‘Rapunzel’ blends elements of fantasy, reality and comedy
The play holds kids’ attention
Jo Ann Stupakis writes the PTA column for the News-Press.
Having never been to the Falcon Theatre in Burbank, I wasn’t sure
what to expect. My 5-year-old son, Gregory, whined that he didn’t
want to go because the play was about a girl. I assured him that
there would be boy characters, so he relented.
“Rapunzel,” written by Lori Marshall and directed by Joseph Leo
Bwarie, was a masterpiece of fantasy, reality and comedy. We were
entertained by a live dancing tree while we waited for the play to
begin. He then turned around and became the narrator. He told the
story of a pregnant young woman who was more interested in her own
beauty than having her child. So she traded Rapunzel to a witch for a
head of lettuce.
The witch, who spoke with a New York accent and loved hip-hop
music, kept Rapunzel locked in a tower to protect her from the world.
Her hair grew, it was kept beautiful with various hair treatments
like mousse and conditioner, and she listened to Britney Spears CDs,
while begging the witch to let her out.
Eventually Rapunzel falls in love with a so-called prince named
Tarragon (Terry for short).
Kids can be restless when they are bored, but as I looked around,
each child was listening and participating throughout the entire
hour, including Gregory. The characters kept our attention by
including us in the action.
Afterward, we were able to meet the cast in the lobby and get
their autographs. Gregory only wanted the autographs of the boy
characters. Oh, well. He admitted he had a good time, and I agreed
whole- heartedly. This was a really great play and I give it an A+!
Characters are funny
Frances Stupakis is a student at La Crescenta Elementary School.
She will be entering the fifth grade in the fall. She is the daughter
of fellow theater critic Jo Ann Stupakis.
The play I saw was “Rapunzel.” It was full of comedy and love and
I think you should see this play.
The characters were very funny. It had audience participation,
which was great. They handed out things such as a golden brush, silk
and a salad bowl. The kids got to give the characters things that
were needed at the time. They even said our names!
The tree was the narrator of the story and he was really funny.
The witch was hilarious. For example, she said she liked hip-hop, so
she sang some hip-hop in the story. Rapunzel’s mother was a fashion
drama queen. She always cared about how she looked and how she
dressed.
The prince was a very nice guy and cared a lot about Rapunzel. And
of course, Rapunzel was beautiful and very sweet.
I really liked “Rapunzel,” and hope you go see it.