PERFORMANCE GUIDE

“The purpose of education is to help

students to feel together and to think for
themselves, instead of thinking together
and feeling alone.”
—Ken Robinsonin: Renaissance in the Classroom: Arts Integration
and Meaningful Learning

heatreWorks would like to thank our TheatreWorks for Schools partners, whose financial support enabled us to

T provide in-depth arts education throughout Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. We served more than
12,000 students, patients and community members with 34,000 student contacts during the 2004-2005 season.

Corporate Donors
Adaptec
Applied Materials, Inc.
Bank of America
LifeScan, Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
Mid-Peninsula Bank
SAP
Symantec Corporation
VERITAS Software Foundation
Washington Mutual

Foundation Donors
Charter Oak Foundation
Charles A. Becker Foundation
The Grove Foundation
The Michelson Foundation
The Nelson Fund at Community Foundation Silicon Valley
Palo Alto Lions Charities
Peninsula Community Foundation
The Rathmann Family Foundation
Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund
Rotary Club of Mountain View
The Sand Hill Foundation
VanLobenSels/RembeRock Foundation

Individual Donors
Anonymous
Martin & Diane Brandt
Frank & Christine Currie
Anessa Karney
Jill Sagner & Steve Lipman
Mr. & Mrs. John Rudolph
Mr. & Mrs. John B. Wilson
Mark & Sheila Wolfson
 What to bring to the theatre —

Introspection
Curiosity
Questions
Respect
An open mind

What to leave behind —

Judgements
Cell phones, etc.
Backpacks

a hand out for our student audiences

he Matinees will begin at 11:30 am on December 7, 2005 and January 5, 2006 at the Lucie

T Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. The play is approximately 2-1/2 hours long plus one 15 minute
intermission. The play will be followed by a discussion with actors from the show. Student
audiences are often the most rewarding and demanding audiences that an acting ensemble can
face. Since we hope every show at TheatreWorks will be a positive experience for both audience
and cast, we ask you to familiarize your students with the following theatre etiquette.

When the performance is about to begin, the lights will dim. This is a signal for
the actors and the audience to put aside concerns and conversation and settle
into the world of the play.

The performers expect the audience’s full attention and focus. Performance is
a a time to think inwardly, not a time to share your thoughts aloud. Talking to
neighbors (even in whispers) carries easily to others in the audience and to the
actors on-stage. It is disruptive and distracting.

There is no food in the theatre: soda, candy, and other snacks are noisy and,
therefore, distracting. Please keep these items on the bus or throw them away
before you enter the audience area. There are no backpacks in the theatre.

Walking through the aisles during the performance is extremely

disruptive. Actors occasionally use aisles and
stairways as exits and entrances. The actors will notice
any movement in the performance space. Please use
the restroom and take care of all other concerns
outside before the show or at intermission.
prepare

Pagers, watch alarms and other electronic devices
should be turned off before the performance begins.
your
When watch alarms, cell phones, and pagers go off it is
very distracting for the actors and the audience. students
L
ive theatre offers students an opportunity to experience new ideas,
challenge the status quo, and discover people previously unknown to for our
them It is our hope that this study guide will help your students get the
most out of their TheatreWorks matinee. teachers
How to use this Study Guide

This guide is arranged in worksheets. They are labeled in the bottom right corner. Each worksheet or reading may be
used independently or in conjunction with others to serve your own educational goals. Together, the worksheets
provide a scaffolded unit to prepare students for seeing the production at TheatreWorks and for discussing the
performance afterwards. (Certain worksheets will be more appropriate for different ages. Please choose accordingly.)

What is in this Study Guide

— Worksheet 1 Overview: What is a fairy tale?

