Friday, April 3, 1998

URTC goes 'Into the woods'

By KATHLEEN DONLEY
Collegian Arts Writer

If you've ever wondered what happens when someone like Cinderella crosses paths with Jack and his beanstalk, this weekend you'll have the chance to find out.

The University Resident Theatre Company will present the musical Into the Woods at 8 tonight through April 11 in the Playhouse Theatre. A matinee will also be performed on the 11th. Tickets cost $8.50 for students and $10.50 for nonstudents and are available at the Eisenhower Box Office and at the door.

The baker and his wife (played by Eric Feldman and Nikol Peterman) find themselves lost in the forest with the witch (played by Jenny Lebowitz) along with an array of storybook characters of Into the Woods. The University Resident Theatre will present the musical today through April 11 at the Playhouse Theatre. (Collegian Photo/Shawn Knapp - click for full size image)

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine wrote the musical, which interweaves the lives of famous fairy tale characters with an entertaining plot, but also a more serious message.

There are two main themes to the show, said director Travis DeCastro, who heads the University's stage management program.

"What happens when people in different fairy tales mix provides the humor and amusement of the show," he said.

More importantly, though, it shows that every action has consequences.

"It delivers a different kind of moral than we are used to with these fairy tales," DeCastro said.

He explained that in Act I Jack goes up the beanstalk and steals from the Giant, but in Act II, the Giant comes down the beanstalk and Jack must pay for his actions.

"Each character thinks they have done so well for themselves at the end of Act I, but in Act II we see that they are responsible for their actions," he said.

DeCastro said a particular lyric in the show summarized its moral.

"Careful of the tale you tell, that is the spell, children will listen," DeCastro quoted from the musical.

DeCastro said the woods are representative of danger and excitement.

"If art imitates life, we all have our own woods," he said. "They are a place where you're alone, but not all alone at the same time."

Into the Woods is a challenging piece of work, DeCastro said. With difficult material and moving scenery, the show is "sophisticated and complicated," he said.

It was also an expensive show to produce, said Lee Byron, general manager for the URTC. Due to the amount of scenery needed and the royalties that had to be paid Byron said it was more expensive than their usual shows.

"For how large a show, and complicated, it is, we are doing a fabulous job," Byron said.

Although the show was difficult and costly to produce Byron also thinks it was a good choice for the University.

"For one thing, the characters are all within the age range of the students playing them," he said. "It was what we needed to do to stretch as an organization."