Written by Charlytte Morrone
Photos by Crosby Ignasher
The character Jack with his mother and cow.
Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack (with the bean stalk) all starred in SCAD’s adaptation of Into the Woods. The musical — based on the book by James Lapine with original music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim — was, in no simpler words, enchanting. The tale is about a baker and his wife, who have been cursed with the inability to have a child by the witch next door. They go on a journey to obtain four special objects that have the magic to break the spell. These objects —the cow as white as milk, the cloak as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn and the slipper as pure as gold — are all found and everyone lives happily ever after by the end of Act 1.
Or do they?
Act 2 is when things go awry and the characters learn that there are consequences to their actions. As Prince Charming says in the play, “Right or wrong doesn’t matter in the woods.” What seemed like a fantasy is suddenly turned into a lesson about community and a rude awakening that life is not as perfect as it seems.
The show opened up with a magical forest of three large trees with a huge stump in the middle where the variety of fairy tale characters interacted. The fake tree moss blended with the video-projected forest in the middle of the stage. The set design crew had their hands full with the task of filling such a large stage and making it seem realistic, but they pulled it off. A large portion of the magic of this production is due to the remarkable detailing of the set.
The final musical number of the play.
The costumes are like the second skin to a performer. The costume designer realistically and professionally portrayed each character through their costume.
A character like the wolf — who was only in two scenes but made an impact due to his costume and his acting skills — is evidence of this clever costuming. The ball gown Cinderella wears to the ball, too, was a beautiful rendition of an iconic costume.
Now on to what some might say is the most important part of a play: the actors. SCAD’s performing arts students passionately threw themselves into this project and it showed. The dedication and commitment from each character brought the audience to laughter at moments and to tears at others. The singing was beautifully executed and for viewers unfamiliar with the soundtrack of the show, it brought smiles to their faces.
The fact that there was a live orchestra added to the entire theater experience. The music was on cue and the whole production, from the lights to the costumes to the set, flowed in such a professional manner that people should be running to go see this adaption of the renowned musical.
Before the opening of the show one of the stage managers, Ford Phillips, a third-year performing arts major from Spartanburg, South Carolina, talked about his experience and a little bit about the show itself.
Describe your favorite part of being a stage manager.
I am one out of three stage managers, so my particular role as a stage manager is to call out lines to the actors. It is relatively stress-free until the tech rehearsal, which is the night before the first show. I have to make sure everyone has his or her props and everything flows like a well-oiled machine.
What all entails being stage manager? Describe the process.
I am responsible for making the space comfortable and available for the actors to perform well. I am in charge of props, costume and call sheets. I am the indirect relation between the actor and director.
Have you been stage manager before?
This is my first time as a stage manager. It has been a great experience. I am grateful to work on such a great show with efficient workers. This experience has inspired me in my own work as an actor, seeing how well people can work together. Getting to see the whole process of what goes into making a production at SCAD has helped me learn how vital every person is as a part of the whole product.
For people who haven’t seen the show, what are they going to expect?
The core of the show is the message of good is subjective and nice doesn’t always mean good. Things aren’t always how they seem. It is important to take people’s advice with a grain of salt and discover life on your own.
