Into the Woods poster by Abigail Montgomery
The West Virginia University School of Theatre and Dance is bringing magic to downtown Morgantown with "Into the Woods,” October 24-27 at the Metropolitan Theatre. The Tony Award-winning musical by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim combines several Brothers Grimm fairytales into an exciting, tragic and heartwarming adventure.
When a witch places a curse on a baker's family, he and his wife set out to gather the supplies needed to reverse it: the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn and the slipper as pure as gold. After crossing paths with Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood, hijinks ensue – telling familiar stories like never before.
WVU Theatre students bring the script to life through acting, singing, set design, lighting and props. Damian Carlier stars as The Baker, who interacts with the various fairytale characters throughout the story.
"Finding ways to make him and his journey just as memorable as these famous stories has been a fun challenge," Carlier said. "My favorite character interaction in the show has to be my interactions with The Bakers Wife. With all the crazy things happening and stories intertwining with one another, the scenes with The Baker and The Bakers Wife bring the story back to reality. They are the everyday couple in the midst of a fairy tale world, so I think that when it's just them on stage, it adds that touch of humanity and relatability to the show."
Damien Carlier as The Baker and Lizzy Rutt as The Baker's Wife
Courtesy: Trace Reid Swisher
Carlier and Rutt rehearse a scene with Brianna Link, who plays Milky White
Courtesy: Ryan Scoble
Though a whimsical story of crisscrossing fairytales, "Into the Woods" also explores many themes audiences can relate to, including grief, resilience and parent-child relationships.
"Red is very similar to any other 12-year-old girl," said Paige Cheatham, who plays Little Red Riding Hood. "She likes her clothes and sweets and has a brilliantly witty sense of humor. The biggest difference is that she lives in a world with talking wolves and giant beanstalks. There is a sense of joy in finding the pieces of my younger self that live within this character and getting to relive some of those feelings."
As the actors worked to bring the characters to life, they also built the endurance to perform such a high-energy show each day.
"This production has clarified for me how important longevity and self-care are throughout the process of putting a show together," said Emarya Montgomery, who plays The Witch. "There's a whole different set of skills required to act, sing and dance every night. This experience has helped me develop a more holistic approach to caring for myself during the run of a show."
Paige Cheatham as Little Red Riding Hood, Courtesy: Trace Reid Swisher
Emarya Montgomery rehearses a scene with Alayna Scott, who plays Rapunzel
Courtesy: Ryan Scoble
"Into the Woods" requires both whimsical and mysterious set pieces, creating an atmosphere that feels both grounded and magical.
"'Into the Woods' is a fun show from a technical theatre perspective," said director Ryan Scoble. "It asks the designers to create the fairytale characters and spaces we know and love while also putting their own unique twist on them."
Talon Schultz works to create the Milky White prop, Courtesy: Bernadette Dombrowski
It all comes together on October 24, when the show premieres at the Metropolitan Theatre, located at 371 High Street in downtown Morgantown.
"I love directing shows at the Metropolitan Theatre because it is a chance for us to get out of our WVU spaces and into the community," Scoble said. "The Metropolitan Theatre is such a gorgeous, iconic space in Morgantown, and it is the perfect venue for this production of 'Into the Woods.'"
The theatre recently turned 100 years old, and Montgomery said the historic architecture adds to the magic.
"Working in the space has been so interesting," she said. "It's a beautiful theatre, and I'm glad I get the chance to perform here before I graduate. The historic theatre presents new challenges, but I think it also uplifts this classic story."
The Metropolitan Theatre in downtown Morgantown, Courtesy: Rachel Brosky
"Into the Woods" will run October 24 at 7:30 p.m., October 25 at 7:30 p.m., October 26 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and October 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at go.wvu.edu/ccam-tickets.