THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 18, 1996 TAG: 9601160101
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Theater Review
SOURCE: Montague Gammon III
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
The schoolchildren who fill G.W.C. Brown Theater next week will see a staging of ``Rumpelstilskin'' that has something more to say than does the usual version of the familiar fable.
Kindergarten students may leave the show talking about the big pink rabbit, and teenagers may remember the eerie Dance of the Dungeon Dwellers, but neither of these additions to the story is at the heart of what makes Norfolk State's dramatization different.
The plot line remains familiar. A miller's groundless boast that his daughter can spin straw into gold catches the ear of a greedy queen, who imprisons the girl until she delivers the precious metal.
Young Glinda is helped out of her predicament by the dwarfish and magical title character, who exacts a promise that he will be given her firstborn child if ever she becomes queen. After Prince Galen falls in love with her, marries her and succeeds to the throne, the girl becomes liable for payment.
When students left last year's production of ``Rapunzel,'' some ``of the younger ones'' were upset at the fate of that show's villainous witch, says NSU professor and director of theater Dr. Clarence Murray.
The witch's spell had misfired, turning her into a frog rather than into a bird when she was thrown out of a high window. ``Splat'' was the description of her ending. A few of the youngest audience members were ``nearly in tears'' as they left the theater, and ``that hit me really heavily,'' says Murray.
So rather than disappearing in a ``cloud of smoke'' or falling through a floor to oblivion when his scheme is thwarted, Rumpelstiltskin is given a reason for ``being so devilish,'' and provided with ``a chance to reform.''
The little magician is ``lonely,'' and simply wants ``someone to love him, someone to love.'' That, decided Murray, is why he tries to lay claim to the child. The defeated wizard is instead allowed to enter the royal household to help raise the child, so he will be loved at last.
The moral of the story becomes the all-conquering power of love.
Murray says, ``I carry my sociology'' into another facet of the production, his own ``Afro-centric perspective.'' While he primarily wants to ``Get past the ethnic thing; it's the moral that's important.'' He adds that he can never forget ``The Princess and the Pea'' as he staged it at South Carolina State University.
There a teacher thanked him for showing an African-American princess. ``Now my little girls can see themselves as princesses,'' the woman remarked.
This marks the fourth year that Murray has included a play for children in the annual series of shows performed by his undergraduates. His cast mixes veteran performers with students just entering the drama program.
Junior Tiffany Young has the title role. Young also has the lead in the NSU production of ``Antigone,'' played in ``Oedipus,'' and was featured in ``Good Times Musical Revue.'' Freshmen Keith McCoy and John Duker play Prince Galen and a rabbit who befriends Glinda.
The miller's daughter, later Princess Glinda, is played by Faith Dukes, who was seen in ``The Phonograph'' several years ago at Norfolk State. E. Jeannelle Henderson, whose acting is always well worth watching, plays the gold-hungry queen. James Patterson plays the miller, and newcomer Swisynna Moore narrates.
The chorus is made up of Tanisha Spruill, Tonyce Myrick, Wanda Rozier and Rhonda Mitchell.
Murray directs, with choreography by the highly respected Vincent Epps.
Audiences come from local school systems, and have reserved about 400 to 450 of the theater's 500 seats for each show. ILLUSTRATION: AT A GLANCE
What: ``Rumplestiltskin.''
Who: Norfolk State University Players.
When: Monday through Friday, Jan. 22-26, at noon.
Where: G.W.C. Brown Memorial Theatre, Norfolk State University.
Tickets: 683-9009.
by CNB