Theater Review: Into the Woods with the Driftwood Players summer teen troupe

Beware the Wolf!
Griffin Price as The Wolf
Photo by Sulfiati Magnuson

Into The Woods

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Book by James Lapine

Stage Directed Marianni Groves

Musical Director Mark Press

Edmonds Driftwood Players Presents

Summer Teen Troupe

July 21-24, 2016

Review by Doug Gochanour

It’s all about our young adults. The Summer Teen Troupe is an amazing program for talented youth, aspiring toward potential careers in and around theatre productions. It provides a fantastic educational opportunity, as these young thespians are totally involved in the creation of a successful performance.

This play featured 36 young actors, divided into two casts, each alternately performing Into The Woods. Each cast gave a wonderful performance, with singing and dancing and drama, and with excellent costuming and set design.

Into The Woods is a compiling and blending of familiar fairy-tale storybook characters.

Isabelle Smith as Little Red Riding Hood
Rehearsal photo by Sulfiati Magnuson

Cinderella, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), a cursed Baker and his wife, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, a Witch, and a couple of handsome Princes, are all intertwined in Act I. They mostly come to a point where we attribute the phrase, “Lived happily ever-after.”

In Act II, the happily ever-after part hits the fan. As young people leave the presumed safety and care of childhood, they venture into the woods of real life. The new phrase becomes, “Be careful what you wish for.” Unintended consequences often unravel the bliss of wishes fulfilled.

Rehearsal photo: The Witch
played by Abby Price
Photo by Sulfiati Magnuson

In this dark comedy, spouses become unfaithful, and even a Prince disappoints. Bickering between the Baker and his wife takes the pleasure out of raising their new child. The magic beans bring the wrath of a giant, threatening the lives of the characters, much like terrorism. Their previous actions return to haunt the characters, and with disastrous results.

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Now is the time to consider subscribing to the next season of Edmonds Driftwood Players. (Buy tickets here). Yes, we are talking about Season 58. What a very long history of serving the community with quality live entertainment! The plays include Wait Until Dark, Fahrenheit 451, Mr. Scrooge, Enchanted April, Leaving Town, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Lend Me A Tenor.