ShowBizRadio

The Fairy Tale Courtroom is a delightful story that puts the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch (which Wicked Witch? It turns out there’s only one. She keeps moving, from the forest after children eat her house, to a different enchanted land, finally ending up in Oz) on trial for various injustices that the jury (the audience) then gets to vote on to decide the fate of said criminals. The show opens with the theme to “Law & Order” as the District Attorney, (Liz Mykietyn) entered the courtroom determined to win her case. With much determination and force she made a strong case against both the Big Bad Wolf (Andrew Lent) and the Wicked Witch (Jackie Davis) in the two trials. The Judge (Jim Johnson) had a rather loose command of the rules of order and seemed easily swayed, using games of rock, paper, scissors, choose-a-number and Twinkies to make decisions.

The Bailiff (David Segal) held the final say as the audience voiced their decision as to the guilt or innocence of the Big, Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch. No unanimous decision here! At the performance we attended, the Big Bad Wolf was found guilty, while the Wicked Witch was not. When you go see this show, the verdict your audience gives could be different. Many performers played multiple roles, which was a surprise to some of audience members as they tried to get an autograph after the show and were told who they needed to find.

The entire cast seemed to enjoy themselves, and the young audience certainly had a grand time. A bit of overacting was necessary to keep the little ones engaged and focused, but there were enough puns and subtle adult references to keep the grownups entertained as well. Performers also had to be ready when audience members would interact with them. Costume Designer Kathy Dunlap had the outfits pegged quite well. Sound Designer Ben Allen added many clips from songs and tv shows to help introduce the characters as they were called to the stand.

The Fairy Tale Courtroom was engaging and fun, aimed at elementary-school aged children. Our niece enjoyed it. She, too, felt the Wicked Witch was just misunderstood!

Cast

• Judge: Jim Johnson
• Bailiff: David Segal
• District Attorney: Liz Mykietyn
• Defense Attorney: Jeffrey Moen
• Little Red Riding Hood: Laura Moody
• Witch: Jackie Davis
• Pig #1: Michelah Desnai
• Pig #2: Sue Klein
• Pig #3: Nikki Pope
• Hansel: Rodney Collins
• Gretel: Annie Begley
• Boy Who Cried Wolf: Rodney Colllins
• Big Bad Wolf: Andrew Lent
• Sleeping Beauty: Nikki Pope
• Snow White: Christina Talhame
• Granny: Sue Klein
• Flying Monkey: Christina Talhame
• Scarecrow: Shanelucus Ramsey
• Prince: Shanelucus Ramsey
• Magic Mirror: Sue Klein
• Bossy Dwarf: Michelah Desnai
• Not So Short Dwarf: Lisa Moen
• Badger: Annie Begley
• Dorothy: Laura Moody
• Short Order Cook: Sabrina Begley

Production List

• Director: Leah Daily
• Assistant Director: Karen Schlumpf
• Producer: Mary Ann Hall
• Stage Manager: Karen Schlumpf
• Costume Design: Kathy Dunlap
• Props: Holli Tippl
• Sound Design: Ben Allen
• Fight Choreography: Karen Schlumpf
• Fight Captain: Jim Johnson
• Crew: Sabrina Begley
• Graphics: Ginger Kohles

Disclaimer: Elden Street Players/Theatre for Young Audiences provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.