'Rumple Who?' by GP4kids - My Review

The Goshen Players billed as GP4kids close their 65th season with "a foolhardy fable for the whole family" called Rumple Who? The show runs until June 23 with two shows daily at 1:00 and 4:00 on Saturday and Sunday and tickets are $10.

The director Beth Steinberg explains that the show "was born in 1985 out of a need to 'spruce up' the existing production of Rumplestiltskin that was being performed at the 13th Street Theatre in New York City." Will Bartlett "took up the challenge and created such a fun show for youth and adults alike, that it ran for 27 years."  This play with music is loosely based upon the Brothers Grimm Fairy-tale and features only four actors with a stagehand cameo.

The small stage at the old town hall was hung with a fairy tale-ish roll drop while Lydia Babbitt welcomed the audience to the first matinee on opening afternoon, for which I had a complimentary ticket. The musical director Scott Stanchfield entered to take his seat at the small piano in a period appropriate suit and accompanied the cast alone. The perfectly charming set designed by Lori Poulin (who also helped with the props) and Joyce Woodward and built by David Boscarino featured a throne that revealed a large tree on the back for the forest scenes. The beautiful royal costumes were designed and sewn by Judy Tringali.

The show opened with two spotlights searching the audience for the title character and Richard McKenna as Rumple appeared in a magical costume. The cherubic face of this young man was perfect for the mischevious trouble maker and his body rose to the challenge of the physical comedy needed. Mr. McKenna is the director for western Connecticut's Curtain Call Kids that will produce The Little Mermaid this summer. King Henry, the son of the Queen, was played by Matthew Vella, the husband of the actress who played the Queen.

The women of the cast were both impressive singers. As the Queen, Heather Kelley Vella from Torrington was mean, but not enough to scare the children in the audience. This actress, who returns to the stage after a break of several years, has a wonderfully trained voice. Goshen resident Casey Grambo sings beautifully as the lovely and brash Miller's Daughter. I look forward to seeing more of this young actress.

The show ran almost ninety minutes with an intermission, but it moved quickly for even the youngest members of the audience. There was plenty of breaking the fourth wall, with the kids (some of whom were mentioned by name) invited to remind the title character of his name, dance, and talk back to the actors. I heard one precocious child say that there "was not a dull moment." The characters even include the music director in the action. Some of the jokes may have went of the heads of some, but the adults got them. The program included coloring pages designed by Joyce Woodward and small boxes of crayons were offered upon entry to each and every patron by the volunteers to keep us busy.

Rumple Who? continues until next Sunday at the Old Town Hall, 2 North Street in Goshen.