Beginning February 26 through March 1, the Winthrop University Theater Department will open the curtains for their production of “Into The Woods.” The cast began rehearsals in January in preparation for the performances.
Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” is one of the most iconic musicals of all time, and starting February 26, Winthrop’s theater department will put their own spin on the 1986 classic.
Into The Woods follows a complex storyline of many classic fairytale characters, including but not limited to Jack, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. The musical incorporates many twists and turns and long lasting life lessons.
Rachel Dawson, who holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Florida Atlantic University and is a visiting assistant professor for Winthrop’s Department of Theater and Dance, is directing the production. She has been working at Winthrop University since August 2022.
During this period of time, she has directed “Pippin”, “Noises Off” and “Musical Theatre Workshop: There’s No Business Like Show Business.”
Dawson said she took a lot of time to develop her approach to directing this play.
“A deep understanding of the text is the foundation from which I begin my directing process,” Dawson said. “I read the script multiple times before I develop the concept. As far as the rehearsal room goes, excellent directing is about meeting students where they are and guiding them toward a path of expansion that deepens their work and honors the demands of the craft and script.”
Dawson said the best part of directing is seeing the cast members become comfortable and confident in the characters they’re acting as during rehearsals, as well as watching them get to know each other in real life.
“My favorite part of directing is watching students shift to a place in the rehearsal room where they feel confident to play and explore,” Dawson said. “Play and prep allow for nuanced performances and help tell a clear story. I also love watching how different casts bond and support one another.”
The assistant professor said she performed Into the Woods during her time as an undergraduate student, and has loved returning to the story from the perspective of the director.
“I performed in Into the Woods when I was an undergrad. It has been a joy to revisit the piece as a director. The show explores so much of the human experience and the text resonates with me differently as I am in a different stage of my life.”
An assistant stage manager and two cast members additionally shared their experiences during rehearsals for “Into The Woods”.
Mason Hall is a Junior theater education major and the President of APO, a collegiate level theater Honor Society. He’s currently working as an assistant stage manager for Into The Woods.
Hall has a deep personal connection to Into The Woods.
“Into The Woods has always been something really important to me, but now I get to look at it as an adult and realize it carries a lot of weight,” Hall said. “So it’s just something I think stands no matter what age you are.”
A key takeaway from the musical that Hall resonates with is, “Just because someone is nice to you doesn’t mean they’re being good to being good to you.”
Hall’s favorite part of stage management and theater is “connection”.
“Without people talking, without all this passion, without all this communication, theater wouldn’t exist, nor would it have a purpose,” Hall said.
Hall showed great enthusiasm for working with the Into The Woods team.
“I have to say, the cast we’re working with is phenomenal, but I’m also very excited to be working with our director, Rachel,” Hall said. “She is a professor and a director I’ve always looked up to, so getting to work with her is so exciting.”
Hall said that the stage management is a big help in keeping the production running as smoothly as possible.
“I keep in mind that stage management really holds a lot of things together, and we are responsible for a lot of the organization to make sure what we get done in rehearsal gets done. So I approach stage management by understanding the importance of organization in this position.”
Aidan Tibbitt is a Junior Theater Education major and the Vice President of APO. He will be playing the Narrator in Into The Woods. Tibbit has been involved in multiple other Winthrop productions, including, Pippin, Rent, Romeo and Juliet, and Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse.
Tibbitt also has a prior connection with Into The Woods.
“Spring Break 2020 I was supposed to go to New York and see a bunch of shows but COVID happened, so I couldn’t,” Tibbitt said. “Instead, my mom and I would sit on the couch and watch recordings from Broadway HD, because they had pro shots of different musicals. We watched both available versions of Into the Woods, the original version, and then the 2012 London version. And so Into The Woods kind of helped get me through that time- the no one is alone message in the musical really spoke to me, especially then, when it was so hard not to feel that way.”
Tibbitt has also found a more recent connection with the role he is playing in Into The Woods.
“From my understanding with the direction that the character is going in for this specific production, he’s kind of someone who’s returning somewhere and figuring out who others are and where they’ve come from,” Tibbitt said. “This speaks to me alot because I have a lot of family mystery. It’s hard to pinpoint what happened with a lot of members of my family- we’re a mysterious bunch over there.”
“I also love telling stories and I have always loved the narrator trope and so being able to explore that very literal side of theater is exciting.”
Tibbitt said he takes his time when preparing for roles.
“I do a lot of research into what the director wants for the character, as well as different interpretations of the character. I try to see what works and what doesn’t work. I will also literally write down on physical paper my thoughts on the character, why they are the way they are and why they do the things that they do- it helps me understand them a little bit more.”
Tibbitt said the story will keep the audience on their toes, even when they suspect that they know where the story is going.
“ Into The Woods seems like it wraps up in a nice little bow with the end of Act One, but the point of the story really lies in the second half of the show,” Tibbitt said.
Emily Camp is a senior theater performance major with a concentration in musical theater and a member of Delta Zeta.She will be playing the role of Milky White’s puppeteer. Camp has been involved in previous Winthrop performances, such as Growing Up and Moving Out and Romeo and Juliet, as well as multiple dance showcases.”
Camp has a great deal of love for the Into The Woods cast and staff.
“I love this cast,” Camp said. “I love this director. I’ve had Rachel for a few of my classes, and I have grown so much as a performer, with my confidence, and just as a performer from her- she’s literally one of the best staff members in our department.”
Camp said that she has performed with many of her cast members before, which makes the rehearsing for the production more intimate and fun.
“As far as the cast, I’ve done a bunch of different shows with many of these people. I have hung out with them outside of rehearsals, and some of them have become some of my best friends. It’s just a really great connection that we can all make, because we all have something we like and are connected to, but then we can also build those relationships outside of that connection.”
Camp said she looks forward to performing her role as a Milky White’s Puppeteer.
“My goal is to be able to connect and to breathe life into the character, making her someone that everybody can relate to and enjoy”
Camp also stated, “I think because of how involved I’ll be in this production, and how special it will be as my senior year, Into The Woods will be very memorable for me.”
Tickets for Into The Woods cost $10 for Winthrop students and $15 for general admission. The team highly encourages coming see all the production has to offer.
“This cast has been a joy to work with while contributing to a joyful show” Dawson said.
