Into the Woods tells the story of The Baker and his Wife who long to have a child of their own. The neighborhood Witch throws a wrench in their plan when she reveals that she has placed a curse on their family, forbidding them to ever have children. There is a way to reverse the curse, though. The Baker and his Wife must venture into the woods to retrieve a list of oddly-specific items to appease the Witch. Along the way, they encounter other familiar fairy tale personalities, like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk fame), all of whom are also searching for their hearts’ desires, just like the Baker and his Wife are. This lively mish-mash of fairy tales ensures an evening of hilarity, realization, and heartbreak. At the end of the piece we are left asking what the price of happiness is, and if it’s worth it once we achieve our happily ever after.

​

Because of its long running success and audiences’ familiarity with the musical, The Garden Theatre took a different approach: While still performed in a theatre, The Garden’s production of Into the Woods was reimagined into a library during a children’s story time. Thirty minutes before curtain, story time began with the Narrator reading children’s stories to the audience as they arrived and took their seats. At curtain, “volunteers” were selected from the audience to help tell the larger than life tale of The Baker, his Wife, and the characters they meet along the way. Imaginatively using everyday items you would find in a library as set pieces, props, and costumes, the cast of ten transformed the library into the deep forest of far, far away.