Most fairy tales have a villain, whether a big bad wolf or wicked witch, but one of the most peculiar has to be the impish Rumpelstiltskin. Little men dressed as elves aren't typically frightening, but a little man trying to snatch a lady's first-born child is. In the Brothers Grimm classic, a miller lies to the king that his daughter can spin gold, and when she fails to do so twice, Rumpelstiltskin appears and turns thread into gold. Though she doesn't know his name, the girl promises him her first-born child, and when he comes to collect on her agreement she changes her mind. If she can guess his name, she will save her child. See how she foils Rumpelstiltskin’s plan -- and teach the kids not to promise babies to strange little men — when Artie's Playhouse's adaptation, Rumple-Steal-Skin, comes to the stage at Artisan Center Theater, 418 E. Pipeline Road in Hurst, at 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday through January 28, with an additional performance 10 a.m. January 24. Tickets are $5. Call 817-284-1200 or visit artisanct.com.
Fridays, 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.; Tue., Jan. 24, 10 a.m. Starts: Jan. 13. Continues through Jan. 28, 2012