Friday, Feb. 28 the Aliso Niguel Theatre Company performed The Brothers Grimm Spectaculation as an Actors Repertory show. The show was then repeated the following day for anyone unable to attend the weekday performance.
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculation, written by Don Zodilis, is a comedic combination of familiar fairy tales told by two narrators who intertwine the characters in the stories with others. The Aliso production was directed by senior, Olivia Irwin.
When asked about how the show was chosen, Irwin responded she was deciding between Brothers Grimm or Proof, both shows she had seen performed at Saddleback and by a regional theatre before. Irwin reported, “Looking at who could possibly be on the case, I chose Brothers Grimm. It’s just such a fun show, and it fits my personality as a director.”
Throughout the Spectaculathon, the audience was able to watch fairy tales from their childhood come to life. However, many of the endings were altered to make them more appealing to the general audience and children, so they may have been surprised about the truths in the original writings.
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon reiterates a hatred of the mouse–Mickey Mouse and all things Disney–as it is a major company responsible for the changed plotlines.
Some familiar tales included those of Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. Aliso actors breathed new life into these roles with humorous additions to the plot. The mixture of comforting stories with their new twists kept the audience interested to find out what would happen next to the characters that they know and love.
Although the performance was smooth, they had been diligently rehearsing the Spectaculathon to ensure its perfection. The countless hours poured into Brothers Grimm was not easy on those involved.
Irwin admitted, “It was a little stressful at times, but the cast and crew were amazing and kept [her] on track.”
Aside from the clear responsibilities of the director to present a completed work that lives up to the standard of the ANTC, actors and crew members had to put in their work at their own jobs to prepare for the performances. The set proved to be a major difficulty of Brothers Grimm, but with the help of the set designer Nolan DeWees (10), the company overcame their challenges and managed to put on two almost flawless productions of the Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.
Neka Jazeari (11), one of the narrators, said, “The process has many ups and downs, but the second there was an audience in front of us, it all came together.”
Overall the performances were well-executed and the show was a massive success. There was almost constant laughter from the audience and the actors conveyed the storylines very well. The final event for the Aliso Niguel Theatre Company, The Spongebob Musical, is coming up in April, with its first performance on the 17.
