Germany has one of the highest percentages of protected land in the world. Some 25,000 castles and ruins rise above primeval forests or languish among twisted brambles as in a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, setting the scene for the heady sensation of time travel. The perfect place for an out-of-time experience is the Hessen countryside, home of The Brothers Grimm, where medieval towns, half-timbered houses, castles, Renaissance mansions and ancient cathedrals have stood for more than eight centuries. In the 15th century university town of Marburg, 18th century law students Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm began collecting German folk tales that had been passed down only by oral tradition. The gruesome travelers’ tales, told late at night, were never meant for children’s ears. Of the 209 stories they documented exactly as told, they chose 86 less gruesome ones for their first book, Children’s and Household Tales. The original stories featured murderous mothers, but as motherhood is sacred, they made the wicked character a stepmother. Early tellings of the Frog Prince had no happily ever after: forced by her misguided father to marry the frog, instead of a kiss, the horrified little princess smashed the poor creature against the wall. In an ironic time warp, 21st century students at Philipp-Marburg University still linger at sidewalk cafes, studying law beneath the watchful eye of the Frog Prince himself. They don’t find it the least bit odd to encounter the faces of The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats erupting from a lichen-covered wall. In the Town of Hameln, bas relief rats leer down from ornate 17th century mansions. Gleaming bronze rats are imbedded among the cobblestones; their tails pointing to significant sites in the truth-based legend of the130 children who disappeared on June 26, 1284. All summer, the official Pied Piper of Hameln strides through the narrow streets of Old Town in pointed shoes and feathered hat as a real rattenfanger (ratcatcher) might have done 740 years ago, dispensing sharp-tongued wisdom and playing his magical flute. But the Grimm’s legacy goes far deeper than fairy tales. As law scholars, anthropologists, philosophers and linguists, the brothers were among the most respected German academics of their time. Their proudest work was the creation of the first, and still most extensive, dictionary of the German language. Grimmwelt Kassel The centuries collide in a creative time warp at Grimmwelt Kassel, the sleek modern museum celebrating all things Grimm. The brothers would most assuredly The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats" look out from a stone wall in Marburg | Photo by Karen T. Bartlett The Pied Piper of Hameln | Photo by Karen T. Bartlett The Insult Machine in the A-Z exhibit area at Grimmwelt | Photo by Nikolaus Frank Colorful candies and sweets in the Witch’s House exhibit at Grimmwelt | Photo by Karen T. Bartlett
be pleased. Besides artifacts, annotated manuscripts, and priceless first editions, dramatic interactive exhibits showcase their love of words and letters. There’s a talking magic mirror, of course, a surreal hedge of thorns, a kids’ augmented reality app, and a theater showing snippets from major movies incorporating their fairy tales from silent films to today. The Insult Machine is an enormous 17th century ear trumpet: lean in and whisper a rude modern-day word and it hurls back a foul 18th century retort. Pissblume for example, is not a compliment. On special exhibit now is “The Rumpelstiltskin File: Looking for clues in fairy tales and law,” inspired by the Grimms’ focus on the perception of right and wrong. At playful interactive stations, visitors get surprising perspectives on bad guys: robbers, evil witches, jealous sisters, and tricksters (like Rumpelstiltskin) who exploited less-than-honorable traits of others. Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Half a century ahead of the Brothers Grimm, Landgrave William IX of Hesse-Kassel was so obsessed with 12th century tales of knights and chivalry that he built himself a fake but spectacular medieval castle. Castle Löwenburg possesses every element of a proper knightly castle: moat, drawbridge, heraldic lions, crenellated towers, and even crumbling walls. Its armory features the feared Black Knight astride his tournament horse. Löwenburg still stands within Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, on the outskirts of Kassel. About twice the size of New York’s Central Park, Bergpark is a UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing dense forests, English gardens, lush meadows, waterways, tree-canopied paths and steep rocky trails. Its showpiece is the colossal 230-foot copper statue of Hercules, who for 300 years has gazed down from the hilltop upon the opulent Baroque palace, Schloss Wilhelmshöhe. Now a museum, it houses priceless Old Masters paintings, including one of the world’s largest Rembrandt collections. Twice weekly in summer, floodgates open in the grotto beneath Hercules, releasing 750,000 liters of water to cascade wildly over waterfalls into rapids and other water features, ending with a breathtaking 52-foot geyser in the palace fountain. During its hour-long descent, observers have time to meet the cascade at each point. Bergpark is free to the public, with admission charged only inside the castle and the palace. The city of Kassel is the epicenter of the Fairy Tale Route and all things Grimm. For a thousand years of time travel, visit deutsche-maerchenstrasse.com/en Renowned Old Masters Gallery in Wilhelmshohe Palace. Photo by Mirja van Liken © Hessen Kassel Heritage Gazebo overlooking a tranquil pond at Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Photo by Sina Ettmer Photography
