Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Thy Golden Hair…

I found this place called “The Pumpkin Theatre” online a few weeks ago. As it turns out, they were showing “Rapunzel” in December. With “Tangled” fresh in our minds from those Disney folks, I thought it would be something fun for Isabelle. It was showing two weeks only. Last weekend, Uncle Don and Aunt Susan came to town but this weekend, we had only Christmas cooking and baking on our agenda. I had planned on doing that today (Saturday) but Ed had a lot of homework for his Grad class, and the Ravens don’t play until 8:20pm tomorrow night so I decided (on a whim) to take Isabelle up to see her first theatre play.

I had called the theatre this past week to find out if they still had tickets available and they did. There was no number to call this morning to check availability so I took a chance and, as it turns out, totally lucked out. The theatre was full! But we were able to buy tickets for $15 a seat at the door.

I was a little worried about whether or not she was “ready” for a theatre experience. Being quiet for an hour or 90 minutes (I wasn’t sure how long the show was going to be) is not Isabelle’s forte. We got there about 30 minutes before the play started. The tickets are “first come first served” as far as seats go. They have a few rows reserved for the members but we got the first row behind those, and we got the aisle. That way, we could make a fast escape if things got dicey.

We got to our seats with 15 minutes to spare. I asked Isabelle if she wanted to go to the lobby to get a special treat like a magic wand, or one of the other plastic goodies they were peddling in the lobby (for very reasonable prices, by the way!). She said she didn’t want anything. She was wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, waiting anxiously for the “real Rapunzel” to arrive.

When the lights dimmed, and the actors took the stage, she was focused and mesmerized. She sat still and kept her trap shut for the full hour that the play lasted. She did want to sit in my lap for about 3 minutes when the evil witch took the stage but she quickly pulled it together and went back to her own seat. At one point in the show, Rapunzel and her Prince Brian went up one aisle and came down ours. Rapunzel and Prince Brian walked right by our seats and I think Isabelle fell eternally in love with the theatre at that precise moment. I had to chuckle when I saw her staring at Rapunzel’s shoes. ‘Atta girl!

After the show, Isabelle did want that magic wand I had hinted at. For $3, it was a cute, fun accessory to take home from the show. They had a full table of goodies that were all under $10. There is no food or beverages so be sure to eat lunch before the 1pm show or plan a snack before the 3pm one.

The Pumpkin Theatre was a fantabulous experience. The show was amazing. The theatre is small, intimate, and wonderful for a first-time experience. If you live in Maryland, have small kids, and want to expose them to the wonderful world of theatre arts, get over to The Pumpkin Theatre at St. Timothy’s School on Greenspring Avenue in Stevenson, Maryland. You won’t be disappointed.