INTO THE WOODS
November 6-8, 2014
Program
music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
book by James Lapine
CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTOR - Zachary Wendeln ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - Maggie Miller MUSIC DIRECTORS - Braeden Fallet & Ned Vogel STAGE MANAGER - Amanda Bartolini PRODUCERS - Shannon Kirk & Emma Kusters TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - Michael Burns SCENIC DESIGNER - Ryan Jones LIGHT DESIGNER - Jake Reilly SOUND DESIGNER - Ben Woodley COSTUME DESIGNER - Caitlin Geary HEAD OF COSTUMING - Paula Hastings PROPS MISTRESS - Kathleen Clark ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS - Kelly Cronin, Jon Olansen and Caitlin Schlehuber ACCOMPANIST - Frank Kuhny LIGHTBOARD OPERATOR - Joseph Kuhns SPOTLIGHT OPERATOR - Michael Polito MARKETING DIRECTOR - Lesley Stevenson POSTER DESIGN - Annaleigh McDonald PROGRAM LAYOUT - Sara Shoemake PHOTOGRAPHER - Ketty Andreasen |
CAST
NARRATOR - Anthony Murphy CINDERELLA - Maggie Moran JACK - Joel Ostdiek BAKER - Ryan Wiegand BAKER'S WIFE - Joanie Hogan STEPMOTHER - Jackie Winsch FLORINDA - Alex Joyce LUCINDA - Morgan Widhalm JACK'S MOTHER - Gabriela Leskur LITTLE RED - Mary Connolly WITCH - Elizabeth Curtin CINDERELLA'S MOTHER/GRANNY - Evie Bauman MYSTERIOUS MAN - Tommy Favorite WOLF/CINDERELLA'S PRINCE - Chris Siemann RAPUNZEL - Morgan Rice RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE - Ryan Jones STEWARD - Jack Hensler |
In the News
The Observer
News: PEMCo performs 'Into the Woods'
Catherine Owers, November 6, 2014
Pasquerilla East Music Company’s (PEMCo) production of “Into the Woods” will begin performances Thursday night on Washington Hall’s main stage.
Actor Chris Siemann said the musical’s plot is a “mash-up” of fairy tales.
“It’s Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel all thrown into the same story,” Siemann said.
Auditions for the cast were held at the beginning of the semester and rehearsals began in September, for several nights a week, Siemann said.
“On average, for each of us, it was maybe one to three hours a night,” he said. “Some nights I wasn’t even called, but other nights I was there for four hours.”
Siemann said he plays the role of the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood, as well as Cinderella’s prince.
“The parts were meant to be double cast, for symbolic reasons,” he said. “The wolf interacts with Little Red Riding Hood, and that story plays out the way you think it would. Then I have to kind of quick change into the Cinderella’s Prince — without spoiling too much, he’s exactly who you think he’s going to be. The characters are similar; they have a very similar mindset of instinct, and getting what [they] want.”
“Into the Woods” is a unique show because it has a large cast but no chorus, Siemann said.
“There are seventeen people and they’re all unique characters, and we all have our own moment, so to speak, on the stage,” Siemann said. “It’s really cool that we get to develop these characters. When you’re in a chorus, you can still develop your character, but you don’t have as much to work with. So it’s really cool that we’re all on even playing ground.”
The production is entirely student-run, which creates a unique experience for all the members of PEMCo, he said.
“Everyone understands everyone else’s commitments, we’re all doing school, we all have other things that we’re involved in,” he said. “It makes you feel really proud of something, that we’re working as one unit.”
Producer and senior Emma Kusters said she began preparations for the production last semester, along with fellow producer and senior Shannon Kirk.
“We started last spring, when we reviewed director applications and selected a director for the show, and we picked what show we were going to do,” Kusters said. “Over the summer we were e-mailing, designing set and costumes, and then we had auditions the second week of school.
“A large part of my time this summer was revamping the PEMCo website,” Kusters said. “I’ve really been trying to make the information about PEMCo more accessible, so that we can reach students who aren’t already in the PEMCo fold, so we can be pulling in new talent, so that everyone feels welcome to participate and audition in whatever capacity they can.”
Kusters said the producers considered several factors in choosing PEMCo’s fall show.
“Part of the consideration is always budget,” Kusters said. “We took a pretty big risk this year because usually our fall show is a smaller-scale show. Last year there were only four actors in the show, and the year before that there were seven.
“This year we have a seventeen-person cast, and we actually ended up spending even more money on this show than we did on ‘Legally Blonde’ last year, which was our big show last year,” she said.
