SUU Department of Theatre, Dance, and Arts Administration’s production of Into the Woods returns to the stage for a second run. Into the Woods is a musical written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine that combines several of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales and the outcome of what the characters’ choices bring to their stories, set in the Randall L. Jones Theatre on January 20 &21, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on January 22, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

Finley Micah Caciola, a BFA in Classical Acting candidate from Solvang, California, plays Jack in the production. Caciola shares, “I’ve learned that absent mindedness doesn’t imply stupidity, mothers can only do the best they can for us, and chasing thrills will turn sinister if you aren’t careful. I haven’t been in a musical since my freshman year, and I missed it terribly. I’m thrilled to be back at it, and to share it with the community!”

Parents bringing children should be aware that at the end of the first act everything seems to conclude with the fairytale “happily ever after”. It is a wonderful ending for children 11 years old and younger. The second act of the musical shows what happens to the fairytale characters after they get what they want. This act has more mature themes that reveal consequences of choices that they made.

Bridgette Long, a BFA in Musical Theatre candidate from Las Vegas, Nevada, says, “Playing the Baker's Wife, I’ve learned that a motherly instinct isn’t just taking care of a baby. The Baker’s Wife is so clever and intuitive and it adds to her maternal instinct. The empathy she radiates is strong enough to encompass those around her and I hope to apply that to myself as well. I love exploring the gender dynamics between myself and the Baker - becoming more than just his wife. Creating an identity and sculpting this strong woman for herself. This show is about building a community and about the impact that we can have on each other. There are characters that I don’t directly talk to, but their actions affect me and the choices I get to make. We all change each other’s paths and I think it’s a great reminder for our small town.”