'A Walk in the Woods' comes to the Visalia Fox full of fairy tale characters
The Enchanted Playhouse opens “A Walk in the Woods” tonight at the Visalia Fox Theatre. But it’s not the fairy tale you grew up listening to.
Yes, Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood, and your other favorite characters are there, but the connections are a bit scrambled. They’re all in the same story.
The Wolf not only wants to eat Grandma from Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but he shows up again to blow down the Three Little Pigs' houses. Jack seems to be a conglomerate of Jack and the Beanstock, Jack and Jill, and Little Jack Horner.
Jill is the daughter of the Butcher (the Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker). The Woodsman from Little Red Riding Hood is also the father of Hansel and Gretel. Goldilocks is homeless in Grimm’s Woods (Grimm Fairy Tales, get it?).
You get the idea.
What’s fun is it works—for both young kids and grown-ups. The kids will love all the running around on stage and colorful characters. The adults will find themselves laughing at the inside jokes.
Popular show
This will be the fourth time The Enchanted Playhouse has presented “A Walk in the Woods.” The first time was in 2004 when the children’s theater company took up local playwright Debbie Metzler’s fractured fairy tale script.
Kay Whistler directed that first show with Metzler. It was one of the company’s most popular productions, so it’s no wonder the playhouse brings it back for new generations.
Whistler has directed all four versions of the show and loves seeing new casts and audiences enjoy it. Past cast members tend to stick around. In 2004, her daughter Jill played Little Red Riding Hood. For this version, she is the makeup artist.
Another veteran is Debbie Hardin, playing the witch for the fourth time. She loves playing the villain.
“You can scream and yell,” she said.
And she has a great cackle that will send chills up the audience’s neck.
Hardin was on the original Enchanted board in 1991 and has directed and acted in numerous shows.
“The reason I got involved and stayed involved is it captured my heart,” she said, adding, “And it’s for the kids.”
Lots of talent
The 20 cast members range in age from 8 to 70. The youngest is Jerzie Noyola, who plays Little Bear in her first acting job. But she has the role down cold.
“Little Bear is very sassy,” she said, liking the role.
Also having a great time is Anthony Fultz as Papa Bear. That’s Judge Anthony Fultz. He says his job as a trial lawyer for 23 years was great training for acting.
His daughter, Amelia, plays Jill in the show.
“She’s been in seven or eight shows. That’s what got me motivated.”
Ray Contreras Jr. has been doing Enchanted shows for 20 years. This is his second time playing the zany Wolf, a wolf with allergies who gets beat up by a feisty Grandma.
“It’s a hobby for me. I love it. If you can put a smile on a face, you know you’ve done the job. And the kids really believe you.”
Multiple roles
Candace Ayers was already cast as Mama Bear when she was asked to build the set, something she’d never done before, and the first time a woman was asked to build the sets.
“I like tools,” she said simply. And when you see the Three Little Pigs’ houses, you’ll see why Whistler was blown away when she saw them.
Another actor taking on a new role is Faith Aguiar. She was the lead character in “Snow White” last season, and this year she is co-directing.
Although Aguiar teaches dance at Rave Dance Complex, she said directing a play is definitely different.
“Now I’m the one giving notes to the actors,” she said.
Aguiar also coordinates all the props on and off stage, which are very important to the storyline.
“This show is hilarious,” she said. “I think it will be a hit. It has some seriously great talent.”
Information
“A Walk in the Woods” runs May 4-6 at the Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main. 559 625-1369 or www.foxvisalia.org. The troupe will also perform afternoon shows for student field trips.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: A Walk in the Woods comes to the Visalia Fox
