By Jennifer Andelin
Rumpelstiltskin is a name that has long been on the naughty list, but BYU‘s Department of Theatre and Media Arts‘ RUMP puts it on the good list this weekend in Provo. Based on the book by Liesl Shurtliff, RUMP is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin. The story explores why and how Rumpelstiltskin received his name and the power that comes with names. Shurtliff was in the audience for last night’s opening show and she was delighted by the stage adaptation. Creating original works is a tradition for students of BYU’s Music Dance Theatre (MDT) program of which Shurtliff is an alum. Director Tim Threlfall and Music Director and composer Randy Boothe guided the show’s student cast who inventively created this a cappella musical.
Currently the show’s a workshop production. Because of this, BYU’s Nelke Theatre is sparsely set to allow the dialogue, music, and story to take center stage. Stage and Prop Manager Zoe Trepanier creatively uses what little props and scenery there is to accentuate each character and setting while Dramaturg and Associate Director Samantha Baird helps audiences new to a workshop production understand the process by providing a study guide in the program and online.
The truly magical aspect of the show is that the student cast sings and creates all the songs and sound effects a cappella, which Sound Engineer Grant Porter helps the audience hear clearly and evenly throughout the performance. The student cast is a tremendous force in this production presenting an amazing amount of talent in so many ways from accents to beat-boxing. Such a fun show to listen to and watch! I often had to remind myself that the sound effects were a cappella because of how good they were in suspending my disbelief.
Gunnar Russell, a freshman, plays the main character Rump. Right away, Russell revises the audience’s idea of who Rump(elstiltskin) is by providing a coming-of-age, charismatic character. The entire student cast has incredible voices and Russell is no exception. He endears the audience as evident by a sweet moment from last night’s performance when a young child in the audience excitedly waved to Russell during a solo and Russell waved back, delighting the child and making her night.
MarShae Sterling plays Rump’s friend Red who supports him in his quest to find answers and avoid bullies Frederickand Bruno respectively played by Jimmy Henderson and Caleb Hafen. Henderson and Hafen give comic relief with their melodramatic antics while Sterling provides a strong, steady character.
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Kersee Robbins (Opal), Alex Joyner (The Miller), and Clayton Christensen (King Barf) provide believable antagonists that create enough obstacles for Rump to overcome in order to discover his destiny. Robbins’ eccentric selfishness is only shadowed by Joyner’s domineering motives giving way to Christensen’s playful but authoritative greediness. Each of them engages the audience well.
While each member of the cast has a specific character to play, most of them are also part of a background ensemble at any given time. Thus, the entire cast is often onstage visually showing that this work is clearly a successfully collaborative effort. The house lights are even kept on to help the audience feel like they are part of this creative process. I brought to the show my 9-year-old son who had read the book, and we both enjoyed the musical’s immense energy, masterful talent, and inventive presentation. The cast creates a rich story that fleshes out a well-known tale.
RUMP is a Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) show running only 50 minutes. Children will love the beat-boxing a cappella music and energetic acting. While the show is family-friendly, no babies or children under 6 are allowed. If you’re looking for an upbeat, fun way to spend your weekend that will help you re-see the good in others, be sure to catch BYU’s RUMP in Provo. You only have three performances left to see it so buy those tickets as if your firstborn depended on it.
BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts presents RUMP: a (Sorta) True Rumpelstiltskin Musical, Based on the book RUMP by Liesl Shurtliff.
BYU, Nelke Theatre, 800 E Campus Dr., Provo, UT 84602
December 5-7, 2019, 7:30 PM, December 7, 2019, 2:00 PM
Tickets: $6
RUMP Facebook Event Page
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