The producers also looked for a show that would appeal to the student body, Kusters said.
“Into the Woods’ is all these fairy tales coming together in a sort of fantastical way, in a way that’s also very relevant to the human experience and everyone here,” she said.
Kusters said the show has a variety of stunts and visual effects, as well as an elaborate set.
“Everyone in the cast has to pitch in to make the set; it was a really a group effort,” she said. “I think this is the best set PEMCo has had in a while.”
“Into the Woods” premieres Thursday, November 6th at 7:30 p.m., in Washington Hall. Performances also running November 7th at 7:30 p.m., and November 8th at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for non-students.
News: PEMCo performs 'Into the Woods'
Catherine Owers, November 6, 2014
Pasquerilla East Music Company’s (PEMCo) production of “Into the Woods” will begin performances Thursday night on Washington Hall’s main stage.
Actor Chris Siemann said the musical’s plot is a “mash-up” of fairy tales.
“It’s Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel all thrown into the same story,” Siemann said.
Auditions for the cast were held at the beginning of the semester and rehearsals began in September, for several nights a week, Siemann said.
“On average, for each of us, it was maybe one to three hours a night,” he said. “Some nights I wasn’t even called, but other nights I was there for four hours.”
Siemann said he plays the role of the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood, as well as Cinderella’s prince.
“The parts were meant to be double cast, for symbolic reasons,” he said. “The wolf interacts with Little Red Riding Hood, and that story plays out the way you think it would. Then I have to kind of quick change into the Cinderella’s Prince — without spoiling too much, he’s exactly who you think he’s going to be. The characters are similar; they have a very similar mindset of instinct, and getting what [they] want.”
“Into the Woods” is a unique show because it has a large cast but no chorus, Siemann said.
“There are seventeen people and they’re all unique characters, and we all have our own moment, so to speak, on the stage,” Siemann said. “It’s really cool that we get to develop these characters. When you’re in a chorus, you can still develop your character, but you don’t have as much to work with. So it’s really cool that we’re all on even playing ground.”
The production is entirely student-run, which creates a unique experience for all the members of PEMCo, he said.
“Everyone understands everyone else’s commitments, we’re all doing school, we all have other things that we’re involved in,” he said. “It makes you feel really proud of something, that we’re working as one unit.”
Producer and senior Emma Kusters said she began preparations for the production last semester, along with fellow producer and senior Shannon Kirk.
“We started last spring, when we reviewed director applications and selected a director for the show, and we picked what show we were going to do,” Kusters said. “Over the summer we were e-mailing, designing set and costumes, and then we had auditions the second week of school.
“A large part of my time this summer was revamping the PEMCo website,” Kusters said. “I’ve really been trying to make the information about PEMCo more accessible, so that we can reach students who aren’t already in the PEMCo fold, so we can be pulling in new talent, so that everyone feels welcome to participate and audition in whatever capacity they can.”
Kusters said the producers considered several factors in choosing PEMCo’s fall show.
“Part of the consideration is always budget,” Kusters said. “We took a pretty big risk this year because usually our fall show is a smaller-scale show. Last year there were only four actors in the show, and the year before that there were seven.
“This year we have a seventeen-person cast, and we actually ended up spending even more money on this show than we did on ‘Legally Blonde’ last year, which was our big show last year,” she said.
The producers also looked for a show that would appeal to the student body, Kusters said.
“Into the Woods’ is all these fairy tales coming together in a sort of fantastical way, in a way that’s also very relevant to the human experience and everyone here,” she said.
Kusters said the show has a variety of stunts and visual effects, as well as an elaborate set.
“Everyone in the cast has to pitch in to make the set; it was a really a group effort,” she said. “I think this is the best set PEMCo has had in a while.”
“Into the Woods” premieres Thursday, November 6th at 7:30 p.m., in Washington Hall. Performances also running November 7th at 7:30 p.m., and November 8th at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for non-students.
The Observer
Scene: 'Into the Woods' impresses on stage
Alexandra Lowery, November 5, 2014
Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” makes a name for itself in the musical theatre world as a notoriously difficult production to perfect. Its score and accompanying singing parts are difficult, special effects play a key role in the plot and the ending is not exactly what you’d call a “happily ever after.”
The Pasquerilla East Musical Company managed to pull it off during its dress rehearsal Wednesday.
The musical opens as the Narrator (played by Anthony Murphy) introduces us to the generous assortment of classic fairy tale characters who make their way “Into the Woods,” intertwining in each others’ fictional lives and learning that there’s far more to their tales than we all once thought.
