Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Into The Woods

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Tammy Breitman
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Joined: 10/01/08
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Topic: Into The Woods
Posted: 4/19/09 at 9:45pm

Would love some feedback from any directors who have done Into the Woods...the full version and also the Junior version. I am the theatre director at a NY middle school and have never done a junior version of any show but find the Into The Woods Junior version appealing in the vocal simplification of the difficult Sondheim score. However, the fact that the second act is completely eliminated bothers me. Has anyone combined the two versions? I would love any input that you have out there...including ideas for set design!

Thanks :)

Tammy B.

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Nyria
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Posted: 4/25/09 at 11:24pm

Hi Tammy - I have done this =) If I can recall I think the only difference between the JR and the full is that the JR is basicly just the first act.

It would then be hard to combine the 2 because you'd have to have the recorded music for the second half.

The first half is a show in itself because everyone gets their 'wish' so it seems like a good ol happy ending. They won't even know there's no second act unless they know the show =)

The set for this was actually super easy. I went and saw this play done with a professional company once and they had a background that somehow changed from scene to scene - so like leaves in the woods - pictures of the houses at the beginning -- all digital I think.

So what we did was I had the Woods department at our school build these two pillars - square with 4 even sides - on wheels. On one side we had leaves (and I added some fake leaves to it too) another side was bricks, another a nice white pillar and ... I can't remember the 4th.

I had these 2 pillars on stage left and right (up stage) and in between these I had a big flat that was painted like a book - it said 'One Upon a Time..."

This was basicly all the background I had. the pillars turned easily so we could change it -- for the first scene we had the stage right one as a white pillar (cinderella's house) and the SL one as bricks (baker's house) and Jack was infront of the book cover.

We then turned it for the woods etc.

We borrowed a cow from the college that had done Into the Woods - but it was a big hollow paper mache cow with wheels and a suitcase handle on top. The mouth opened and closed and there was a flap on the bottom (that velcroed shut).

Any other questions just fire away =)

NYRIA

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 4/26/09 at 7:39pm

I'm not a huge fan of the Jr. Versions ... however, if they're going to be done, it's probably just as well that middle school students aren't involved in the (very) dark subtext of the second act. This is a sophisticated piece of writing, and I really don't think that 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students are going to get much out of it except the basic plot points, revelations and outcomes.

The first act certainly does play like a complete story (if you don't do the final "I wish..." to let the audience there is more to come).

http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com

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TheActingTechie
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Posted: 5/03/09 at 9:41pm

Doesn't cutting the second act basically completely bastardize the message of ITW?

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Nyria
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Posted: 5/04/09 at 12:36am

It's still a good show - funny and entertaining =)

NYRIA

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 5/04/09 at 7:45pm

Doesn't cutting the second act basically completely bastardize the message of ITW?

absolutely and completely

but people still enjoy it - and it must be okay with Sondheim, because he's allowed the licensing agent to sell rights that way

http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com

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Author	Message
Tammy Breitman Player Joined: 10/01/08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 13	Topic: Into The Woods Posted: 4/19/09 at 9:45pm
	Would love some feedback from any directors who have done Into the Woods...the full version and also the Junior version. I am the theatre director at a NY middle school and have never done a junior version of any show but find the Into The Woods Junior version appealing in the vocal simplification of the difficult Sondheim score. However, the fact that the second act is completely eliminated bothers me. Has anyone combined the two versions? I would love any input that you have out there...including ideas for set design! Thanks :)
	Tammy B.

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Nyria Celebrity Joined: 1/20/05 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 157	Posted: 4/25/09 at 11:24pm
	Hi Tammy - I have done this =) If I can recall I think the only difference between the JR and the full is that the JR is basicly just the first act. It would then be hard to combine the 2 because you'd have to have the recorded music for the second half. The first half is a show in itself because everyone gets their 'wish' so it seems like a good ol happy ending. They won't even know there's no second act unless they know the show =) The set for this was actually super easy. I went and saw this play done with a professional company once and they had a background that somehow changed from scene to scene - so like leaves in the woods - pictures of the houses at the beginning -- all digital I think. So what we did was I had the Woods department at our school build these two pillars - square with 4 even sides - on wheels. On one side we had leaves (and I added some fake leaves to it too) another side was bricks, another a nice white pillar and ... I can't remember the 4th. I had these 2 pillars on stage left and right (up stage) and in between these I had a big flat that was painted like a book - it said 'One Upon a Time..." This was basicly all the background I had. the pillars turned easily so we could change it -- for the first scene we had the stage right one as a white pillar (cinderella's house) and the SL one as bricks (baker's house) and Jack was infront of the book cover. We then turned it for the woods etc. We borrowed a cow from the college that had done Into the Woods - but it was a big hollow paper mache cow with wheels and a suitcase handle on top. The mouth opened and closed and there was a flap on the bottom (that velcroed shut). Any other questions just fire away =)
	NYRIA
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tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 4/26/09 at 7:39pm
	I'm not a huge fan of the Jr. Versions ... however, if they're going to be done, it's probably just as well that middle school students aren't involved in the (very) dark subtext of the second act. This is a sophisticated piece of writing, and I really don't think that 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students are going to get much out of it except the basic plot points, revelations and outcomes. The first act certainly does play like a complete story (if you don't do the final "I wish..." to let the audience there is more to come).
	http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com
	IP Logged

TheActingTechie Player Joined: 3/13/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 29	Posted: 5/03/09 at 9:41pm
	Doesn't cutting the second act basically completely bastardize the message of ITW?
	IP Logged

Nyria Celebrity Joined: 1/20/05 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 157	Posted: 5/04/09 at 12:36am
	It's still a good show - funny and entertaining =)
	NYRIA
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tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 5/04/09 at 7:45pm
	Doesn't cutting the second act basically completely bastardize the message of ITW? absolutely and completely but people still enjoy it - and it must be okay with Sondheim, because he's allowed the licensing agent to sell rights that way
	http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com
	IP Logged

Topic: Into The Woods( Topic Closed)