Review: Flint Hill School's 'Brothers Grimm'

PHOTO: From left to right: Elena Morey, Sayeed Akhtar, Adam Hillman; photo by Tom Kinder from Victor O’Neill Studios

Editor’s note: The following is a review of the performance of “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” at Flint Hill School on Friday, Nov. 6. The review was written by Jack Posey of McLean High School and is part of the Cappies program.

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By JACK POSEY, McLean High School

If you need a fairy tale fix, look no further than the Flint Hill School’s production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis for two hours of fantasy fun for the whole family.

The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, published in 2007, strings together beloved fairy tales, such as Rapunzel and The Frog Prince, along with more obscure stories, such as “The Devil’s Grandmother,” in a free form, repertory-style comedy.

Actors wore simple, base-layer costumes (billowy shirts, dark pants, and sneakers for men, and plain shirts, skirts, and sneakers for women) and often alternated between characters using hats, masks, props, and makeup changes.

The simple set consisted of a central tower flanked on either side by short platforms adorned with medieval-brick-castle-style dressings, and silent actors in stylized positions functioned as additional set pieces, such as doors and cages.

Ekaterina Gaetjens and Pranav Ravikumar started the show off at a lively pace as Narrators 1 and 2. Their enthusiastic energy and spirited banter made for many kooky and humorously awkward moments. Henry Jeanneret and scene partner Lily Rice hilariously skewered the melodrama of after-school specials in a witty rehashing of Hansel and Gretel, with deliberate exaggeration of the classic “peer pressure” narrative.

Similarly, Margaret Hudak played up the archetype of a sassy, ditzy teenaged girl to great success as Rapunzel, drawing many laughs from the audience with snappy jabs at her elders. Brandon Lessard gave a rollicking performance as the Frog Prince, with his grand stage presence and commitment to his Kermit-like voice and frog physicality drawing the audience into the twists and turns of his story.

Jack Lovelace brought huge laughs as a scolding father of a King and a feather boa and wig donning evil Stepsister, the latter role entailing a harsh voice and spoiled-brat attitude that stole his scene. Sayeed Akhtar charmed the audience as droll Devil, often breaking the fourth wall with clever and amusing lines.

Nicholas Skotzko kept up the energy of the show with a clear voice and strong diction as a macho Prince and Woodcutter. Finally, Sydney Baffour was a scene-stealer as an exasperated, no-nonsense Fishergirl attempting to reel in a fish to save her starving town. Her exclamations during a struggle to take out a large fish she landed had the audience in stitches.

The players at Flint Hill gave fractured fairytales an energized twist in their production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.