The inner workings of Into the Woods

Aerda Roddan and Sam Warjone|October 21, 2022

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William Lovelace

Lola Havens demonstrates choreography with Billie Crane

Into the Woods, a classic musical, is being performed this year at Olympia High School. However, the theater department is adding a new twist to the old story.

This show traditionally follows a baker and his wife as they journey into the woods to make a potion so a witch can grant them a child. As they journey through the woods, they learn lessons on life, love, and loss. Olympia High School is making this story its own by depicting it through the point of view of a child telling fairy tale stories to process life’s troubles.

Lola Havens, the actress playing Cinderella, says “I see this concept [as a] child is just trying to cope, and as the show progresses, the narrator’s darkest fears are projected into the story.”

Alec Forth, stage crew member, talks about how this version, being from the perspective of a child, makes this show original. “I think it adds a really deep meaning to the show that isn’t originally there.”

Dallas Myers, director, made this version his own by taking inspiration from two different productions. He was inspired by a production in London at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2010, an outdoor theater where the group performed Into the Woods with an atypical narrator. “This version that I’m super inspired by used a child narrator to tell the story as a type of coping mechanism.” stated Myers, “ I think that adds a level of complexity to the show that’s really beautiful.”

Myers also took interest in an image from The Neverending Story, where the main character narrates the story from the attic of an old school. “That image really inspired me for our setting. Attics are things of childhood terror and fun because you go there to play but there’s also scary dark cobwebby corners.”

Using different concepts from different stories, Myers has created a unique and brand-new version. “Nobody’s seen this version of Into the Woods.”

The show will be performed on November 10th, 11th,12th,17th, and 19th, at 7:00 pm., with a matinee on the 12th at 1:00 pm. Tickets will be available next week through Purplepass.