— Worksheet 2 Exploring Plot: About the Play
— Worksheet 3 Writing Exercise: Re-imagining Fairy Tales
— Worksheet 4 Exploring Metaphor: What is “the woods?”
— Worksheet 5 Exploring Theme: “Temptation and Growing Up”
— Worksheet 6 Exploring Theme: “Good versus Evil”
— Worksheet 7 Exploring Theme: “Community Responsibility”
— Worksheet 8 After the Production For Older Audience: “Our Universe of Obligation”
— Worksheet 9 After the Production: “Happily Ever After”

standards
— Worksheet 10 Storytelling Through Song and Music
— Worksheet 11 Elements of Live Theatre: Costume, Set, Lighting
— Worksheet 12 For the Teacher Feedback Form
— Worksheet 13 For the Student Feedback Form
— Resource Page

Theatre Arts Content Standards:

Grades 4 Standard 1.0 Observe environment and respond, using the elements and vocabulary of theater
9-12 1.0 Use the vocabulary of theater, such as acting values, style, genre, design, and
theme, to describe theatrical experiences.
4 1.2 Identify a character's objectives and motivations to explain the character's behavior
8 1.2 Identify and analyze recurring themes and patterns (e.g., loyalty, bravery, revenge,
redemption) in a script to make production choices in design and direction.
9-12 1.2 Document observations and perceptions of production elements, noting mood,
pacing, and use of space through class discussion and reflective writing.
4 4.0 Critique and derive meaning from works of theater, film/video, electronic media and
theatrical artists on the basis of aesthetic qualities
5 4.0 Develop and apply appropriate criteria for critiquing the work of actors, directors,
writers, and technical artists in theater, film, and video.
4 4.1 Develop and apply appropriate criteria or rubrics for critiquing performances as to
characterization, diction, pacing, gesture and movement
5-6 4.1 Develop and apply appropriate criteria for evaluating sets, lighting, costumes,
makeup, and props.
7 4.1 Design and apply appropriate criteria or rubrics for evaluating the effective use of
masks, puppetry, makeup, and costumes in a theatrical presentation.
8 4.1 Develop criteria and write a formal review of a theatrical production.
5 4.2 Identify examples of how theater, television, and film can influence or be influenced
by politics and culture.
9-12 4.2 Report on how a specific actor used drama to convey meaning in his or her
performances.
4-12 5.0 Apply what they learn in theater across subject areas (in particular language arts)

Language Arts Content Standards:

— Contrast the actions, motives (e.g., loyalty, selfishness), and appearances of characters.
— Understand that theme refers to the meaning or moral of a selection and recognize themes.

For additional information, contact Elissa Stebbins, Education Associate at 650.463.7154, [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you and your students at the theatre.

 Once
Upon
a Time. . .
. . . in a far off kingdom
lived a young maiden,
a sad young lad,
and a childless baker
with his wife.
So begins, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical Into the Woods, a fairy
tale journey of characters, both familiar and new, searching for their “happy ever
after” ending.

For Older Students:

To begin your study of this musical, take a moment to review some of their favorite
fairy tales. Brainstorm a list of stories with your students, reviewing the plots briefly.
As you discuss the stories, ask students to look for elements that many of the stories
share. Older students may be interested to learn that many of the fairy tale versions
we are familiar with are very sanitized and different in tone than their original
versions (primarily thanks to Disney movies!). Most of the characters in Into the
Woods come from a collection of tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, commonly
referred to as The Brothers Grimm. Older students may enjoy comparing the darker
versions to the versions they remember from their younger years.

For Younger Students:

Create a list of familiar tales that include Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk,
Rapunzel, and Little Red Riding Hood. Perhaps read aloud a different fairy tale each
day or embark on a more in-depth study of fairy tales with your class. In so doing,
create a chart that identifies elements that the stories share such as:

- “Once upon a time”

- good characters versus evil characters
- a beautiful princess or a handsome prince (or both!)
- the use of magic
- talking animals
- a happy ending

Students of all ages, may find it interesting to compare and contrast differing fairy
tale versions. The Cinderella story, in particular, is found in many different cultures
around the world. A list of multi-cultural fairy tales can usually be found at your local
library.
worksheet

