WESTBROOK – The enchantress’s garden plays a key role in the original story of “Rapunzel,” as well as the adapted version of the well-known fairy tale now playing at Acorn Studio Theater in Westbrook and starring a Lyman girl in the title role.
In the original fairly tale, written by the Brothers Grimm, it’s due to his wife’s desire for a root vegetable, known as rampion or rapunzel, that a man and his wife end up having to give their only daughter to the enchantress.
That happens in the Acorn version, too, but then the vegetables in the garden go on to help Rapunzel escape from the enchantress and into the arms of her prince.
Angela Moline of Lyman, who is also the daughter of director Stephanie Ross, plays the title role of Rapunzel and Gus Feebles of Westbrook plays the prince.
The show also features Joel Van Tassel and his brother, Jeremiah, who play the roles of peas and carrots, respectively. Like Moline, the Van Tassel brothers are from Lyman.
Unlike her, however, this is their first foray into the theater and acting in front of an audience. At 8, Jeremiah is the youngest of the actors in the group called Fairy Tale Players.
Despite not having familiarity with the theater, the Van Tassel brothers said they’re enjoying being a part of the show.
“It’s really fun and we’re having a good time,” Joel Van Tassel said. “If I get the chance, I would definitely do more shows.”
In addition to their burgeoning interest in the theater, the Van Tassel brothers most enjoy swimming. Jeremiah Van Tassel is also very artistic, according to his older brother, and likes to draw and paint.
Joel Van Tassel, 10, attends Alfred Elementary School, Jeremiah attends Dayton Consolidated, and Moline, 11, is home-schooled. In addition to acting, Moline enjoys playing soccer and playing the violin.
The eight kids, two adults and one teen who make up the cast of “Rapunzel” rehearsed for about six weeks before the show opened this past weekend.
Before opening night, the three youngsters from Lyman admitted to being a little nervous, but they were also looking forward to performing before a live audience.
Moline said “Rapunzel” is one of the best shows she’s ever been in and is glad she talked the Van Tassel brothers into joining her on stage.
When asked what she said to convince them, Moline said, “I just told them it was so much fun and they should do it.”
Ross said this is the second season Acorn Productions has sponsored the Fairy Tale Players. She chose “Rapunzel” because it has a lot of “good lessons” in it.
“I think this story really shows that children can’t be locked up and protected. They need to be free to grow and learn,” Ross said.
“What I like about our show is that the veggies all work together to help Rapunzel and each other,” she added.
Ross also said the vegetables provide a comedic element to what really is a dark tale of love and loss.
“The vegetables are magic and they can sing, dance and tell jokes,” Joel Van Tassel said with a grin.
In the original story, a man and his wife live next door to the enchantress’s garden. One day, while looking out the window, the wife gets an unbearable craving for rampion, so her husband goes to pick some.
He does so even though it’s well known that the enchantress “had great power and was dreaded by all the world.”
Eventually the husband gets caught stealing the rampion, but when he explains to the enchantress he did it for love of his wife, she lets him go. However, the couple has to promise to give her their child.
According to the original story, “Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child under the sun” and when she was 12 the enchantress shut her into a tower in the middle of a forest.
The tower had no doors or stairways and the only way into was by climbing up Rapunzel’s “magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold.” At first Rapunzel only lets her hair down so the enchantress can visit her.
But, after a couple years in the tower, a prince rides by and hears Rapunzel singing. Enchanted, he figures out how to get into the tower.
The two fall in love and plan to marry, until the enchantress finds out about the prince’s visit. But, like every fairy tale, there is eventually a happy ending.
Joel Van Tassell, 10, left, plays the role of peas in Acorn Production’s adaptation of “Rapunzel.” Playing the role of carrots is Jeremiah Van Tassell, 8, center, and playing the title role is Angela Moline, 11, right. All three are from Lyman. (Staff photo by Kate Irish Collins)Send questions/comments to the editors.
