This week: Sudbury Secondary School Arts Education presents Into the Woods

Click here for a sneak preview…

Everyone in the community is invited to enjoy magical family entertainment at its best as Sudbury Secondary School presents Into the Woods.

Performances continue on Thursday, November 25th, Friday, November 26th and Saturday, November 27th at 7:30 pm in the Sheridan Auditorium at Sudbury Secondary School, 85 Mackenzie Street.

Audiences will be captivated by this Tony Award winning play, a brilliantly conceived exploration of what happens after "happily ever after" in our most beloved classic fairy tales.

Tickets, at $10 for seniors/students and  $15 for adults, can be purchased at Black Cat Too, Jett Landry Music, the Sudbury Secondary School Main Office and at the door.

Into the Woods, which has an enchanting, moving and profound musical score by Stephen Sondheim, and a powerful, witty book by James Lapine, opened on Broadway on November 5, 1987, at the Martin Beck Theatre under the direction of Mr. Lapine.

Into The Woods is an imaginative  adventure with a moral and political point of view.  Employing sophisticated artistry and innovative craft, the show’s creators lead the audience on a journey to the darker side of fairy tales as they explore the pain of growing up, communal responsibility, and the values we pass on to our children. 

As the intricate, absorbing plot unfolds, a childless baker and his wife, cursed by a wicked witch, go off into the woods in hopes of ridding themselves of her evil influence.  There they encounter Cinderella, her Prince, Little Red Ridinghood, the Wolf, Jack the Giant Killer, Rapunzel, and other fairy tale characters who are attempting to realize wishes of their own.

By the end of Act I, everything seems to be blissfully, happily resolved. But a destructive, vengeful force looms in the woods which leads to tragic consequences in the second act, bringing the characters to a painful, but hopeful resolution.

Filled with unexpected twists and dazzling insights, Into The Woods is a cautionary plea for commitment expressed through masterstrokes of theatrical magic.  Subjects as diverse as the promise of perfect love, the foolhardiness of questing for material goods, and the loving but difficult relationship between parents and children are considered in a landscape shaded with psychological undertones.

With tenderness and laughter, Sondheim and Lapine bring us through a maze that mirrors the complexity of everyday existence. Like the characters in Into The Woods, we end this journey aware of the moral consequences of our actions and the power of tolerance, community and shared sacrifice.