It’s here, with a talented cast, where I think the PEMCo production excels the most. Across the board, the young individuals executed their demanding singing parts brilliantly and their above-average actin chops made the trek through the mysterious woods of this magical world feel a little more like reality.
As for standouts, Chris Siemann, who doubles as the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince, gives an amazing performance in both of his extremely different roles. He is deliciously disturbing as the gluttonous canine — his rendition of “Hello, Little Girl” is a highlight of the show — and he finishes the performance humorously masculine as a royal who decides the best way to get a girl to marry you is to trap her in “pitch.”
The Witch, the undeniable star of “Into the Woods,” is brought to life by Elizabeth Curtin, who brings plenty of star power of her own. She is flawless, fake pointy nose and all. As I watched her belt the final notes of “Stay With Me”, I occasionally forgot that Bernadette Peters was actually not in this performance. Curtin is the whole package, nailing the acting, singing and development of the famous character throughout both acts. If anything, the show is worth the ticket if only to be able to tell your friends one day that you saw Elizabeth Curtin perform before she made it big.
Alongside the performances, the other aspects of the show succeed with very few stumbles along the way. The costumes are more modern and simplistic than one would usually expect from a fairy tale musical, a decision that works well with this production and lends itself to the aesthetic. Jack’s cow, from “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Milky White, is embodied by an almost gruesome looking skeleton puppet. The design succeeds in telling the audience that Milky White is not the most productive cow but makes it harder for us to understand why Jack would really want to be friends with a carcass. However, the puppetry was well done and does not seem out of place amongst the other costumes and set pieces.
The set is another modern take on the “woods,” which would traditionally provide the backdrop for the production. While I admired the idea, the two huge standing structures behind the cast made for a crowded stage. “Into the Woods” famously hops from one story line to another, requiring a lot of people to be on stage at one time. That coupled with the fact that half of the stage is eaten up by huge, seemingly impractical “trees,” makes for a cramped scene which is atypical considering we’re supposed to be in the woods.
PEMCo.’s attempt at perfecting “Into the Woods” is successful mostly thanks to the superb cast. Beautifully scored with a surprising storyline, it’s a delightful musical that will have you rethinking your favorite fairy tales and the old adage – “be careful what you wish for.”
“Into the Woods” premieres November 6th at 7:30 p.m. in Washington Hall, with performances also running November 7th at 7:30 p.m. and November 8th at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for non-students.
Scene: 'Into the Woods' impresses on stage
Alexandra Lowery, November 5, 2014
Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” makes a name for itself in the musical theatre world as a notoriously difficult production to perfect. Its score and accompanying singing parts are difficult, special effects play a key role in the plot and the ending is not exactly what you’d call a “happily ever after.”
The Pasquerilla East Musical Company managed to pull it off during its dress rehearsal Wednesday.
The musical opens as the Narrator (played by Anthony Murphy) introduces us to the generous assortment of classic fairy tale characters who make their way “Into the Woods,” intertwining in each others’ fictional lives and learning that there’s far more to their tales than we all once thought.
It’s here, with a talented cast, where I think the PEMCo production excels the most. Across the board, the young individuals executed their demanding singing parts brilliantly and their above-average actin chops made the trek through the mysterious woods of this magical world feel a little more like reality.
As for standouts, Chris Siemann, who doubles as the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince, gives an amazing performance in both of his extremely different roles. He is deliciously disturbing as the gluttonous canine — his rendition of “Hello, Little Girl” is a highlight of the show — and he finishes the performance humorously masculine as a royal who decides the best way to get a girl to marry you is to trap her in “pitch.”
The Witch, the undeniable star of “Into the Woods,” is brought to life by Elizabeth Curtin, who brings plenty of star power of her own. She is flawless, fake pointy nose and all. As I watched her belt the final notes of “Stay With Me”, I occasionally forgot that Bernadette Peters was actually not in this performance. Curtin is the whole package, nailing the acting, singing and development of the famous character throughout both acts. If anything, the show is worth the ticket if only to be able to tell your friends one day that you saw Elizabeth Curtin perform before she made it big.
Alongside the performances, the other aspects of the show succeed with very few stumbles along the way. The costumes are more modern and simplistic than one would usually expect from a fairy tale musical, a decision that works well with this production and lends itself to the aesthetic. Jack’s cow, from “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Milky White, is embodied by an almost gruesome looking skeleton puppet. The design succeeds in telling the audience that Milky White is not the most productive cow but makes it harder for us to understand why Jack would really want to be friends with a carcass. However, the puppetry was well done and does not seem out of place amongst the other costumes and set pieces.
