Event

Into the Woods

Shows:
May 17 @ 7pm
May 18 @ 7pm
May 19 @ 2pm & 7pm
May 20 @ 1pm & 6pm

Into the Woods has been one of my favorite musicals for years, and I am delighted to finally stage it here at Sonoma Academy with this incredibly talented group of performers, musicians, and artists. Without relying on the traditional musical theatre guise of the boy meets girl love story, the play instead examines complex life lessons with stunning truthfulness.

The pervasive journey theme of Woods also provides fertile ground for young performers just beginning their own journey into adulthood--a journey that often feels like a dark forest filled with unknowns and setbacks. The struggles these characters face are both internal and external, testing their relationships, their resolve, their courage, and their desire to overcome obstacles and reach their goals.

In this play, each character learns that they must go into the woods to achieve their hearts desire, but that they will face many personal trials along the way. They can only prevail and achieve their wishes by confronting their deepest fears and finding courage and hidden resources, reminding us that the friendships we make along the way, the people we lose, the connections we forge, the challenges we overcome, and lessons we learn about ourselves are all integral parts of our own journeys as well. This story reminds us that by taking that first step into the shadows, we begin to discover our own self-worth. Sondheim's lyrics and rhyme schemes capture these feelings with genius and precision.