UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Centre Stage will produce "Into the Woods," with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, Feb. 28-March 18 at the Playhouse Theatre on the University Park campus.
The show is directed by Centre Stage artistic director Rick Lombardo, music directed by Harry Collins, and choreographed by Christopher Campbell.
The Baker, the Baker's Wife, Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood and even the Witch all wish for something, but they must learn the responsibility that comes with getting what you want in this Tony Award-winning musical.
A work of whimsy and intellectual agility, the show deals with some familiar characters who all find themselves threatened when Jack’s beanstalk brings them a visit from an angry giant. We see how the consequences of their actions haunt them in disastrous ways. The community must come together to save each other and their kingdom, but sacrifices must be made.
"Yes, the show asks the question, 'What happens after happily ever after?' but it really asks us to consider the ramifications of individual need versus collective action in the face of great need. In Act I all of the characters pursue their wishes wantonly, and with little concern for the impact of their choices on others. In Act II, these choices bring the giant who poses a new scale of crisis, and one that resists individual solutions," said Lombardo.
Arushi Grover, production dramaturg wrote, "Many at Penn State are learning how to be a part of a community, as the characters of 'Woods' learn in the second act. In recent years, we’ve been forced to consider how our breath expresses not only desire, but also causes danger. We learn how to obey our desires, but we also reckon with how our actions have consequences not just for ourselves, but for others."
Evening performances at 7:30 p.m. are $25; preview performance at 7:30 p.m. is $20; and tickets for students are $12.50. For additional show information, visit the Penn State Centre Stage website. Non-Penn State arts and architecture students can watch for free by visiting this link.