Into the Woods
The stage of Fisher Theater glowed green this past weekend, as the wooden trees of the forest backdrop were highlighted to set the scene for a dark adventure in the woods. The cast of the musical production “Into the Woods,” under the direction of Chair of the Department of Theater and Dance Robert Richards, rehearsed since the first day of Winter Term.
The script was taken directly from the broadway show written in 1987, which was based on the original book written by James Lapine in 1993. It won multiple Tony Awards, even taking home awards over “Phantom of the Opera”. In 2014 the play was adapted for screen and became the popular movie starring actors such as Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp. Richards said that the decision to do this musical was largely driven by what the actors wanted—as it was a favorite for many of the actors.
“Resisting the temptation to say ‘this isn’t possible’ is what gives us the ability to adapt and find solutions.”
The story of “Into The Woods” intertwines well known fairy tales to create a whole new fantastical world. The musical begins with an introduction to several characters and their stories. These characters are Jack from “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Cinderella, the baker and his wife and Little Red Riding Hood. Their stories merge over a common longing for their individual wishes to be granted. A witch tells a baker she will bestow upon him and his wife a child, of which they deeply desire, if he collects a series of specific objects. The story follows the baker and his wife as they attempt to collect a cow as white as milk, hair as yellow as corn, a shoe as pure as gold and a cape as red as blood. To collect these items they must encounter other fairy-tale characters in the dark, ominous woods as they each pursue their own goals. When the baker and his wife have finally collected the necessary items and the other characters achieve their own happy endings, the story takes a turn. It is in the second half of the musical that the characters realize that happily ever after might not be so perfect after all. Although there are righteous morals from each fairy tail, the story shows the distasteful reality of understanding that fairy tales are not usually completely truthful. While offering a dose of satire, “Into the Woods” introduces the audience to this perspective.
The set inserted the audience into the world of the fantastical forest. In the background included a huge wooden structure of thick, gnarly trees with stairs to platforms that the actors danced throughout. At each new scene, different props were wheeled in by crew members to add to the woodsy, medieval ambiance. Cary Wendell, the technical director who oversaw the construction of the set and directed the crew, said, “I’m most proud of the looseness of execution in the drawing and painting of the set that allowed for spontaneous expression. I hope that the set design underscores the fact that the interwoven stories of the musical all come from children’s books.”
Senior Annie Ning was the stage manager for the show, alongside assistant stage manager lower Anna Clark. Their responsibilities ranged from timing lighting and sound to figuring out scene changes. Ning commented on the tedious aspect of producing something as technically complex as this musical. She said, “We had many light and sound pieces that happened so fast and all needed to be very precisely timed…I think we must have had Cinderella flick her wrist 20 times for me to get the timing just right.”
Responses to the performance were overwhelmingly positive. Prep Hanna Pak said, “I know a lot of people in the play and I know how hard they’ve been working. It was so great to see all of their hard work pay off in the end.”
Lower Daisy Tichenor, who played Little Red Riding Hood, said that she enjoyed watching the arch of improvement from the first show to the last. “Each show is different. I don’t like a show that drags. I want them to give an impactful experience individually,” she said.
Even if small mistakes were made, the cast and crew were generally satisfied with the culmination of their efforts. Tichenor accepted and embraced the mishaps. She said, “I’m of the mind that it is what it is or it is what it will be, but the small things I let go of in the end. I like revealing the craft, and mistakes are essential to the actors.”
Ning described the impact her involvement in the show had on her. She said, “I think this show, more than anything else, has taught me how important it is to be always willing to say ‘yes.’ No matter what problems we’ve faced, no matter what last-minute changes we run into, resisting the temptation to say ‘this isn’t possible’ is what gives us the ability to adapt and find solutions.”
After all the hours of hard work, the cast and crew have reason to be satisfied. Tichenor said with a smile, “It was so great to look around our cast and see people I came to love and respect, and who, despite some curve balls, put on a show we were all proud of.”