Immersed in theatre since high school, 91Ô­´´'s Crystal Weltzin has taken on multiple roles, on and off stage, in the Royal Canadian Theatre Company's pantomime production of "Knotted: Rapunzel's Story," which opens this weekend.

Very literally, the list of her jobs on this one is long.

The 31-year-old Walnut Grove thespian – who's been involved with RCTC since she was 15 – began writing this panto in September 2023. She's been writing the RCTC pantos annually since 2021, and said this has been one of the most challenging and fun – all at the same time.

"Yes, I wear a lot of different hats in this company," she explained.

She serves a RCTC's general manager, but specific to this production she's playing the Fairy, which is one of the big roles, plus she's assistant director and oversees marketing, among other duties.

"I handle production, marketing and social media, website management, rental agreements, hiring, grant writing, playwriting, and more. I work alongside our artistic director and technical director very closely, but my job description is very... general," she elaborated.

Weltzin and RCTC's artistic director Kerri Norris decided last year they we wanted to do another princess-focused pantomime – given the popularity of last year's RCTC Cinderella panto.

"We focused on Rapunzel, and the love XXXXXXXXXX the movie 'Tangled' received," said Weltzin. "We wanted to focus on another feminine hero, and one who was clever and independent," she shared.

This panto took at least five drafts, including "scrapping everything I'd written in January because it just wasn't melding together," she added. 

The final draft came through in May, followed by auditions in June and August, then first reading in September, followed by twice weekly rehearsals (115 hours worth) since October. Now, they're ready for showtime starting Friday.

Knotted runs Dec. 20 to 22 and 26 to 29 at the Surrey Arts Centre, then Jan. 3 to 5 at Massey Theatre in New Westminster.

"'Knotted: Rapunzel's Story' is a magical, musical, and comedic retelling of a classic fairy tale, with Rapunzel escaping her tower as the show begins. This show is family friendly, under two hours and a perfect introduction to theatre for kids or first-timers," said the creator.

It promises to be a show filled with groan-worthy puns and slapstick action, added Weltzin.

"'Knotted: Rapunzel’s Story is a classic tale of not letting anyone hold you back in the pursuit of knowledge and experience. You’ll be entertained by Dame Frau Fringe, Buzz, Braids, and many other characters whose names are based on hairstyles. Cheer Pixie Princess and ‘Boo’ Demon Dreadful as they struggle for control over Barber Academy. You’ll witness antics by Larry, Curly and Moe (get it?) in their pursuit of Rapunzel," she elaborated.

Asked about the appeal of panto, she said "It is the most fun type of show to be involved in. The audience interaction alone is so fulfilling, and I love being a part of children's holidays and watching them meet their favourite princess or characters. It was my favourite show growing up and still my favourite show now."

RCTC has been writing and producing classic British pantomimes for more than 20 years, and she's honoured to carry on the tradition.

"Pantos are based on hundreds of years of tradition, and is such a fun way to celebrate the holidays and introduce children to theatre for the first time. I went to pantomimes as a child with my grandparents and parents, and now I get to witness other parents and grandparents continue the tradition with their children and grandchildren. My hope is to one day have that experience with my own children," Weltzin concluded.

In addition to her role in this upcoming panto, there are a few other 91Ô­´´ites taking part, including Weltzin's husband, Jason Bunch – whom she "sucked in" to the world of theatre back in 2015, with the RCTC's production of "Puss 'n' Boots."

His role in 'Knotted' is rehearsal stage manager. Also from 91Ô­´´ is Deacon Martin who's part of the ensemble, Emily Walker who is part of the crew as the scenic painter, and Jean 'Mac' Blackburn, who is costume assistant.