1
 mix it
up/
the plot
ACT I

In a far off kingdom, we meet a

childless Baker and his Wife. They learn from
the Witch next door that because the Baker’s father
had stolen magic beans from her garden, she made his
father and mother pay by giving up their daughter, Rapunzel,
to her. The poor Baker didn’t even know he had a sister!
To his further dismay, he learns the witch also placed a spell
on him to ensure that he would not be able to have chil-
dren. She promises to reverse the spell if the Baker
will collect four items for her
within three days—“ONE: THE COW AS WHITE AS MILK, TWO: THE CAPE AS RED AS BLOOD, THREE: THE HAIR AS
YELLOW AS CORN, FOUR: THE SLIPPER AS PURE AS GOLD.” The Baker (unknowingly followed by his wife) sets out
on a journey through the neighboring woods to find the items. Meanwhile, Little Red Riding Hood is making her way
through the woods to her grandmother’s house, while Cinderella is going to visit her mother’s grave in the woods,
and Jack is off to the market in order to sell his cow, Milky White, to get money for food. In the course of their
journeys, these characters and others meet and intermingle in ways familiar and unexpected, but by the end of Act
I, the characters have all been granted their wishes and prepare to live their lives happily ever after.

ACT II
At the top of Act II, we see that the “happily ever after” for which our main characters wished, did not turn out
quite the way they thought it would. And to make matters worse, a great disaster in the kingdom suddenly sends
them back into the woods fleeing for their lives. Not everyone survives this disaster and characters face tough deci-
sions about how to carry on. Many learn for the first time the value of depending on one another.

connections
Explore merging characters in different stories to create new stories with this improvisation
exercise:

1. Select four students to act as “storytellers.”

2. Ask the audience for the names of three characters from famous fairy tales and a special location.
3. The teacher should serve as the story starter and “conductor.” Begin the story for the group (being sure
to set the stage and include a conflict). Then point to one of the storytellers to continue where you
left off. At varying points in the story, point to a different storyteller to indicate they should continue
the narrative.
4. Stop the narrative when it comes to a natural conclusion (sometimes this must be prompted).
5. Repeat with new storytellers, characters, and locations.

HELPFUL HINTS
- Instruct the students that the main characters cannot die in the first round of the game. worksheet
- Keep it moving fast in attempt to prevent “planning ahead.”

2
 re-imagining

fairy tales
A
s briefly summarized on worksheet 2, the plot
of Into the Woods draws on the plots of many Story Map
well known fairy tales. Continue to have stu-
dents explore this concept of adapting and changing
stories to create new stories of their own with the fol-
Main Setting:
lowing writing exercises (select exercises most appro- Characters:
priate for your students’ level). The story map to the
right can be copied and enlarged.

Fractured Fairy Tale

Select a well know story such as Cinderella.

Brainstorm with students ways in which the story
might be altered. For example: Problem (conflict):
- Cinderella is homely but good at heart. (a la
Shrek style)
- The prince can’t dance and is very shy.
- Cinderella doesn’t want to get married.
Event (action):
Outline a new story based on one of your ideas. After
modeling, allow students to select a story of their own
and change the tale to create their own story.

From A Different Perspective

Read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon

Event (action):
Scieska aloud. Talk about how the story changes
when told from the wolf’s perspective. Have students
select a different fairy tale and tell the story from one
of the other character’s point of view.
For example:
- The evil stepmother in Snow White How the problem is solved (resolution):
- The wolf in Little Red Riding Hood
- The Giant’s mother in Jack & the Beanstalk
- The stepsister in Cinderella

Predictions
What the characters learn (moral):
Read the synopsis for Into the Woods on page 2. In
small groups, allow students to make predictions
about Act. II. Have them create their own story.

