Florida Repertory Theatre presents Into the Woods and Into the Woods Jr. as part of the Education Department’s popular Conservatory Program.
Both productions feature a professional creative team and star local teens on the theatre’s outdoor stage. Into the Woods plays April 14 – April 24 and Into the Woods Jr is on the stage April 28 – May 2.
All performances begin at 8 p.m., and tickets range in price from $60 to $100 for a socially distanced six-person square on Florida Rep’s lawn.
“Producing live theatre has been a tremendous challenge, but these students haven proven, time and time again, to let nothing get in their way of creating live theatre. Their professionalism and sense of responsibility never cease to amaze me,” said education director Kody C. Jones.
“Into the Woods can’t be timelier for 2021 as the piece showcases characters facing unprecedented challenges but through the lens of fairy-tale characters. In many fairy tales, we often see our characters find their happy ending, but this story presents challenges for our iconic characters that parallels the everyday challenges of real life,” Jones continued. “our production centers around the concept of setting ‘the woods’ as a metaphor for ’life,’ and as we know life can present joy and laughter but also challenges and pain. Each character navigates through the woods in search of their destiny, and through the joys and challenges of their journey grow into the person they are bound to be.”
Into the Woods is Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s modern classic that looks at all the famous fairy tales in one spellbinding story. Cinderella, Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf, a wicked witch, and a pair of handsome princes are just some of the characters who appear in this musical where everyone has a wish and everyone wants a happy ending. Into the Woods follows a baker and his wife on a journey through the forest as they try to break an evil witch’s curse. Together they discover just how far they’ll go to make their dreams come true and how their actions have consequences they never intended.
The Spring Conservatory features two different versions of the modern classic. The older students will perform the full version of the musical, but the younger Conservatory students perform Into the Woods, Jr., which is shorter and ends with the first act – where all the fairy tale characters have found their happy endings. The full version of the musical takes a darker turn in the second act when the realities of wishes come true come to haunt some of our heroes.
Seating is limited and Florida Rep asks that tickets be purchased in advance, online at www.FloridaRep.org or by calling 239-332-4488.