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54 | Old Naples News April 2024 The Naples Players (TNP) has made a significant change to its renowned Arts Education Programs by establishing an “Arts Access” department and hiring Jennifer Price as the Director of Youth Education. Ever since incorporating “Wellness through the arts” programs into TNP’s education program in 2017, the TNP Education Department has seen unprecedented growth in both traditional and accessible arts education programs for both children and adults. As the organization begins to move back into its newly renovated facility on Fifth Avenue South in Downtown Naples—including a 100-seat black box theatre dedicated entirely to Educational Programs—The Naples Players is looking toward the future. The new “Arts Access” department of The Naples Players will be tasked with leading the organization’s unparalleled accessibility programs, including the further development of the organization’s more than 30 nonprofit partners; the roll-out of the facility’s state-of-the-art technologies, including hearing assistance technologies; and even the integration of the new facility’s “Sensory Booth”—a viewing room in the Kizzie Theatre that allows families impacted by Autism, Down Syndrome, and other sensory processing disorders to enjoy any performance with their own independent control of temperature, volume, and brightness. “The Naples Players’ mission is to build community through unparalleled access to the power of theatre,” said Bryce Alexander, CEO & Executive Artistic Director. “Our programs and our new facility are a model for integrating the local community into the theatre, and the ‘Arts Access’ department will ensure that we can continue to demonstrate to the rest of the nation the ways that local theaters can impact their communities.” The department will be led by Nick Dalton, Craig Price, and Summer Pliskow - who are already changing the regional landscape for arts access and education. Joining the team to further develop the organization’s extremely popular youth education programs is Jennifer Price. For the last 15 years, Jennifer has been a teacher for Collier County Public Schools. She has certifications and experience teaching several different grade levels and subject THE NAPLES PLAYERS EXPANDS ARTS ACCESS & EDUCATION Photos courtesy of the Naples Players
April 2024 Old Naples News | 55 areas and is Gifted and ESOL-endorsed. Most recently Jennifer has been at Gulf Coast High School as the Director of Drama. Under Jennifer’s leadership, the Theatre program at Gulf Coast High has served over 200 students schoolwide each year and boasts achievements such as 50+ awards from Broadway Star of the Future, most notably a 2021 Jimmy Award Nominee, Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Direction of a Musical, multiple ITS achievements, including a MainStage Production at the 2023 Florida State Thespian festival and consecutive Top Honors for Individual Events. She oversaw the creation of a traveling cabaret to provide accessibility to underserved organizations in our community, helped facilitate fundraising for Theatre education, and developed an Officer Board that gives program autonomy to the students. Along with her husband, Zach, and their three children, Rylee, Grace, and Carder, Jennifer has been heavily involved with The Naples Players for the last 15 years. The entire family has participated both on and offstage. Sharing the stage with her children and watching them grow up in The Naples Players’ education program motivated her desire to leave the district and focus on Theatre Education at TNP. Serving more than 6500 students annually, TNP’s unique focus on Traditional and Nontraditional arts programs for students and adults has positioned the organization to make a significant impact in the local community. The organization’s new structures, combined with its new facility, will see the organization’s impact only continue to increase. The organization recently unveiled its spring and summer classes, offering dozens of titles and programs for students of all ages. TNP also serves more than 50,000 audience members annually, providing high-quality productions that showcase the local talents of the region. The 2024-2025 Season was announced last week and includes three major musicals, classic American dramas, and side-splitting comedies. For registration and ticketing information, please visit naplesplayers.org. The Naples Players | Godspell, Jr.
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