Options for all writing exercises:

1. Write the story in script format and perform it. worksheet

3
2. Write the story in picture book format.
3. Write the story and perform as a puppet show.
 “the
woods”
Top of ACT I
INTO THE WOODS End of ACT I
TO GET MY WISH
I DON’T CARE HOW THOUGH IT’S FEARFUL,
THE TIME IS NOW... THOUGH IT’S DEEP,
THOUGH IT’S DARK,
THE WAY IS CLEAR AND THOUGH YOU MAY End of ACT II
THE LIGHT IS GOOD LOSE THE PATH,
I HAVE NO FEAR, THOUGH YOU MAY THOUGH IT’S FEARFUL,
NOR NO ONE SHOULD. ENCOUNTER WOLVES, THOUGH IT’S DEEP,
THE WOODS ARE JUST TREES YOU MUSTN’T STOP, THOUGH IT’S DARK,
THE TREES ARE JUST WOOD. YOU MUSTN’T SWERVE, AND THOUGH YOU MAY
NO NEED TO BE AFRAID THERE– YOU HAVE TO ACT! LOSE THE PATH,
THERE’S SOMETHING YOU CAN HAVE YOUR WISH, THOUGH YOU MAY
IN THE GLADE THERE... BUT YOU CAN’T JUST WISH— ENCOUNTER WOLVES,
NO, TO GET YOUR WISH YOU CAN’T JUST ACT,
YOU GO...INTO THE WOODS YOU HAVE TO THINK.
AND THROUGH THE FEAR...
THERE ARE ALWAYS WOLVES,
THERE ARE ALWAYS SPELLS,

connections THERE ARE ALWAYS BEANS,

OR A GIANT DWELLS THERE...

INTO THE WOODS,

Lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim uses the journey BUT NOT TOO FAST
through the woods to represent the characters’ journey through OR WHAT YOU WISH
life’s challenges. YOU LOSE AT LAST.

The boxes above contain exerpts of lyrics from the title song in INTO THE WOODS, BUT MIND THE PAST.
it’s various forms throughout the play. Read each set of lyrics INTO THE WOODS, BUT MIND THE
and see if you can tell what Sondheim is trying to say about the
woods, about life, and about how we should approach obstacles
in our lives. Look specifically at how the lyrics change from one
act to the next. What do you think the characters learn in their
journey?

a metaphor:
1. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing
is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison
worksheet
2. One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.

4
 I KNOW THINGS NOW
(SUNG BY LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD)

temptation MOTHER SAID

“STRAIGHT AHEAD.”
NOT TO DELAY

and OR BE MISLED.
I SHOULD HAVE HEEDED
HER ADVICE...

growing BUT HE SEEMED SO NICE.

up
AND HE SHOWED ME THINGS,
MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS,
THAT I HADN’T THOUGHT TO EXPLORE,
THEY WERE OFF MY PATH,
SO I NEVER HAD DARED.
I HAD BEEN SO CAREFUL
I NEVER HAD CARED,
Read the lyrics (left) sung by Little Red Ridinghood AND HE MADE ME FEEL EXCITED —
in the musical Into the Woods. Use the song and WELL, EXCITED AND SCARED.
what you know of Little Red’s story from the tradi-
tional fairy tale to answer the following questions: WHEN HE SAID “COME IN!”
WITH THAT SICKENING GRIN,
- How did the Wolf trick Little Red Ridinghood? HOW COULD I KNOW WHAT WAS IN STORE?
- Why do you think she listened to him even though she ONCE HIS TEETH WERE BARED,
knew it was forbidden? THOUGH, I REALLY GOT SCARED —
WELL, EXCITED AND SCARED —
- What did she learn from her experience?
- What does she mean by her final two lines? BUT HE DREW ME CLOSE
AND HE SWALLOWED ME DOWN,
DOWN A DARK SLIMY PATH
WHERE LIE SECRETS THAT I NEVER

connections WANT TO KNOW

AND WHEN EVERYTHING FAMILIAR

SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR FOREVER,

AT THE END OF THE PATH
A moral is a lesson that the character learns in the WAS GRANNY ONCE AGAIN.
story that we can apply to our own lives.
SO WE WAIT IN THE DARK
- Can you learn from Little Red’s lesson? UNTIL SOMEONE SETS US FREE,
- Have you ever been tempted to do something you knew AND WE’RE BROUGHT INTO THE LIGHT,
you shouldn’t do? What happened? AND WE’RE BACK AT THE START.

