World Premiere Of RAPUNZEL ALONE Reimagines Classic Fairy Tale At The Wallis

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the 24th Street Theatre world premiere production of RAPUNZEL ALONE, a sophisticated reimagining of a classic fairy tale geared for adults and children (ages 7+) alike in seven performances from Saturday, March 12 through Saturday, March 19, 2022, in The Wallis' Lovelace Studio Theater.

Commissioned by 24th Street and written by Olivier Award-winning playwright Mike Kenny (Walking the Tightrope), Rapunzel Alone is loosely inspired by the famous children's story and centers on Lettie, a young mixed-race girl from London who is sent to the countryside for her own safety during the daily bombings of World War II. On an isolated country farm, she faces her own battles with a strict new guardian and a very "fowl" goose. 24th Street Theatre artistic director Debbie Devine co-directs with Jesús Castaños-Chima.

Tara Alise Cox, William Leon and Dionne Neish star, with playwright Kenny providing narration and puppeteer Matt Curtin bringing ornery Gertrude the Goose to life. The original score is composed by pianist Bradley Brough.

24th Street initially commissioned Kenny in 2019, pre-pandemic, to adapt The Brothers Grimm classic in response to increasing isolation among teens coming of age in the world of social media. Then, over the course of the past two years of pandemic, lockdown, social uprising, election, insurrection, climate calamities and war, the play continued to evolve as the world changed.

"The Wallis has admired 24th Street Theater's dedication to telling compelling stories through the prism of diverse communities for many years now, so we were all thrilled to present this world premiere," says Camille Jenkins, The Wallis' Programming Manager, "and we look forward to sharing this very unique experience with Los Angeles audiences."

"I'm a fan of historical fiction, but rarely see anyone who looks like me in that genre," says Cox, a mixed-race actor who stars as Lettie.

"I love that the play introduces us to Caribbean culture in England during World War II," agrees Neish, a first generation Jamaican-British actor who plays Lettie's guardian, Miss Pearce. "My parents immigrated to London not long after, in 1955, and would tell me stories about how isolating it was for a Black person to live in London at the time."

In a review of an audio-only version of the play, created last fall as a "teaser" for the in-person world premiere, Broadway to Vegas called Rapunzel Alone, "Enchanting... All events in this production are metaphors constructed in a way that are understandable for children, yet not boring to adults... encourage[s] people to think about and discuss universal problems: loneliness, being bullied, being lied about, isolation, heartache, struggle, taking on too many responsibilities and looking out for others." The audio version remains available for listening at https://soundcloud.com/user-978180212/rapunzel-alone.

As an adjunct to both the in-person performances and the audio recording, "Lettie's Journal," a hauntingly beautiful visual record of the character's experiences is available for both online viewing and digital download. "Lettie's Journal" was created by high school student Leah Abazari under the mentorship of Hill.

Other upcoming performances at The Wallis in February and March include the Connie Han Trio (February 25); A Conversation with ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia (February 27); Bridge to Everywhere, led by Artistic Director Derrick Skye (March 3); Shai Wosner (March 5); The Wallis debut of MUSE/IQUE, led by Artistic Director and Conductor Rachael Worby (March 12 and 13); Sunday Funday (March 13); DIAVOLO (March 18-20); Bedtime Stories (March 24-26); and Hershey Felder Presents Live from Florence The Verdi Fiasco (livestreamed beginning March 27). The World Premiere production of The Excavation of Mary Anning, originally slated to open in February, has moved to The Wallis' 2022/2023 Season.

Ticket prices are $25 per person. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills. To purchase tickets and for more information, please call 310-746-4000 (Monday - Friday, 10 am to 6 pm) or visit TheWallis.org/rapunzel.

The Wallis is closely monitoring the ever-changing local health and safety environment carefully and addressing known health factors at the moment. Should plans change and any performance be required to be postponed or cancelled or if venue capacity limitations are instituted, ticket holders will be notified immediately with options for their purchased tickets per The Wallis' ticketing policies.

The health and safety of patrons, our staff, and artists inside and outside our venue are a top priority for The Wallis, which is requiring all patrons to provide, upon entry, proof of full vaccination, including proof of a booster shot, or a negative PCR test result within 48 hours or a verifiable Antigen test within 24 hours from your performance date, along with a government issued photo ID. Facial masks, covering both the mouth and nose, are still required at all times while within the venue. The Wallis' health and safety protocols are also subject to change at the venue's sole discretion or in accordance with LA County and City of Beverly Hills regulations. Our current Health & Safety Protocols and updates may also be accessed at TheWallis.org/Safety.

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