Bryan College’s Hilltop Players kick of their 2016-17 theater season with the presentation of the musical Into the Woods. Performances are Oct. 27-29 at 7:30 p.m. in Rudd Auditorium.
“I hope our audiences will be entertained as well as challenged to think beyond the simplicity of fairy tales and begin to further evaluate how we act in the greater community and how those actions affect both ourselves and others,” said Bernie Belisle, the show’s director and theater professor at Bryan.
The show features a cast made up of 18 students. Actors in lead roles include: Austin Marsh – Baker; Rachel Liebert – Baker’s wife; Josh Liebert – Jack; Rebekah Runner – Jack’s mother; Grace Loe – Cinderella; Teagan Hughes – the Witch.
“The show is a challenge to review your world view and see that all actions have consequences," said Mr. Belisle. "The fairy tales told go beyond the ‘happy ever after’ aspect and begin to address the consequences of the character’s actions. Although the world views expressed in this show are not necessarily those that Bryan College ascribes to, they do challenge us to think about our wishes and how they align with Christianity. The characters in the show learn from their mistakes and grow as people as they walk through the ‘woods of life.’”
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The show made its Broadway in 1987 and was later adapted to a live-action film in 2014 by Disney. According to sondheim.com, the show “blends various familiar fairy tales with an original story of a childless Baker and his wife, who catalyze the action of the story by attempting to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child.”
“It’s a challenging show to produce – musically, technically, and acting wise,” Mr. Belisle said. “It will stretch our young actors as they prepare for performance. It is also a fun show to produce and it will challenge our audiences as well as our participants.”
Tickets are $11 for adults, $9 non-Bryan students/seniors, and $7 for the Bryan College community. You can purchase tickets here.