Use your experience (or make up a new one) to write AND I KNOW THINGS NOW,
MANY VALUABLE THINGS,
your own fairy tale with a moral at the end. Share with
THAT I HADN’T KNOWN BEFORE:
your classmates.
DO NOT PUT YOUR FAITH
IN A CAPE AND A HOOD —
THEY WILL NOT PROTECT YOU
THE WAY THAT THEY SHOULD —
AND TAKE EXTRA CARE WITH STRANGERS,

after the play EVEN FLOWERS HAVE THEIR DANGERS.

AND THOUGH SCARY IS EXCITING,
NICE IS DIFFERENT THAN GOOD.
Many of the characters in Into the Woods (both NOW I KNOW:
young and old) are tempted to do things that DON’T BE SCARED
they may know are not exactly the best choices GRANNY IS RIGHT,
to make in life in order to get something they want. JUST BE PREPARED.
In return, each of them learn valuable life lessons.
After seeing the production, discuss which ISN'T IT NICE TO KNOW A LOT!
characters make mistakes in their journey
through the woods. Do they learn from these ... AND A LITTLE BIT NOT ...
mistakes?
worksheet

5
 good and evil T raditionally, fairy tales have one character who
serves as the “bad guy.” This stock character is often
depicted as very evil and out to get the main charac-
ter through no fault of their own. Think of the following
fairy tales and name the “bad” character.

Hansel & Grethel Little Red Ridinghood

Rapunzel Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs
The Little Mermaid The Three Little Pigs

These characters seem to act out of pure evil. They are

just simply bad. In Into the Woods, Sondheim and Lapine
take the character of the witch, a traditionally evil charac-
ter, and make her much more complex. The witch is given
OF COURSE WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS THE a story of her own, with a mother who was not very nice
BLAME, to her and a daughter who she loves very much. She
SOMEONE YOU CAN BLAME. makes mistakes and she is punished for those mistakes,
FINE, IF THAT’S THE THING YOU ENJOY, but she is much closer to a human being with her ability to
PLACING THE BLAME. love and to learn.
IF THAT’S THE AIM, GIVE ME THE BLAME —
JUST GIVE ME THE BOY... Likewise, the other characters are also more complex.
NO... They, too, make decisions that are selfish and ultimately
YOU’RE SO NICE. cause harm to themselves or others. Like in real life, the
YOU’RE NOT GOOD, YOU’RE NOT BAD, line between good and evil is blurred. Each character has
YOU’RE JUST NICE. the capacity to act very “good” and very “bad.” Sometimes
I’M NOT GOOD, I’M NOT NICE, I’M JUST a character is trying so hard to get what they want, they
RIGHT. don’t realize that they are hurting someone else. They
I’M THE WITCH. don’t even recognize the consequences of their actions.
YOU’RE THE WORLD.

After the Play

Read the quote above, what is the witch trying to say to the other characters.

After seeing the play, trace the journey of one character. What do they do that seems bad or selfish?
What do they do that seems good or selfless? Do you think of them as a good or bad person?

Does doing a bad thing mean you are a bad person?

What is your definition of a good person?

Can you think of a time in your life when you did something that hurt someone else, even though you
did not intend for that to happen? How did you feel afterwards? What did you do?

When we read a story, we assume that a character called the witch is going to be an evil person. We
usually assume that the beautiful princess is going to be a nice, good person. Can you create a story in
which the reverse is true? You can use a traditional fairy tale and re-write it or write a new story all on
your own.

worksheet

6
 After the Play

community responsibility
It takes two.
I thought one was enough.
It’s not true.
It takes two of us.
You came through
When the journey was rough. Mother cannot guide you.
It took you. Now you’re on your own.
It took two of us. Only me beside you.
—The Baker, Act I Scene III
Still, you’re not alone.
No one is alone. Truly.
No one is alone.
—Cinderella, Act II Scene II

I
nto the Woods is about learning how to care for one another in times of need. This can be called having a
sense of “community responsibility.” Choose one of the sets of lyrics above. Write about what was happening in
the play when they were sung. How does the scene portrat this idea of “community responsibility?” When you
have finished, draw a picture below the description illustrating what happened in the scene.

