The Little Rascals will be performing “The Adventures of Rose Red” at the Waseca High School Performing Arts Center Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24. Cast and crew are, front row, from left: Zoey Gibson, Sophiel Weber, Keegan Rodriguez, Mateo Vasquez, Tomas Vasquez, Ava Young, Khloe Nelson, Audrey Gray, and Maddie Larrabee. Back row: Eryn Harrison, Rylynn Ferris, Toby Jeske, Amiyah Benson, Luke Jeske, Maren Schimming, Brier Hayes, Sophia Larson, Maddie Hall, Lady Stenzel, Lilly Muff, Max McShane, and assistant director Sadie Schimming.
"The Adventures of Rose Red"
Fri, 07/14/2023 - 11:34am
Everyone knows the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. But the Little Rascals of Waseca will be telling the story of her lesser-known sister Rose Red.
The Little Rascals of Waseca, under the direction of Karen Pfarr Anderson, will be presenting “The Adventures of Rose Red” by Sean Abley. The first show will be Friday (tonight), June 23 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 24 at 2 p.m. with $5 tickets available at the door; children five and under are free.
“It’s been a fun production to put together so far,” Anderson shared. “The kids are great to work with.”
Helping Anderson put the play together is Waseca High School student Sadie Schimming, who has been through the Little Rascals program and was involved in the high school musical Mamma Mia! And the one-act play How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying. Anna Pollock will be the stage manager while Chuck Pollock will be the auditorium technician and manager.
The Little Rascals are actors and actresses from grades K-8. The group puts on a summer production annually with around 16 rehearsals in a typical year. However, due to the later senior graduation, this production is going to the stage after 14 rehearsals.
This year’s play focuses on Rose Red, the sister of Snow White. Rose Red is receiving pressure from family and friends — including her best friend Miss Muffet — to become famous like her sister, Cinderella, and Goldilocks. But she doesn’t want the media giving her attention all the time. She wants to be normal, but will that mean no happily ever after for her?
“The play pokes some fun at the media while showing that it’s okay to be you,” Anderson said.
The play also makes lighthearted jokes out of fairy tale tropes like the use of “Prince Charming” as princesses’ “one true love.” In this play, there are two of them.
The best part about the play is that it allows directors some more liberty, according to Anderson. “There are notes by the director that encourage you to make the play work with any cast size, which helps out a lot,” she explained. “Last year, we had 30 cast members. This year, we only have 20.
“Sometimes, they will note to use current relevant cultural references and things like that as well,” she added.
Rose Red will be portrayed by Maren Schimming, with Maddie Halla playing Snow White. Mandi Root will play Rose Red’s best friend, Little Miss Muffet. Mrs. Blush, Rose Red’s stepmother, will be played by Khloe Nelson, with the evil version of Mrs. Blush played by Eryn Karrison. Toby Jeske will take on the role of Mr. Blush.
Other roles include Keegan Rodriguez as Prince Charming one and two; Luke Jeske, Amiyah Benson, and Brier Hayes as Jacob, Jessica, and Jennifer Grimm, the reporters for the Grimm Times; Sophi Larson as Cinderella; Lilly Muff as Goldilocks; Max McShane as Baby Bear; Tomas Vasquez as the Frog, Jack, and the Magic Mirror; Cady Stenzel as the Fairy Godmother and Miss Muffet’s Mother; Sophiel Weber as Gretel and the Spider; Mateo Vasquez as Hansel and the Big Bad Wolf; Ava Young as a villager and narrator 1; Rylynn Ferris as villager 2 and Little Red Riding Hood; and Audrey Gray as villager 3 and narrator 2.
This year’s crew will include Zoey Gibson on sound, Maddie Larrabee on lights, and Sadie Schimming and Arabella Hardeman on stage crew.
It will be a bittersweet production for Eryn Harrison and Max McShane. Both completed eighth grade, meaning they will graduate out of the program and move on to productions at Waseca High School.
Anderson is hopeful for a good turnout. “The kids are so excited to be sharing this story with an audience,” she said. “They’ve been working hard and can’t wait to put on the performances.”