A Review of “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim

"Into the Woods" is a creatively written story by Stephen Sondheim that features familiar characters from previous shows such as Snow White, Rapunzel, and Cinderella, as well as newly created and introduced characters by the directors. In my opinion, the expertise of the actors and our familiarity with some of them, the synchrony of the show with the orchestra, and the stage setup have created such flow, allowing the audience to follow and be engrossed in the story intended by the scriptwriters. The play inspired my introspection on the existence of happy endings for stories. I thought about the possibility of happiness, an ideal state, without subsequent consequences in the future. Particularly, is it possible to be truly happy, making choices in sync with our absolute joy without the assurance of future consequences that are detrimental and could shrink the previous joy experienced when making those choices? Using symbols of the witch, the woof, the giant, and the woods, there's a contrast of the joys and beautiful experiences in life, as well as the shadows that lurk, waiting to attack when we are engrossed in the simple pleasures of life. Throughout the play, I have observed the inclusion of narrator-like characters, humor, and tonal variations of the characters, which enable the audience to understand the play better.

The meanings emphasized in the play can be seen clearly by the symbols used, the characters, and the story development. Characters present from the start, such as Jack, Cinderella, and The Baker and his wife, all have different wishes and must look beyond themselves to have these wishes fulfilled. Generally, the scriptwriters have used the woods as a symbol of life. The uncertainties presented, both good and bad reflect the possibilities of joy, and the assurance of consequences unknown to the person experiencing them are seen in the play. Characters such as Rapunzel represent the position we all occupy, as victims of experiencing both good and bad in life. The darkness in our lives, and our minds, which we may certainly face in the future, is seen using characters such as the woods, the witch, and the wolf. The conservative style employed in the play, with different characters having costumes that represent their roles in the show, the orchestra in the background, and the musical appeal of the play, gives clarity to the characters employed in the show and their goal while going into the woods. These choices surely influenced the audience's response, which pays close attention as the plot develops and consistently chuckles, and claps laugh, signaling attention to detail and the story in general. The stage pictures are clear, and there is the proper use of stage space, with attention to the characters being explained at a particular moment. Characters fitting into a context at different stages and with changing backgrounds based on a change in context explain the proper use of stage space.

The style of acting employed is melodramatic when viewing the symbols, expressions of characters, and the voices and tones used. The frequent changes in the stage and the words used by characters that express their varying emotions are key elements of the melodramatic style of acting. The elements of the play are meant to provoke emotion in the audience, which can be seen throughout the play when there is a response in terms of laughter and silence as the audience either reacts or pays attention to see the play's progression. Additionally, the characters' behaviors are exaggerated, which removes the tension from certain scenes and makes serious moments more humorous. For instance, the audience isn't scared at the wolf's appearance but pays close attention and claps and laughs in the end. For this kind of production, the style is appropriate since the exaggeration intrigues the audience and allows for the proper flow of the story. The absence of a "wall" between the characters and the audience also enables the latter's engagement and ease of transitions to different scenes. My favorite scene in the play is the meeting of The Baker, his wife, and Jack with the cow in the woods. The element of surprise when The Baker sees his wife and when they both see the cow they were looking for is well tailored, in my opinion, by the scriptwriters. I also admired Jack's performances, which were musical, genuine, and humorous. He shows such loyalty to his cow, which is hilarious but shows the purity of his intentions.

The directors of the play have tailored the script with music. The characters' wishes are expressed musically, and so are their conversations. The entire film, therefore, is a musical stage production since all the characters, with their different voices and scripts to play, employ a musical aspect in most parts instead of speaking. The musical inclination of the film makes it even more interesting, continuing to interest the audience. Additionally, it is used conversationally between the characters. It is, therefore, a development to the plot as opposed to breaking the story for entertainment purposes or having background music as the plot develops. The characters and sometimes background voices sang the songs well, and the songs could be well heard. The orchestra plays various instruments, with beats in sync with each character. The audience can identify the mood in a particular scene based on the music being played. For instance, tension is well captured by the orchestra when the prince captures The Baker's wife in the woods after she cut Rapunzel's hair. Also, in the play, the lights and the costumes emphasize the change in contexts and the characters' roles, respectively. Particularly, outside the woods, there is more stage illumination than in the woods, which are dimly lit, especially during tense scenes.

Throughout the play, I enjoyed the musical stage production, that is, the use of music to tell the story of characters who go out into the world hoping to fulfill their wishes. I also liked that the play was not a "fourth wall" kind of acting, which allowed the narrator to interact with the audience freely, as the characters did. The proper development of each character and how each costume suits their role in the film made it more interesting. While watching, I understood the simplicity of film production. Specifically, it is possible to incorporate simple designs, common costumes, and stage settings but still make it more intriguing for the audience to communicate the scriptwriter's initial interest. Additionally, I learned that the idea of perfect execution and living is almost impossible. When the characters set out to go into the woods, they had anticipated fulfilling their desires. For instance, The Baker would meet the witch's demands and return to have the curse reversed. Viewing the quality of the film production and the lessons learned, the film was a wholesome production.