Can you think of any other instances in which characters showed a sense of “community responsibility?”

worksheet

7
 “Among other things, the show is about
community responsibility...you can’t just go and chop down
trees and tease princes and pretend that beans are worth
more than they are. Everybody has to pay for that.”
--Sondheim about Into the Woods

our
C ommunities are not built of friends, or of groups of people with
similar styles and tastes, or even of people who like and
understand each other. They are built of people who feel they universe of
are part of something that is bigger than themselves: a shared goal or
enterprise, like righting a wrong, or building a road, or raising children,
or living honorably, or worshipping a god. To build community requires
only the ability to see value in others; to look at them and see a
obligation
potential partner in one's enterprise.

Historian Helen Fein offers the phrase "universe of obligation" to help people understand an operational definition of
community. She believes that communities often expand and contract to include or exclude members, and that this
expansion or contraction involves not only circumstances, but real choices, moral and ethical choices, about how to
see "other" people.

Fein's phrase, "universe of obligation," describes "that circle of individuals or groups toward whom obligations are
owed, to whom rules apply, and whose injuries call for amends."

connections
After seeing the play, break out into small groups and have each group read this definition of “Universe of
Obligation.” Report back and spend a few minutes jotting down on the blackboard what is powerful or significant
about the definition. Make a list of all the communities that members of your class belong to. What does the defini-
tion suggest to you about the "communities" we belong to? Can your class name two or three groups or communi-
ties with which they identify in particular?

With a partner, discuss how your definitions of Universe of Obligation might relate to the themes in Into the Woods.

Think about the journey of the characters; specifically consider where each “family” began at the start of the show
and how new families were created by the end of the show.

Did this fairy tale version of life reflect our own society in any way?

Now consider, the recent tragedies surrounding Hurricane Katrina. How did this concept of “Universe of Obligation”
play out in the response to the victims of the hurricane?

- Can you think of examples in which some

people expanded their universe of obligation?
You move just a finger.
- Can you think of examples in which some Say the slightest word.
people did not? Somethings bound to linger.
- Do you think we learned anything as a country
about our interconnectedness? Be heard.
—the Baker & Cinderella, Act II Scene II
Now consider your own community, are there bridges
that need to be built to expand your universe of obliga-
tion?

worksheet

8
 happily ever after?
What begins so innocently as a simple wish for each of the
characters in Into the Woods sends them on a journey that
changes them forever.

The characters in this fairy tale do not all find a happily ever
after ending...or at least not the one they imagined they would
have at the start of the story.

Can you match the character with their lines from the show? Draw a line from the character to the quote.
Discuss with your classmates the lesson that each learned. Did they get what they want? Was it what they
expected?
I was perfect.
I had everything but beauty. No more giants,
I had power, The Waging war.
And a daughter like a flower, Baker Can’t we just pursue our lives
In a tower. With our children and our wives?
Then I went into the woods Till that happier day arrives,
To get my wish How do we ignore
And now I’m ordinary. All the witches,
Cinderella’s
Lost my power and my flower. All the curses,
stepsisters All the wolves, all the lies,
The false hopes, the goodbyes,
I thought that if you were the reverses,
mine, that I would never wish All the wondering what even
for more. And part of me is The worse is still in store?
content and as happy as I’ve Prince All the children...
ever been. But there remains All the giants....
a part of me that continually No more.
needs more...I shall always
love the maiden who ran I was greedy.
Cinderella
away. I was vain.
I was haughty.
My father’s house was a I was smug.
nightmare. Your house We were happy.
The It was fun.
was a dream. Now I
want something in Witch But we were blind.
between. Then we went in to the woods
To get our wish
And now we’re really blind.

What lesson do you think these characters learned?

