A GRIM FAIRY TALE WITH SUGAR

Ortrude (Sue Baer) often is exasperated by the antics of Rumpelstiltskin (Terry Vallelunga).

In the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin is a gnome who wants to capture a prince so he can put him in a pot and cook him.

"The original is pretty horrible," says Don Garner, the St. Louisan who adapted "Rumpelstiltskin" for the children's theater at Southeast Missouri State University. Garner says he has "added a little sugar to it."

The play has been presented to area preschool and elementary school groups all this week. It will be performed for the general public at 7 p.m. Friday and at 10 a.m. Saturday at Rose Theatre.

The Friday performance will be interpreted for the hearing impaired.

All seating is general admission and all tickets are $2.

Garner's Rumplestiltskin is a little boy who can't control his temper and is exiled to "live in a place in space, a spot on top of a ledge at the edge of the world."

Rumpelstiltskin has no friends, so he conspires to bargain with the young maiden Isolde for the newborn son, a prince.

Garner borrows many names from Wagnerian operas but says "Rumpelstiltskin" has no connection to Wagner. "I just have a passion for opera," he said.

"Rumplestiltskin" has a moral, albeit a "sugary" one: "That children have to be nice to one another. That to win friendship you have to give of yourself. And yes, we can contribute to one another," Garner said.

He has adapted and directed fairy tales for Southeast in the past, including "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Hansel and Gretel" and "Cinderella." This time out Southeast Assistant Professor Dennis C. Seyer is handling both the direction and design.

The cast includes Terry Vallelunga, Sue Baer, Danna Dockery, Sharon Anderson, Don Marler, Shawn Seabaugh, Trevor Fisher, Steve Ruppel, Kathryn Waterhout, Jen Maine, Jennifer Bush and Laura Wehking.

Garner formerly headed the theater department at Fontbonne College in St. Louis. He has a lengthy background in theater, movies and television, both in New York and Hollywood. Among his credits are playing Henry Fonda's youngest brother in the movie "My Darling Clementine," and appearances in "The Lone Ranger" and "I Love Lucy."

He says "Rumpelstiltskin" is one way to introduce children to live theater. "We are now living in a time where children watch TV or motion pictures and don't get to see live theater or people creating theater of the moment," he said.

"We can't do a big production, we can't do Andrew Lloyd Webber things. But when children actually see magic happen on the stage through the actors, the magic dust and smoke, it introduces them to live theater."