HRDC Presents a Thoughtful Journey ‘Into the Woods’

“Into the woods / Who knows what may / Be lurking on the journey?” the cast sings in the prologue of Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical “Into the Woods.” The Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club brings their own interpretation of the fairytale musical—which runs Dec. 8 to 9 at OBERON—that hopes to bring an elegant performance to an unconventional setting.

“It’s a show that everyone has seen since they were kids,” says director Jake S. Stepansky ’17. In the musical, characters taken from many different story tales—Cinderella (Arianna N. Paz ’19), Jack of beanstalk fame (Eli Troen ’20), Rapunzel (Lucy Devine ’20), and Little Red Riding Hood (Rachel Kahn ’20)—all embark on a journey seeking their Disney-like happy endings. The musical, however, takes a dark turn as the fates of these characters are quickly compromised by unknown forces.

Although the musical’s characters come from frivolous childish stories, “Into the Woods” explores some weightier themes. “[The show features] a brilliantly done series of events that makes you think that you have to be really careful for what you wish for, because you just might get it—and it might not go the way you want it to,” says Paz. The theme of a loss of innocence follows many of the characters as their eyes are opened to the harsher realities of the world.

“Into the Woods” has special relevance for college students, according to co-producer Emily E. Bergquist ’18. “[It’s about] what it means to have that moment that many people have in college where suddenly you realize the world is not really what you thought it was,” Bergquist says. “There’s so much in this show about expectations, and what happens when reality comes in.”

Stepansky says the musical as a directorial project had a unique appeal. “Everyone has some kind of personal battle they are fighting, or some personal demon they are uncovering,” he says, “so that really felt like an issue that I’ve wanted to tackle on this campus, and that’s why I’m doing this play.”

Beyond its initial layer of fairytale wonder, the musical brings about an incredibly introspective look at difficult issues around self-realization. The venue, OBERON, plays a large role in maintaining this recurrent theme. “With all of the balconies and the aisles, [it] makes it so the audience gets lost in the woods with us,” says Ashley M. LaLonde ’20, who plays the villainous Witch. “It’s a very active show for the audience—we’re singing in their faces, falling in their faces, weeping in their faces, and it essentially adds to the entire nature and ambience of ‘Into the Woods,’ which is getting lost in this magical world.”

—Staff writer Andrew J. Jiang can be reached at andrew.jiang@thecrimson.com.