The Baker’s Wife

Jack

Little Red Ridinghood

worksheet

9
 storytelling
through song & music
was capped with a reassuring reprise at the final

A
merica’s greatest orignal contribution to the
theatre is the musical; yet the genre is too often curtain.The climate of progress and promise that
dismissed as escapist entertainment. The prevailed during the creative period of Rodgers and
reasons for the musical’s disrepute are many. In it’s Hammerstein’s career no longer existed by the late
infancy, in the early years of this century, musical 1960’s. From that point on, for an artist in the
theatre was unsophisticated. The plot line was thin. commercial theatre to comment on, or attempt to
There was little attempt to integrate song and dance, change, prevalent attitudes has been an invitation
and a basic formula of delight and diversion, beautiful to financial disaster and obscurity.
girls, slapstick comics, and romantic ballads prevailed.
The simplistic moralism, the naive optimism, the noble Yet Sondheim and his collaborators have blazed a trail
hero and simpering heroine were adopted, unaltered, of creativity and commitment on Broadway. Rather
from the nineteenth-century melodrama. The than an esoteric style, they have chosen the popular
commercial success of these pieces encouraged their form of American theatre and invested it with a truth
fossilization into a predictable pattern of sensational and vitality rarely associated with Broadway musicals.
extravaganzas. Artistic merit was deemed less
important than financial gain. The musical was viewed Sondheim and his collaborators choose both complex
solely as a commercial commodity. subjects and consistently experimental techniques, and
their musicals begin after the traditional happily-ever-
The evolutionary progression of the musical from after has run into trouble. In an interview with Hubert
Showboat to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! is Saal of Newsweek, Harold Prince explains his and
well documented in histories of the American musical. Sondheim’s commitment to “truth” in the musical
The form changed and became increasingly complex. theatre: “I work in the theatre, not in the musical
Integration became the key word as Rodgers and theatre... Who says to be entertained means to be
Hammerstein wove the texture of song, dance, and plot tickled?...I think it’s more stimulating to be upset. I try
closely together. Yet despite the fact that such themes to be part of what I want to see. And I go to the
as racial prejudice (in South Pacific and Finian’s theatre to see a little blood drawn.”
Rainbow, for example), marital disharmony and infidelity
(in Carousel and The Most Happy Fella), and capitalist Sondheim is the preeminent exponent of this new
venality (in Allegro and How to Succeed in Business musical form. His work has redefined the genre and,
Without Really Trying) were introduced, this kind of as a result, the gulf that separated “serious,” “legiti-
theater retained an essential naivete. The musicals of mate” theatre from the musical theatre has effectively
the forties and fifties were escapist in that they trans- been bridged.”
ported their audience into a larger-than-life world where —excerpted from Art Isn’t Easy,
The Theatre of Stephen Sondheim by Joanne Gordon
emotions were expressed in melody and the evening

connections
Heightened Language in Musicals
Obviously, in musicals actors suddenly burst into songs—this is called a convention. Different conventions exist in
all art forms. For example, in movies and television, characters don't really get from one place to another as quickly
as they appear to, but we understand that the boring part of their journey has been cut. Conventions help the
poetry of the work of art come to life. A song is often described as "poetry to music." Characters in the theatre
live in a heightened state of reality or a heightened sense of life in which they experience emotions with great
force. It is almost as if their passion, their pain, their happiness is so overwhelming, that it can only be expressed
through song.

What heightened moments were expressed through song in the musical Into the Woods?
worksheet
Could you tell how the characters were feeling (happy, sad, angry) by the way the actors

10
delivered the song? Did the tone of the songs change from Act I to Act II? Why are we drawn
to listening to stories through song?
 elements of live theatre
Before Seeing the Production After Seeing the Production

DIRECTION DIRECTION

1. Discuss the role of director and the meaning of a 1. Can you identify the director's production
"director's concept" (overall vision of the play based on concept? Consider:
themes including time period, setting, etc.). a.Where and in what time period the play appears to
2. Identify what your concept for the play would be. take place? What is this saying about the themes
How would you communicate this concept to the audi- and messages of the play?
ence? b. What themes received the most emphasis?
3. Prepare a cast list for the major characters in Into 2. In your opinion, did the director's concept suit the
the Woods based on the short summary on Worksheet play and help the audience's understanding of the play?
2. Using the summary and your knowledge of the origi- 3. Compare your group's casting ideas with those of
nal fairy tales, list characteristics you would look for in the director. What are the areas of agreement or
the performers selected for each role. After completing disagreement? Did you agree with his selection?
your list, select actors from film, television, and theatre
who best suit the criteria.

