Once Upon a Time…Later

Grimm – Theatre Above the Law

Theatre Above the Law is bringing back a show it premiered last Halloween season, Grimm. The show features several Grimm fairy tales set inside an imaginary bar with a framing story of Jacob Grimm looking for his missing brother, Wilhelm. A few stories have carried over from the last production and a few new ones have been added. The result was a delightful evening.

As I noted in my last review, the show wisely avoids most of the fairy tales that were given iconic adaptations by Disney or ones that make up Sondheim’s Into the Woods. The story of the fish prince who grants wishes and Rumpelstiltskin make the cut, and those were among my favorites, so I’m happy to see them again. The new stories added were some of the more obscure Grimm tales, and it was fun to see stories I didn’t know, while also being reminded how dark a lot of fairy tales really are. One of the roles fairy tales play is to warn children of the dangers in the world, and the selection of stories reinforced that.

As with the last production, the highlight is definitely the cast. Returning cast members Brooks Whitlock as the Fish Prince and Connar Brown as Rumplestiltskin were again fantastic, flinging themselves into the parts with glee. Taking over the role of Little Red this time is Gayatri Gadhvi, who did a very good job serving as something of a emcee for the cabaret where the stories unfold.

I also want to give some praise to Stina Taylor’s set design. I am a sucker for puppet work and anything that lets the seams of live theater shine through. Using the items found around the bar like cocktail shakers and mops, the cast realizes the elements of the story far more effectively than the literal props could have. The audience has to lean in and agree with the actor that a mop is a fishing pole and that means the audience is participating rather than just watching the story, and that’s always going to be more fun.

Theatre Above the Law’s programming fills a nice niche in local theater, shows the whole family can see without being overly saccharine and directed only at the youngest children. I will caution there are a few moments that probably push this out of the small children age range. Beyond that, this was a delightful addition to my slate of fall shows, and I think it should be one of your as well.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Kevin Curran

Presented October 7-30 by Theatre Above the Law at 1439 W. Jarvis, Chicago.

Tickets are available by going to www.theatreatl.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.