“Rapunzel,” one of five “fractured” fairy tales presented by the Young Actors Theatre, is a fresh and funny deconstruction of the old story. It is Rapunzel like you have never seen her before.
Set in a modern day school, it takes a very stylized look at social cliques and the struggle for a new girl to fit in. Ultimately, it’s message is one of empowerment, inclusion, understanding and of finding “beauty in the mess.”
“It is abstract,” said Becca Veatch, a 4th grader at Center for Inquiry #327 and the actress who stars as Rapunzel. “It is so different than the regular Tangled and Rapunzel stories you have seen before. It has things that happen in real life.”
All of the costumes, identifying each of the social groups, were wild, fun and stylized. But the costume for Rapunzel, or more accurately the hair, was almost it’s own character. It moved; it talked; it lent a lock for another character to use as a jump rope. It took over the show!
“I feel like I am going to tumble off the stage,” laughed Veatch. She said they joked it wasn’t a wig, it was a contraption. She said the wig weighed 3 pounds and gives her a neck cramp.
Within the plot of the play, the crazy mound of hair, which originally sets Rapunzel apart as an outcast, becomes the very thing that brings her closer to other characters, and ultimately changes everyone’s minds about how to treat “the new kid.” It was designed by the director.
This version of Rapunzel was written and directed by YAT director Michael Runge, also of Know No Stranger. The dialogue was humorous and clever, from a high brow discussion of the merits of macaroni art versus glitter pain to one character declaring themselves “a waffle in a sea of pancakes.”
The YAT productions are generally written by their directors, but it is a collaborative effort. “He was open to ideas from us,” said Veatch of Runge. “So the play was about us, and not just from Michael’s brain.”
The YAT program involves the kids during every part of the process, from writing and acting to costumes and technical support. “They (the kids) learn all the different roles and whatever they have an interest in, they can do,” said Veatch.
Veatch has been active in YATS since she was in Kindergarten. She has been in 8 productions, 2 on the main stage (she was also in Oliver Twist). She had only wonderful things to say about the YAT program and Executive Artistic Director Justin Wade. “They (Wade, the other directors and the teens in the program) are very encouraging. They don’t care what you look like,” she said. “They don’t care if you make a mistake. They say we will make mistakes and learn from them. They just want you to have fun.”’
Each YAT production is made up of 5 shows: 3 child and 2 teen shows. For most of each production, all of the actors are on stage. The kids rehearse for 3 months, practicing one evening through the week, and 3 hours every Saturday. “Three hours seems like a long time, but it goes by so fast because you are having fun,” said Veatch.
Next season, YAT will do a series of plays that add a twist to Greek Mythology. Veatch plans to be in Icarus. “I love Greek Mythology,” she said.
“Rapunzel” will be running at 6 pm on Friday and Saturday, January 22 and 23. The other YAT productions are still running as well and include “Hansel and Gretel” (deconstructed by Ben Asaykwee of Q Artistry), “Snow White” (directed by Georgeanna Smith), “Sleeping Beauty” (directed by Julie Mauro) and “Snow Queen” (directed by Catherine Wade, and geared toward teens). Tickets are $15 and available online at yatkids.org or at the box office at the Athenaeum Theatre, 401 E. Michigan St. Visit the Web site for times for shows.
“All the shows are just so amazing. So fractured. So abstract. Once you get out of the theatre you know you have seen something really good,” promises Veatch. “So what if it is a different version of Rapunzel, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. It is still really cool.”