ACTING ACTING

1. Discuss the role of the actor, the meaning of 1. After a rehearsal or performance, a director gives
characterization, and the tools of an actor (voice, body, each cast member "notes" (suggestions or observations
imagination). about their performance). Ask each student to prepare
2. Consider one of the major characters. What kind of detailed "notes" for at least one cast member, citing
advice would you give to the actor portraying that role? what they liked, disliked, and would change about their
performance.
2. In discussing the notes, consider clarity of
communication and ensemble in addition to credibility
and characterization.

DESIGN DESIGN

1. Discuss the roles of each of the designers (set, 1. Set design:

costume, light). a. Was the set design more realistic or abstract?
2. In Into the Woods, the set designer has to create b. Can you identify any characteristic visual patterns
designs for a lot of different locations including the in the set (i.e. the use of color or shape)?
Bakery, Cinderella’s house, the Castle, Jack’s house, c. Did the design provide a variety of opportunities
and the woods. How might you solve that problem? for stage movement (multiple exits, playing
3. The tone of the play changes from Act I to Act II. In levels,etc.)?
Act I, the woods are not as sinister as in Act II. How 2. Lighting design:
might the set and lighting design reflect that. a. Was the stage clearly illuminated? If not, did this
4. Choose a character and design a costume for him or appear to be by accident or design?
her. b. Did the lighting evoke a particular mood or
feeling?
3. Costume design:
a. Were the costumes appropriate to the characters?
b. Did they support the director's production
concept?
worksheet

11
After the Performance FOR TEACHERS:
In order to maintain our matinee program’s quality and obtain the funding that subsidized our
affordable prices, we need your feedback. Please take a moment following the performance to
obtain written responses from your students.

Would you participate in this program again? What more can TheatreWorks
do to help you and your students have a positive experience?

What about this experience was most valuable to you?

How did this program impact your teaching: i.e. ideas for lesson plans and
activities.

After this experience will you consider incorporating theatre arts into your
curriculum if TheatreWorks offers teachers development?

Did you use the study guide for preparation? If not, why? If so, how was it
useful?

Please mail or email responses to:

TheatreWorks
PO Box 50458
Palo Alto, CA 94303-0458
attn. Elissa Stebbins
[email protected]

We need to hear from you! worksheet

12
 After the performance FOR STUDENTS:

Write a letter to the director, actor, or author of the play telling them what you
appreciated or did not appreciate about the show.

Write a review of the show as if it were to appear in the school newspaper.

Would you recommend it to others?
What did you like?
What did you dislike?
What character did you relate to the most?
What affected you the most?
What was the mood of the piece?
What did the piece have to say to you?
Was the playwright successful in communicating the theme?
What stage craft did you like the most?
How did you feel watching the show?

Please answer the following questions thoughtfully, so that

we can better serve our students.

If you participated in a workshop before the performance, what did you like
best about it? What didn’t you respond to in the workshop?

Tell us what were the top three things about your experience of going to the
theatre?

Would you like to go to theatre again? What kinds of things would you like to
see on stage?

Please mail or email responses to: worksheet

13
TheatreWorks
PO Box 50458
Palo Alto, CA 94303-0458
attn. Elissa Stebbins
[email protected]
Resources
books:

Into the Woods

adapted & illustrated by Hudson Talbott
a picture-book adaptation of the Broadway Musical

The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

edited by Lily Owens

Sondheim & Co., Second Edition by Craig Zadan

the authorized, behind-the-scenes story of the
making of Stephen Sondheim’s musicals

Art Isn't Easy: The Theater of Stephen Sondheim

by Joanne Gordon

Stephen Sondheim: a life

biography by Meryle Secrest

videos & cd:

Into the Woods

original Broadway cast DVD (1990)

Into the Woods

original Broadway cast CD (1987)
revival Broadway cast CD (2002)

Broadway: The American Musical

PBS Video Series (2004)
resource page