With the pressure of finals looming over the heads of us Badgers, many students are increasingly yearning for the carefree mindsets that were once commonplace during their childhoods. It seems only fitting that the University Theater’s latest production, “Into the Woods,” will take its viewers back to storybook territory. Yet, the story is hardly child’s play with a realist second act that the director, Pam Kriger, could only sum up in one word: “masterpiece.”
“Into the Woods,” a classic Stephen Sondheim musical, features a slew of fairy tale characters, and the main plot revolves around classics such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack of beanstalk fame. They are all in search of something, whether it be sweets for a grandmother or a way out of selling a beloved cow, and their stories all intertwine as they journey deeper into the woods.
Kriger, a UW alumna with over 35 years of directing experience, explained that even though the first act may appear lighthearted, this story is far from a carefree romp in the forest.
“At the end of the first act, all the characters have gotten what they want and you could say that things are ‘happily ever after.’ The second act is what happens after ‘happily ever after,'” Kriger said.
Many other adaptations of this show directed toward younger audiences choose to omit the second act, as it is riddled with tragedy and has a much darker tone than the first act.
“I think it is tragic that people would not do the second act,” Kriger said. “I think the second act makes the whole show because that’s where you get out of just fairy tale. The characters do grow up, and when you grow up, life isn’t as easy, and that’s what they’re dealing with.”
The music promises to be just as interesting and engaging as the complex story itself. After speaking with Scott Foss, the musical director with more than 30 productions of directing experience, it became clear just how intricate Sondheim’s score is. He explained that Sondheim used the leitmotif theatrical and compositional technique, which “uses musical themes to suggest both emotions and characters.” He also uses this technique to “establish relationships between our characters and their ‘wishes’ as he explores the power of greed.”
Foss explained that he even had to re-score much of Sondheim’s masterpiece in order to adjust to the constraints of the Mitchell Theater.
“With my first look at the pit in the Mitchell Theater, I determined that we could get no more than 7 players in the space, with the original score calling for a minimum of 14 players,” he said. “With the importance of the leitmotif employed by the composer, it was essential that themes played by instruments not being used needed to be assigned to those that are being used. Musical themes originally played by horns and/or trumpets are now assigned to the winds or the keyboards. No brass instruments are being employed.”
The production is sure to wow audiences with a beautifully mysterious woods set with moveable platforms and a dynamic cast that never fails to impress Kriger.
“The biggest challenge was my schedule because I couldn’t come for the first two weeks, as I was doing another show,” she explained. “To the credit of this amazing cast and the stage management especially, the show was on its feet in only 11 days of staging. It’s been intense, but the cast was incredible.”
Foss went on to emphasize, “This has been one of the most enjoyable casts I have ever worked with. They have taken direction like pros.”
Audiences seeking a thought-provokingly dark adventure toward a not so happily ever after shouldn’t miss “Into the Woods.” Those looking for a carefree evening may want to leave at intermission, but as Kriger put it best, “If you want to see a happy play then go see ‘Oklahoma!'”
“Into the Woods” will be playing at the Mitchell Theater beginning April 16. For ticketing information visit www.utmadison.com.
