Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 06/27/2026
(NUTLEY, NJ) -- The Narrator is ready to start the show, but how is that supposed to happen when nobody else in the cast has read the script and the costumes haven't even arrived yet? Children, families, and the young at heart will find out when Nutley Little Theatre presents The Worst Fairy Tale Ever by Todd Wallinger July 25-26, 2026.
Eight hapless actors are preparing to perform “The Greatest Fairy Tale Ever” but the greatest it isn’t. Not when the actor playing the knight struggles to read the script taped to the back of his shield, and the dragon gets a debilitating case of stage fright. To make matters (far!) worse, the Shakespearean actress is in the wrong play yet insists on staying and drawing out her death scene to absurd lengths, which leads the frustrated narrator to storm out before the play is finished. Can the cast come up with an ending that’s not only satisfying but also quick? Audiences will laugh heartily at how the cast comes up with an ending that’s absolutely ducky!
Directed by Vicky Chalk, the cast includes Jack Pignatello (Narrator), Anne Kenny Simpson (Citizen), Arthur Carlson (King Roderick), Diana Severin (Page/Farmer/Peasant), Aidan Carlson (Dragon), Aaron Drill (Florian the Brave), Anne Hennessy (Cordelia), Linda Wielkotz (Sign Bearer), and Tara Spinelli (Zsa Zsa).
Performances take place Saturday, July 25 at 11:00am & 1:00pm; and Sunday, July 26 at 1:00pm & 3:00pm. Tickets are $5 at the door. Nutley Little Theatre is located at 47 Erie Place in Nutley, New Jersey.
The production team includes Linda Ribaudo (Stage Manager), Julia Sharp (Costumer), Joe Ribaudo (Sound Design), and Jorge Madrazo (Light/Sound Board Operator).
Nutley Little Theatre is a vital arts non-profit bringing live theater to the community since 1934. Visit nutleylittletheatre.com to learn more about their shows and ways to get involved!
Playwright Todd Wallinger grew up in the small town of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. In the 1970's, Beaver Dam wasn’t exactly a Mecca of culture, but three times a year the local community theatre took over the town's only movie house and put on a show. That’s where Todd first fell in love with theatre.
He made his own theatrical debut on that stage at the age of 11, appearing as an unusually large munchkin in The Wizard of Oz. Even then, it was obvious that if Todd was going to have a career in theatre, it was not going to involve singing.
Years later, Todd took the "practical" approach to life, earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. But his love of theatre never left him, and he eventually realized there’s nothing practical about being afraid to follow your dreams.
In 2005, Todd took the plunge and, with little more than a handful of posters and an astonishing amount of naiveté, launched a children’s theater company in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Although he enjoyed directing, it was in working with such talented students that Todd discovered his true calling: playwriting.
Since then, he has written several plays for the youth market, focusing on light-hearted comedies with over-the-top characters that kids love to play.
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