The Kinkaid Upper School Presents ‘Into the Woods’

With an evil witch soaring above the audience, Jack rappelling down a steep beanstalk while continuing to sing, and a rotating stage that characters traversed through during their adventures, the Kinkaid Upper School musical Into the Woods was a technically and theatrically impressive performance.

The two and a half hour musical, written and composed by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, features multiple fairytale characters, including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and Little Red Riding Hood. A narrator, played by sophomore Riley Shaper, guided the audience through the exciting and troubling experiences of The Baker, played by senior Austin Karkowsky, and the Baker’s Wife, played by senior Brock Looser.

In their desperation to have a child, the Baker and his wife are cursed by a witch to obtain a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold to break the curse. Their quest takes them deep into the woods to meet other fairytale characters, each with his or her own desperate wishes.

Into the Woods was directed by Mr. Justin Doran and choreographed by Ms. Krissy Richmond. Shows took place on Feb. 23-26 in the Brown Auditorium, with a special show free to any student on Thursday night. Into the Woods was last performed at Kinkaid in 2001, when it was directed by Upper School Dean Mr. Scott Lambert, then the Director of Drama. Sixteen years later, his son, junior at Kinkaid Ashton Lambert portrayed Jack, one of the main characters.

Auditions began before school started in August and rehearsal for cast members began on Jan. 3. The rehearsal schedule was grueling and included days off, like MLK weekend. Different members of the cast were required to attend different dates, but by Feb. 20, the whole cast, principals and ensemble, were brought together for final dress rehearsals.  

Into the Woods was a technical masterpiece of lighting, sound and set design. Massive trees framed the stage all the way to the back, creating depth and the impression that the actors were traveling deep into the woods. The hard work of the tech crew and the cast members created an exciting and captivating show. The Upper School musical was a success for each student who performed and was a crowd favorite with each audience member.