Ahhh, don’t you just love those classic Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales? Snow White? Hansel & Gretel? Rumpelstiltskin?  Rapunzel? Little Red Riding Hood?  THE WHITE SNAKE?  Wait… “The White Snake”?!  Isn’t that the 80’s hair band who sang Here I Go Again? Yes. But more about that later… As part of the 2025 New York City Fringe Festival with FRIGID New York, there’s a new incarnation of our childhood fairy tales in town, brought to us by Rising Sun Productions in associated with Durnmoose Entertainment. Appropriately named F***ed Up Fairytales, this interactive show is playing through Sunday, April 20th at Brooklyn’s The Rat.  In a way, the hardworking, high-energy cast and crew of this production had their work cut out for them.  The Grimm Brothers’ characters remain well-known to the masses even as we approach the second half of 2025.  But whether you were the child who was on Team Red Riding Hood or Team Big Bad Wolf, one thing’s for sure: Eternal themes notwithstanding, these new takes on the classics are NOT your Mama’s fairy tales– and that’s a great thing!  F***ed Up Fairytales takes the beloved (and not-so-beloved) figures from the 19th century and offers an adults-only take on them.  Now, “anything goes” in the storylines… and drinking games are not only encouraged but are actually part of the show. In the words of one of the Grimm Brothers, “Modern audiences love a modern twist!” Indeed, there’s definitely many mirthful changes in these tales: For one, the characters, grouped by archetypes, are introduced “runway style” at the start of the show: Hero!  Princess! Fool! Villain!  And… the Enchanted Creatures!…. And yes, Grandma, this show is indeed interactive.  Volunteers were pulled from the audience throughout the night.  Several lucky volunteers, in fact, get to roll a die to determine which tales are told.  For this night, the stories were The White Snake, Rumpelstiltskin, and Little Red Riding Hood. (What about Snow White?!)

So… about The White Snake.  As old sophisticated as this reviewer is, I had never actually heard of this fairy tale. The central theme is that a young servant man, falsely accused of a theft of a ring, eats a piece of a white snake and can now trash talk speak with animals– in this case, ants, ravens, fish, and ducks.  Despite being given more tasks than a production assistant on an independent film, he saves his reputation and even gets to win the heart (or other body part…) of a princess.   The moral of the story?  Among other lessons learned, it’s a reminder that one should be nice to animals.  And… never underestimate the power of temptation with a big, red, rosy apple… The next f***ed up fairy tale is Rumpelstiltskin, narrated by Laura Walter a la Casablanca.  Out of all three segments, this eternal story about an imp who can spin straw into gold is arguably the best one of the triptych. That’s thanks to the vocal talents of Kiki Dowell. playing the titular Rumpelstiltskin as a Billie Holliday-esque diva. Dowell is a gifted singer: enough of a talent that even the drunkest of drunks were applauding through the laughter and the show’s patently over-the-top absurdity. Rounding out the three stories is Little Red Riding Hood. So many interpretations and adaptations of this tale have been done throughout the years… but this version goes for a cheekily dark version. Many horror movie fans may recognize the references, but to me it owes more than a bit to the bloodless horror 1977 horror movie The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane…

With the exception of bros Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (Claire Dempsey and David Anthony Anderson respectively in this performance), the cast plays multiple characters… and, even in the small space, a lot of loving chaos is done with a large trunk of props and costumes. Standouts in the cast include Crystal-Marie Alberson, who has the face and personality patently suitable for fairy tale princesses from 1829 through 2025. Orlando Rodriguez and Giordano Cruz also make a perfect pair of old-school “bouffons”, loving their every chance at slapstick. The entire cast takes full advantage of the intimate atmosphere of The Rat; The small performance zone actually works perfectly for this interactive production. And Snow White?  Not even a mention! The interpretations of the stories may change through the years, but the lessons stay the same throughout the centuries.  Now, that’s a transgenerational experience!

This Fringe Festival, grab some “tale”…

The rotating cast of F***ed Up Fairytales will feature Crystal-Marie Alberson, David Anthony, Eric Austin, Rick Benson*, Grayson Bradshaw, Giordano Cruz*, Claire Dempsey*, Kiki Dowel, Ally Harwell*, Maera Hagage*, Orlando Rodriguez*, Sydney Speltz, Joel Trinidad and Laura Walter*. (*denotes ensemble member of Rising Sun Performance Company.) 

Rising Sun Performance Company in association with Durnmoose Entertainment will present F***ed Up Fairytales written by Michael Hagins and directed by Akia Squitieri and Rachael Langton. The production will be presented as part of the 2025 New York City Fringe Festival with FRIGID New York at The Rat NYC (68-117 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY 11201) with remaining performances on Tuesday, April 15th at 9:00pm and Sunday, April 20th at 2:00pm. Tickets ($25) are available for advance purchase. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes with no intermission.  Visit http://www.tickets.frigid.nyc for tickets and more information!