Once upon some timeless tales
By Casey Gillis on May. 05, 2010
(434) 385-5525
Be careful what you wish for.
That’s something most of the characters learn the hard way in “Into the Woods,” the latest production from the Academy of Fine Arts’ Academy Players (see box for performance dates).
The musical intertwines plots from several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, including Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella. They’re tied together by the original story of a baker and his wife, who desperately want to have a child, but can’t because a witch has cursed them.
“It’s the quest musical,” says director Jeff Wittman. “People are going on a quest, and stuff happens along the way. Stuff happens in life.”
Most of the characters get what they want in the first act. Cinderella marries her prince; Jack goes up the bean-stalk, which results in the giant’s death; and Red defeats the wolf.
The second act shows the aftermath, what Wittman calls “Once Upon a Time … Later.”
“Act Two is an exploration of the obstacles and challenges these people face as they go back into the woods,” he says. “They test out their moral and ethical compasses.
“It goes from simple to complex. Things are darker (as they go deeper into the forest).”
The forest itself is something of a fantasyland, with large-scale storybooks — surrounded by trees — acting as various set pieces, including Rapunzel’s tower and the home of Red’s grandmother.
That world is put into jeopardy when the giantess, seeking revenge for her husband’s death, comes down from the beanstalk. Wittman says it’s then that the characters realize they must work together in order to survive.
“In a way, this musical is about coming together as a community … and moving forward. A new community is formed.”
Wittman, the chair of Lynchburg College’s theater department, directed the show there five years ago.
“I was very enamored with the piece. I’m very fond of Stephen Sondheim, and what he has to say,” he says. “There are very few shows that you want to direct again and again. This is one of those shows for me.”
IF YOU’RE GOING
WHAT: The Academy Players’ ‘Into the Woods’
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and May 14 and 15 and 2 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: The Academy of Fine Arts’ Warehouse Theatre
TICKETS: $24 for adults, $21 for seniors and $13 for students
INFO: (434) 846-TIXX or http://www.AcademyFineArts.com
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