RUMPLESTILTSKIN
by Sharon Whitney

About the Play

Rumpelstiltskin is an old German folk/fairy tale. Two brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, collected many old folk/fairy tales that they heard, wrote them down in exciting ways, and published three books of these stories between 1812 and 1822.

The setting for the play is Germany, and the puppets are dressed in German costumes from about 1700. The characters will speak with German accents and use a few German words.

Tears of Joy will perform the play with bunraku style puppets. The puppeteers are visible and dressed in costumes for the play. The play is a musical so the puppeteers will be singing for their puppet characters as well as speaking for them. The puppeteers also serve as narrators for the story.

Characters in the Play
  • Papa - The miller; he runs the mill that grinds wheat and barley into flour.
  • Lola - The miller's daughter.
  • King - He marries Lola after she turns his straw into gold.
  • Fritzi - The dog.
  • Lulu - Lola and the King's baby.
  • Rumpelstiltskin - He is able to turn straw into gold.
Vocabulary Words
  • Mill - A place for grinding grains (wheat, oats, barley) into flour (gristmill).
  • Miller - The person who runs the mill.
  • Straw - The stems left from the plants of wheat, barley or oats after the grain is removed, it is used as bedding for animals rather for food
  • Spin - to pull out and twist fibers (such as wool or cotton) into a thread or yarn. (Spinning is usually done with a spinning wheel).
Before the Performance
  1. Read the story of Rumpelstiltskin
  2. Read other stories by the Brothers Grimm.
  3. Locate Germany on a map.
  4. Have someone come to your class and demonstrate how to spin with a spinning wheel (Or find pictures of spinning wheels and talk about how they are used.)
During the Performance
  1. How is the show designed to take you to different places?
  2. What elements in the play let you know that time has passed?
After the Performance
  1. Draw a picture of the character in the play you liked the best. Write or tell why you like this character.
  2. Folk/Fairy tales usually have a magical element that happens. What "magical" thing happens in this story? What problem did it solve? Think of examples in other folk/fairy tales where something magical happens?
  3. Folk/Fairy tales often have things happen in threes. What things in Rumpelstiltskin happen in threes? Think of examples in other folk/fairy tales where things happen in threes.
  4. Walk around the room moving like the King or Queen. When the teacher claps, keep moving but walk like the miller or his daughter. How are the two ways of moving different? Move around the room like Rumpelstiltskin. How would it feel to walk with a peg leg?
  5. Compare Tears of Joy Theatre's play to the story by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. List the differences. Why do you think these changes were made?
Tears of Joy Theatre brings amazing puppetry to audiences throughout the West. Recognized nationally for its commitment to excellence and innovation, three of the theatre's productions have received The Citation of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry, founded by Jim Henson. Tears of Joy Theatre was founded in 1971 and has been headquartered in the Portland/Vancouver area since 1973. The theatre performs for over a quarter of a million children each year.