{"id":401715,"date":"2026-09-16T18:12:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T18:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/401715\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T18:12:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T18:12:16","slug":"bigger-stage-bigger-space-gives-fort-myers-dinner-theatre-a-choreographers-dream-come-true-wgcu-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/401715\/","title":{"rendered":"Bigger stage, bigger space gives Fort Myers Dinner Theatre a choreographer’s dream come true | WGCU News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fort Myers Dinner Theatre opened \u201cMatilda\u201d over the weekend in its new space inside Gator Lanes. New stage. New seating area. Bigger space than the theater\u2019s other location on San Carlos Boulevard. The bigger stage gives Fort Myers Theatre\u2019s creative team a lot more to work with says, actor Kevin Crumpler.<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Among the roles he plays in ‘Matilda,’ Kevin Crumpler plays the obstetrician who delivers Matilda in the opening scene of the play. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you’re dealing with a smaller space, the cast has to be smaller or fewer people on stage and more have to go backstage,\u201d said Crumpler. \u201cWhen you have a larger stage, it’s an exciting dream for a choreographer. They get to have a huge spectacle, multiple people, different levels on platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Amy<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Amy Fenicle as Matilda’s mom, Mrs. Wormwood<\/p>\n

Amy Fenicle plays Mrs. Wormwood. She has several far-flung dance scenes in \u201cMatilda.\u201d The larger stage translates into more cohesive, fluid dance routines and better sight lines for audiences, says Fenicle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes us feel more comfortable on stage and creates a better picture for the audience,\u201d said Fenicle.<\/p>\n

Dancers are adaptable. They can work in small spaces, but the wider, deeper stage has allowed choreographer Michelle Kuntze to stage more intricate, acrobatic dance numbers in this production of \u201cMatilda.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Kevin Crumpler, the Escapologist. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s all about spacing,\u201d noted Crumpler. \u201cWhen you’re doing your pirouettes \u2026 you can all spread out. Your regular ensemble on the main stage can be doing things as well. So, you’ve got so much to look at rather than just in a small space. It’s almost like sky’s the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"As<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

As Mrs. Wormwood, Amy Fenicle has a number of far-flung dance numbers in the musical.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can feel like you’re dancing full out without being afraid of hitting somebody next to you,\u201d Fenicle elaborated. \u201cSo, it just creates a more cohesive picture as far as blocking and what the audience sees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing is believing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMatilda\u201d is onstage through Sept. 20.<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Kevin Crumpler, seen here in the role of Miss Honey’s dad <\/p>\n

MORE INFORMATION:<\/p>\n

The musical follows Matilda, the daughter of verbally abusive and criminally neglectful parents. She finds refuge in library books, which she reads quickly and voraciously. Her parents put her in an oppressive school, Crunchem Hall, whose motto is \u201cBambinatum est Magitum,\u201d or \u201cChildren are Maggots.\u201d She finds companionship in her teacher, Miss Honey, who, though well-intentioned, is shy and fragile, and must face off with the school\u2019s tyrannical and cruel headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Brave little Matilda knows she has to stand up against the adults in her world, and in doing so, discovers her own remarkable powers. Matilda\u2019s bravery teaches Miss Honey and her classmates an important lesson \u2014 that even though life can be hard, \u201cnobody but me is gonna change my story\u201d so \u201csometimes you have to be a little bit naughty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Scene<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Older students bully younger kids at Crunchem Hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cMatilda\u201d represents the inaugural show of the Fort Myers Dinner Theatre in the former location of Ter-Tini\u2019s lounge in Gator Lanes Bowling Alley.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s performances are Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. For tickets, telephone 239-323-6570 or visit https:\/\/ftmyerstheatre.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Bruce<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Bruce and his fellow students perform ‘Revolting Children’ in ‘Matilda.’ <\/p>\n

Support for WGCU\u2019s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.<\/p>\n

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