Riverside Theatre set for Grimm return

With a severely limited, socially distanced live performance recently logged in by Mentor Theatre, Riverside High School in Painesville Township is hoping to join their Lake County peers by staging a performance of their own this weekend.

Riverside Theatre, however, will be choosing the virtual route.

Riverside Theatre will present “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” by Don Zolidis with a shared, virtual performance at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 5 and 6. Tickets can be purchased at www.rivtheatre.booktix.com.

Brad Allen has been directing the Riverside fall play for the last four years, including “Boeing Boeing” and “Radium Girls.” He came to Riverside after spending five years directing at Belle Plaine High School in Iowa with productions like “Into the Woods” and “Once Upon a Mattress.”

He has also directed the teen musical at the former Geauga Lyric Theater Guild with a production of “Sound of Music.”

“The original plan was to do a live show in November,” Allen tells me. “Schools closed the week before the show so we moved to indefinite Zoom rehearsals. The kids and I realized that the show was hilarious in the Zoom format, so we kept it on Zoom and then set a date.

“That gave us time to get back to in-person and figure out exactly how we wanted the final product to look.”

This current virtual production occurred after Allen was able to reach out to author Zolidis this past summer in anticipation of the possibility of virtual rehearsals and performances.

“He put a post on a Facebook group I am part of,” Allen says. “I reached out to him and he sent me a perusal of the show. I loved the fact that I could adapt it into any format. When we were choosing shows, so much was unknown for the school year, we had to be prepared for anything.”

Zolidis adapted his original play to fit the current format, even adding some references to mask wearing and social distancing.

“The show features many familiar fairy tale characters and is sure to delight all audience members,” Allen says. “During these crazy times, we are happy to be creating theater in any form at this point. I have spent 20 years in technical theater and putting together a show on Zoom has been the most challenging thing I have done.

“The coordinating, editing, and constant change of schedules have been difficult.”

Despite the challenges, Allen says the students are enthusiastic for the opportunity.

“They have been amazing,” Allen says of his cast. “Constantly adapting, adding ideas, asking questions. They are so excited to do a show after losing last year’s musical, they were going to make it happen no matter what.”

Perhaps the losses of last year makes us more appreciative for whatever sense of normalcy we can create.

“I always think any theater is worth it,” Allen agrees. “The kids really needed something to focus on and have a creative outlet. The downside is the human interaction part of theater and physically being on the stage. We really have missed that emotional connection that theatre brings to us.

“The biggest upside is it has shown the kids ability to ‘roll with the punches’ and their passion for the arts. I am so proud of them this year.”