The set is another modern take on the “woods,” which would traditionally provide the backdrop for the production. While I admired the idea, the two huge standing structures behind the cast made for a crowded stage. “Into the Woods” famously hops from one story line to another, requiring a lot of people to be on stage at one time. That coupled with the fact that half of the stage is eaten up by huge, seemingly impractical “trees,” makes for a cramped scene which is atypical considering we’re supposed to be in the woods.
PEMCo.’s attempt at perfecting “Into the Woods” is successful mostly thanks to the superb cast. Beautifully scored with a surprising storyline, it’s a delightful musical that will have you rethinking your favorite fairy tales and the old adage – “be careful what you wish for.”
“Into the Woods” premieres November 6th at 7:30 p.m. in Washington Hall, with performances also running November 7th at 7:30 p.m. and November 8th at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for non-students.
The Observer
Viewpoint: Lessons from 'Into the Woods'
Erin Thomassen, November 11, 2014
This past Saturday at 4 p.m., I was not watching the football game. I was watching PEMCo’s “Into the Woods.”
This might cause die-hard Fighting Irish fans to cry out in horror, but for me, plays on the stage come before plays on the field. That was a sneaky way to confess that I am a theater nerd.
I used to be embarrassed when I confused halftime with intermission and the audience with the fans, but I learned to embrace my lack of cool. I no longer ask: is my thespian showing? I know it is, and I will probably lose cool points because of it.
A question I normally have to ask myself is: are they called cool points, or cool goals or cool touchdowns? “Neither,” a sporty Jiminy Cricket replies. He tends to spontaneously appear on my shoulder to correct me when I’m wrong. “They’re called cool baskets,” he replies, smug as a cricket can be. If you don’t think a cricket can be smug, Jiminy over here will make you think again. He’s the picture of self-satisfaction, a cocky captain of the cricket team.
Anyways, as I was sitting in the theatre and wishing sporty Jiminy Cricket would chirp on someone else’s shoulder, I didn’t regret my choice to pick the show over the game one bit. As a recent transfer to the College of Engineering, I missed the arts, and this musical was like a thick slice of culturally rich cheesecake. I devoured every bit.
During the play, two unlikely characters drew me in: Cinderella’s Prince and the Witch. These characters are probably the least “likable” characters in the play. The witch is, well, a witch, and the prince, in the words of Jane Austen, is a cheating and egocentric tool.
What was wrong with me for liking these characters? Hmmm, I thought to myself. Hmmm, I hummed out loud. Shhhh, the lady in front of me hissed. I listened.
Then I reflected. Why did I feel a tie to the Witch? She had captured my attention since she rapped about beans, but some of her lines in the last act really hit home (a home run — ohmygosh, a sports reference). She wanted to deliver Jack to the Giant (TBT to Jack and the Beanstalk) so the Giant could eat him and spare the rest of the town. The other characters stood there and didn’t know what to do. They knew they didn’t want to sacrifice Jack, but they didn’t have another plan.
The Witch was not afraid to act or take the blame of giving Jack to the Giant. She says to the “good” characters who try half-heartedly to stop her: “You’re not good, you’re not bad, you’re just nice,” implying that they liked to act nice, while deep down, they were struggling with whether or not they should let the witch give Jack to the Giant to save themselves.
She continues with, “I’m not good, I’m not bad, I’m just right. I’m the witch; you’re the world.” She recognizes that doing what would bring the greatest happiness to the greatest people (Mill Utilitarianism, yay!) will make her seem evil, but she doesn’t care what others think of her. She acts selfishly, but at least she acts, while the other characters can’t manage to do anything. She’s not exactly a virtuous role model to hold on a pedestal, but there is a lot of wisdom in what she says. Sings.
Cinderella’s Prince, on the other hand, is not exactly wise, but some of his lines provide food for thought (the rich cheesecake). Funny enough, his moment of insight comes right after his brief affair (very brief: only a “moment in the woods”) with the Baker’s Wife. He cheats on Cinderella, which is morally wrong, but he makes a good point when the Baker’s Wife asks him if they will ever have a similarly “stimulating” moment in the woods again. He replies, seeming fittingly obnoxious: “This was just a moment in the woods. … Leave the moment, just be glad for the moment that we had,” implying that they would probably never revisit their one-verse stand.
