The original production of “Into the Woods,” in 1988 earned 10 Tony nominations and won three Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Book of a musical, and Best Actress for Joanna Gleason as the Baker’s Wife. A revival is currently playing on Broadway and several notable Broadway performers have stepped ‘into the woods’: Sebastian Arcelus, Sara Bareilles, Patina Miller, Brian d’Arcy James, & Neil Patrick Harris to name a few.
In the full-length version, Into the Woods is a brilliantly achieved examination of what happens after “happily ever after.” Although Decatur is performing the Junior version, the first half of the musical, the show has a charming, poignant, and profound score by Stephen Sondheim and a powerful humorous book by James Lapine. Into the Woods is a magical, imaginative adventure with a moral point of view. The show’s creators lead the audience on a journey to the darker side of fairy tales as they explore growing up, communal responsibility, and the values we pass on to our children. The show also deals with: the absence of a relationship between parents and children; with developing a code of morality; and with wish-fulfillment.
The production draws from the original Brothers Grimm versions of the fairy tales, which were more violent and the characters had greater challenges to overcome from the Disney or Perrault versions modern audiences might be familiar with. Also incorporated into the script and the lyrics were elements of Bruno Bettelheim’s The Uses of Enchantment, which is a psychological analysis of fairytales and their meanings stating that” … (the woods) is a place in which inner darkness is confronted and worked throughout; where uncertainty is resolved about who one is; and where one begins to understand who one wants to be.” The woods are a dominant symbol and represent the transition between childhood and maturity. Act I focuses on the individual journey of each fairy tale chararacter, while Act II brings together the characters to right the wrongs.
I have directed the full-length production of "Into the Woods" twice before. The first time was over two decades ago as I made my high school directorial debut at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Muenster. At 27 years old chose a powerful story to present as my debut as a director because of the meaning behind the musical. We all have battles to overcome but when we unite and work together, we can bring down the giants that wage war on us individually. Together, anything is possible and we must realize that although we may feel it, no one is alone.
I find my sentiments still resonate today as my directoral debut in Decatur.
Please enjoy this adult and student collaboration and we hope you stay with us on our theatrical journey this year. Please Think of this production not a 'final presentation,' but a work in progress. All students are working on and honing their craft each day and this is where we are in our learning, and on our journey.
Thank you for allowing me to spend time with your children. They are truly a gift! Thank you to Chris, Eric, and all the fine art staff. Thank you DISD and DHS Admin- You are all a blessing. Thank you to the Company of Into the Woods- You are a gift I will treasure always. Thank you Laura Gafford- This one's for you!
And remember- everything we do as adults mold and shape our youth. One could argue that it isn’t a lifetime of our raising and teaching that shape our youth, but moments that can lead a child on the right or wrong path. We must always choose our words wisely. I will leave you with the wise words from the production.
Rebecca Phillips
“Careful the things you say, children will listen.
Careful the things you do, children will see. And learn.
Children may not obey, but children will listen.
Children will look to you for which way to turn, to learn what to be.
Careful before you say, “Listen to me!” Children will listen.”
-The Witch, Into the Woods
