and freelance writer.