The Juniper Tree, A Tragic Household Tale

Wendy Kesselman’s musical adaptation of the Grimm fairytale, The Juniper, A Tragic Household Tale tells the story of a boy who is hated by his stepmother. She beheads him by tricking him into reaching into a heavy iron chest and slamming the lid on his neck. She then cuts up his body and cooks him into a stew, which she serves to his unsuspecting father, who devours it. The boy’s grief-stricken sister takes his bones and buries them under the juniper tree, where the boy’s own mother also lies buried. From this, a happy ending emerges.

Kesselman’s adaptation, for which she wrote the book, lyrics, and score, is faithful to the version of the German folk tale that Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm recorded in their 1812 book, Nursery and Household Tales. The show is suitable for the whole family, but is not specifically children’s theatre.

The opening performance on Monday, February 26 begins at 7:00pm.