Once upon a time - now that's just gross!
By RICK GERSHMAN
Published August 11, 2006
The adventures of Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty, among others, have captivated children for years.
Sure, these days kids probably could download the stories on their iPods. Fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm - Jacob and Wilhelm - have stood the test of time for close to 200 years. Why shouldn't they survive well into our high-tech age?
Jobsite Theater, resident company at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, provides a comedic take on the stories in its new production, Grimm's Faery Tales, opening tonight. Or, as the Jobsite crew describes it: "It's like Saturday Night Live, but without all the" really lame parts.
Yes, that's my family newspaper-friendly wording, not theirs, which serves as a reminder that this take on Tales, as Jobsite notes, is an adult evening of sketch comedy.
It plays out in the style of the Monty Python and Kids in the Hall comedy troupes, along with the aforementioned SNL.
Recommended age to attend: 16 and older.
Despite the Monty Python influence, don't expect a show along the lines of the 2005 box office bomb The Brothers Grimm, which was directed by Python alum Terry Gilliam. This is a whole other world.
The stage show, directed by Kari Goetz and Katrina Stevenson, is Jobsite's eighth original production. It was written by Neil Gobioff, Goetz, Stevenson and the Jobsite ensemble.
And if it's even half as entertaining as its marketing suggests, it will be well worth the $18.50. Some excerpts:
The surprising result of taking these well-known stories and giving them a modern spin is realizing that the human race is still just as sick, twisted and wrong as when the Brothers Grimm compiled the tales. The only modern thing missing from Snow White is a webcam.
Rarely can you tackle the tough issues of gay marriage, the war in Iraq, nuclear proliferation and the AIDS crisis in Africa - so we didn't. We do, however, have a magical bear who "doodies" in the woods.
Jobsite assures that "you will never see the beloved stories of your youth the same way again. You can thank Jobsite for that - the same people who have been making you simultaneously think and feel icky since 1998!"
What more could you ask for?
Rick Gershman can be reached at rgershman@sptimes.com or 226-3431. His Times blog, the Ill Literate, is at www.sptimes.com/blogs/tampaarts.
IF YOU GO
Grimm's Faery Tales runs today through Aug. 27 in the Shimberg Playhouse at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Shows are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets $18.50. Call 229-7827.