Into the Woods (Live Play)
Anthony Keith
Play Response: Into the Woods
Into the Woods was hilarious! The director’s comedic intentions were very evident and the the actors did a superb job at keeping the audience on the edge of their seat in suspense, waiting for the next opportunity to laugh. I love how Into the Woods felt very down to earth and comfortable. I saw it at the Alliance Theatre. The actors felt more amateur than The Wizard of Oz and the play felt less professional. The play intertwined the tales of Rapunzel, Jack in the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood, all to tell the story of a baker and his wife that are cursed by a witch!
There were no significant lighting and visual gimmicks at Into The Woods, just great actors, a stable setting, and a funny script. Seeing Into the Woods at the Alliance Theatre made me intrigued as to how different theatrical spaces influence different feelings for the audience and the role that it has on how individuals interpret a play. At the Fox Theatre, I felt very prestigious, but uptight. That may have made my expectations significantly higher, which led to a disappointing experience. At the Alliance Theatre, I felt comfortable, relaxed, at that other audience members were not professionals and executives, but friends and family going to enjoy a play casually.
Into the Woods did not feature the same miraculous visual supplements that were showcased in The Wizard of Oz. Instead, the lighting and visual components utilized were modest, yet appropriate. They did not outshine the performance, but complimented theplay exceptionally well. The environment was also not as immersive as The Wizard of Oz, but I appreciated feeling separate from the play. I felt like a viewer watching what was in front of me, separate but engaged, instead of within the play.
The costumes were as humble and seemingly amateur as the lighting and visual components, but I believe they added to the comfortability of the play and the comedic value. The costumes looked like high quality Halloween costumes, but no more, and added a dramatic appeal.
I have no negative critiques about Into The Woods. I would recommend anyone to see it at the Alliance theatre and to take family! It was fun and exciting. The play straddles the fence between being adult and childish as adult jokes about sex, love, independence, marriage, lust etc.are intertwined in song, dance, and playful exchanges.