Rumplestiltskin, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding Hood—the Brothers Grimm collected and published more than 200 fairy tales during their lifetimes. Their stories have been depicted in movies, television shows, novels, picture books, and theme park rides—not to mention as bedtime narratives for children.

Now, these stories are being presented on Arcadia University’s MainStage Theater in The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, a comedy that mashes together all 209 fairy tales into one play, running until Nov. 26.

The production is fast-paced and fun, according to Jillian Schwab ’15, an acting major who plays the Enchantress in Rapunzel, the Prince in Snow White, and one of the Spectaculathon’s two narrators. To prepare for her roles, she read as many translations and adaptations of the Grimm fairy tales as she could find. Since the narrator’s role does not have a specific backstory, as the well-known fairy tale characters do, Schwab invented much of the narrator’s personality herself.

During rehearsals, all of the actors discussed different ideas on how “to give voice to these characters” and worked together to build a solid performance, according to Schwab, who noted that the Grimm cast is the largest she has been a part of at Arcadia.

“It’s 100 different people trying to tell their own version of the story and trying to take hold of the show,” she said, emphasizing the humor in the production.

For more information and ticket reservations, call 215-572-2112 or email arcadiatheater@arcadia.edu.