Another Stroll ‘Into the Woods’

“Into The Woods” we go this Saturday at Occidental College’s Keck Theater. We know the path, and the woods are only trees and the trees are only wood, so there’s nothing to be afraid of, and we know where we’re going to end up, right? Not according to Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, who wrote the Broadway hit based on the tales of the Brothers Grimm. It first opened at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego on Dec. 4, 1986, then went on to New York’s Martin Beck Theater on Oct. 9, 1987, where it ran for two years.

Act I features the tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel woven around an original tale of a baker and his wife trying to break the spell that keeps them childless. Act II is what happens when everyone has gotten their wish, and it’s not quite the happily-ever-after ending they expected.

This new production is “in some ways, substantially different,” said director John Bouchard, chairman of the theatre arts department at Oxy. “This is a more realistic take on the piece. Primarily, it’s reflected in the acting style.”

Bouchard explained that in his production the actors focus on real emotions and motivations as opposed to the broad cartoon characters of the original production.

“It crosses over from my bias that I like to see real people on stage,” he said. “A lot of what I do comes through my appreciation of film.”

The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and May 28 through May 30. Matinees are scheduled at 2 on Sunday and May 30 and 31. The Keck Theater is on the Occidental campus at 1600 Campus Road in Eagle Rock. Tickets prices are $6 to $12.

For more information, call the box office at (213) 259-2772.