Every child knows what it's like to be scared of the dark.
Not just the literal dark, but the kind that settles in when something feels wrong and you don't have the words for it yet. When the world feels uncertain and the night feels long, and the only thing that makes sense is to climb to the highest place you know, pull the door closed behind you, and find a story.
We have always done this. Long before books, long before stages, human beings sat close together in the dark and said once upon a time- not to escape what frightened them, but to walk toward it at a safe distance. To try it on. To see if they could find their way through.
That is what the woods are for.
Into the Woods understands something that children understand instinctively . . . a wish is never just a wish. It's a question. What am I missing? What do I need? What happens if I'm brave enough to go looking? Cinderella, Jack, Little Red, the Baker and his Wife don't wander into the woods because everything is fine. They go because something is wrong, or incomplete, or frightening, and staying home isn't an answer anymore. The woods are where you go when you've run out of other options. When the night gets dark enough.
Act One is the going. The magic, and the running, and the dizzy thrill of getting what you wished for. Act Two is harder. The consequences arrive, as they always do, and the question shifts from what do I want? to who do I want to be? The woods don't just test you, they change you. And you cannot find your way out as the same person you were when you went in.
But here's what we keep coming back to . . . nobody makes it through alone. Not really. The Baker finds his way back. The children find each other. And sometimes, when the night has been long enough, and the story has done its work, a door opens and someone who loves you comes to find you.
That's the story we wanted to tell.
Into the Woods is one of the most demanding musicals ever written, and this company has met that challenge with courage, creativity, and an extraordinary amount of hard work in a very short amount of time. We are in awe of our cast and crew, who have given everything to bring this world to life for you tonight. Please take a moment to visit our special thanks page in your program. It truly takes a village to put on a musical this grand, and we are so grateful for every person who made this possible.
Good art should provoke thought and inspire change. We hope we are successful in this endeavor.
Jason & Alana Peck
Directors