The Baker’s Wife is put off at first, for she wanted to elongate the moment. She was worrying about what would happen in the future rather than enjoying the moment. How many times do I ruin the moment by thinking about what could happen depending on this moment in the future? When I take an exam, my mind wanders to the future implications of my score. When I take a selfie, I am focusing on communicating what I am doing right now to the oh-so-important social media world rather than enjoying where I am. Cinderella’s Prince reminds me to take a breath instead and enjoy the moment.
Seeing “Into the Woods” helped me see into my soul. Reading this article may help you discover if there is a witch or a prince in you. That was extremely cheesy, but I can’t help it; I’ve eaten too much cheesecake.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Viewpoint: Lessons from 'Into the Woods'
Erin Thomassen, November 11, 2014
This past Saturday at 4 p.m., I was not watching the football game. I was watching PEMCo’s “Into the Woods.”
This might cause die-hard Fighting Irish fans to cry out in horror, but for me, plays on the stage come before plays on the field. That was a sneaky way to confess that I am a theater nerd.
I used to be embarrassed when I confused halftime with intermission and the audience with the fans, but I learned to embrace my lack of cool. I no longer ask: is my thespian showing? I know it is, and I will probably lose cool points because of it.
A question I normally have to ask myself is: are they called cool points, or cool goals or cool touchdowns? “Neither,” a sporty Jiminy Cricket replies. He tends to spontaneously appear on my shoulder to correct me when I’m wrong. “They’re called cool baskets,” he replies, smug as a cricket can be. If you don’t think a cricket can be smug, Jiminy over here will make you think again. He’s the picture of self-satisfaction, a cocky captain of the cricket team.
Anyways, as I was sitting in the theatre and wishing sporty Jiminy Cricket would chirp on someone else’s shoulder, I didn’t regret my choice to pick the show over the game one bit. As a recent transfer to the College of Engineering, I missed the arts, and this musical was like a thick slice of culturally rich cheesecake. I devoured every bit.
During the play, two unlikely characters drew me in: Cinderella’s Prince and the Witch. These characters are probably the least “likable” characters in the play. The witch is, well, a witch, and the prince, in the words of Jane Austen, is a cheating and egocentric tool.
What was wrong with me for liking these characters? Hmmm, I thought to myself. Hmmm, I hummed out loud. Shhhh, the lady in front of me hissed. I listened.
Then I reflected. Why did I feel a tie to the Witch? She had captured my attention since she rapped about beans, but some of her lines in the last act really hit home (a home run — ohmygosh, a sports reference). She wanted to deliver Jack to the Giant (TBT to Jack and the Beanstalk) so the Giant could eat him and spare the rest of the town. The other characters stood there and didn’t know what to do. They knew they didn’t want to sacrifice Jack, but they didn’t have another plan.
The Witch was not afraid to act or take the blame of giving Jack to the Giant. She says to the “good” characters who try half-heartedly to stop her: “You’re not good, you’re not bad, you’re just nice,” implying that they liked to act nice, while deep down, they were struggling with whether or not they should let the witch give Jack to the Giant to save themselves.
She continues with, “I’m not good, I’m not bad, I’m just right. I’m the witch; you’re the world.” She recognizes that doing what would bring the greatest happiness to the greatest people (Mill Utilitarianism, yay!) will make her seem evil, but she doesn’t care what others think of her. She acts selfishly, but at least she acts, while the other characters can’t manage to do anything. She’s not exactly a virtuous role model to hold on a pedestal, but there is a lot of wisdom in what she says. Sings.
Cinderella’s Prince, on the other hand, is not exactly wise, but some of his lines provide food for thought (the rich cheesecake). Funny enough, his moment of insight comes right after his brief affair (very brief: only a “moment in the woods”) with the Baker’s Wife. He cheats on Cinderella, which is morally wrong, but he makes a good point when the Baker’s Wife asks him if they will ever have a similarly “stimulating” moment in the woods again. He replies, seeming fittingly obnoxious: “This was just a moment in the woods. … Leave the moment, just be glad for the moment that we had,” implying that they would probably never revisit their one-verse stand.
The Baker’s Wife is put off at first, for she wanted to elongate the moment. She was worrying about what would happen in the future rather than enjoying the moment. How many times do I ruin the moment by thinking about what could happen depending on this moment in the future? When I take an exam, my mind wanders to the future implications of my score. When I take a selfie, I am focusing on communicating what I am doing right now to the oh-so-important social media world rather than enjoying where I am. Cinderella’s Prince reminds me to take a breath instead and enjoy the moment.
Seeing “Into the Woods” helped me see into my soul. Reading this article may help you discover if there is a witch or a prince in you. That was extremely cheesy, but I can’t help it; I’ve eaten too much cheesecake.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.