Laughter, Creativity, Fast-Paced Comedy – What More Could You Ask For?

Everyone loves a good fairytale!

This is why members of the Lower Moreland High School Drama Club are eager for everyone to see its upcoming production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon on Thursday, Nov. 13, Friday, Nov. 14, and Saturday, Nov. 15, all at 7 p.m.

This clever show is a wild, free-form comedy packed with lots of audience participation and madcap fun. Two narrators and 26 additional cast members recreate all 209 of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in a fast-paced extravaganza. It was written by playwright Don Zolidis.

To make it more difficult, they attempt to combine them into one gigantic fable using Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and additional, more obscure stories like Lean Lisa, The Girl Without Hands, and The Devil's Grandmother.

The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, were German academics who collected and published folklore. Their first collection of folktales, Children's and Household Tales, was initially published in 1812.

Katelyn Haggerty as Narrator 1 and Sam Bond as Narrator 2 are at the center of the upcoming production, which includes the biggest cast ever for the school’s fall drama.

Sam, a senior who aims to become a high school history teacher, has been in six LMHS Drama Club productions and has great affection for this show.

His entire family, which has strong ties to the high school theater program, will be attending performances, unless they are in their own shows elsewhere. He said he appreciates all of his LMSD Drama Club friends and has a super time in the shows.

“The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon is one of the funniest shows I have been in,” Sam explained, “and our cast brings the script to life with phenomenal acting and hilarious performances.”

Katelyn, a senior, has after high school plans of pursuing a teaching degree to become a professor of anthropology, archeology or high school history. She appreciates the fast pace of the show that constantly keeps her moving. This production marks her seventh show at Lower Moreland High School.

“It’s been really fun to run around and get through all of the scenes without stopping too much,” she said. “There’s also a great deal of comedic absurdity to the fairy tales we are telling, so the show essentially modernizes these stories to make them more enjoyable.”

She said as Narrator 1, she also enjoys having fun moments to interact with the audience and her fellow cast members.

“I am happy that I get the special privilege of being able to sit down and watch my castmates act out their fairy tales as I narrate them. I almost feel like an audience member; something I haven’t had the ability to play in previous theater roles.”

Katelyn wants everyone involved in the Lower Moreland School District and beyond to support this show for several reasons.

“I can’t imagine anyone getting bored while watching it. They will appreciate the fast-paced nature of the show and the comedic elements,” she said. “There is so much wit to the show and I love that each fairy tale has a little bit of magic that will be enjoyed by both children and adults alike.”

Celia Ludwig, a senior, said she appreciates being able to perform a variety of roles, including the enchantress in Rapunzel. “This allows me to give more personality to each character.”

A senior, who has her sights after graduation on an education or English degree at Lehigh University, Celia said that LMHS Drama Club has led to lifelong friends.

“We work on the show 8-10 hours a week, and that automatically brings you together,” Celia said. “I have made genuine friends who care for me and show up for me. It often feels like we are siblings, like one big family that rallies together.”

Her close friend Charlotte Nash, who plays the mother and the queen, said that the show is “so funny that it allows the actors to feel comfortable being goofy.”

She said Drama Club has definitely helped her form lasting friendships with students in every grade. “It helps form connections that we wouldn’t have made otherwise. I no longer feel timid about talking to anyone in school.”

Why does Charlotte encourage the Lower Moreland community to come to one of the three performances of this show? “So, we can display all of our hard work. This is also something to bond over. You get to see a bunch of high school students having fun and supporting the arts. I saw one of the students sign autographs for the younger kids. How cool is that?”

Alivia Lauletta, a junior, plays the fisher girl, and Adam Forman, a senior, plays Chet, a fishing expert, in a scene that comes from combining two of the fairy tales, involving a talking fish, wishes, and being satisfied with your lot in life.

Alivia, who was in Mean Girls and Mamma Mia!, wants the community to come out to show its support for the LMHS Drama Club. “It is a chance to see an extremely funny show, and a chance for us to have a fun, safe space where everyone can be themselves. I also learned a little more about these stories.”

Forman, who has performed in The Wizard of Oz, Mean Girls, Mamma Mia!, and The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza (also by playwright Don Zolidis), is seeking a career in animal science and currently works part-time at Fox Chase Farm in Philadelphia.

He says he enjoys running into his LMHS Drama Club friends around the high school campus. “I look forward to the rehearsals and the performances, and sharing these memorable shows with my friends and family members,” says Forman. “The shows have been a highlight of my high school experience for several years.”

Leah Abramson, the LMHS Drama Club Teacher, has directed Lower Moreland productions for some 25 years. “I discovered my love for theatre when I was a little girl, when my dad took me to my first Broadway show.”

She said she and her team selected The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon because “it is an extremely funny show and the students are having a great time with it. I also like it because it fits well with this [school year’s] fairy tale theme.” The 2026 LMHS Drama Club Spring Musical will be Disney's The Little Mermaid.

For Abramson, the show is a great fit, “because it pokes good-natured fun at several different fairy tales that they grew up with and puts funny modern twists into it. It is fast-paced and stretches their timing skills as comedic actors. Watching the cast have fun and be silly has been great; I enjoy the whole process and how the actors bring their characters to life on stage.”

She encourages everyone in the greater Lower Moreland community to attend a performance. “This funny and fast-paced show is an experience not to be missed! Reflect on your favorite Grimm fairy tales and see the modern twist we put on them.”

Abramson said she loves the LMHS Drama Club family, a group of quirky kids who found their place to belong on our stage,” she said. “I love the whole process, even the stressful moments, of taking a story, visualizing it, then working with my production staff and the students to bring the vision to life on stage for audiences to enjoy.”

Jennie Kelly, who is the LMHS Drama Club assistant director, handles props/costumes (and also choreography for the spring musical), appreciates the “wide range of casting flexibility,” this show provides.

She has been involved in the LMHS Drama Club since 2019. She has been performing on stage since age three with dance and in musical productions since high school.

“We had an inkling that there were going to be a lot of people interested in doing the fall show (and we were right, 28!),” Kelly said. “We wanted to make sure the fall production would have the ability to incorporate all of these amazing students!”

The LMHS Drama Club previously produced another play written by Don Zolidis (The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza in the fall of 2022) and really enjoyed his writing. “This show is a great fit for high school students because it is fast-paced and funny,” says Kelly. “It allows a lot of people to be involved and test their comedic acting potential!”

She encourages the community to come and have a great time. “This show is a bucket of laughs, and there are even some moments of audience participation. Also, most importantly, everyone should come out to support the arts and the hard-working cast!”

For information, go to:

Lower Moreland High School Drama Club

Location:

Lower Moreland Auditorium

555 Red Lion Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA. 19006

Tickets are available at the door, CASH or CHECK ONLY.

Ticket prices are:

Students and Seniors: $10

Adult General Admission: $12