Lawrenceville Takes Audiences 'Into the Woods' with Magical Puppetry, Music, and Dance

51吃瓜 will present its magical version of "Into the Woods," staged in the Kirby Arts Center on October 24-25. Open seating tickets will be available each night starting at 7 p.m., with the curtain rising promptly at 7:30 p.m. The cast and crew have been hard at work since last spring, rehearsing songs, running lines, sewing costumes, painting sets, choreographing dance steps, and learning to work with puppets—all combining to create a remarkable production.

Performing Arts Chair Matt Campbell (who serves as director and scenic/sound designer), chose “Into the Woods” because he was intrigued by the challenges it presents to the cast, crew, and audience alike. “[‘Into the Woods’] takes old stories that we know and flips them on their head... it could have easily been titled Into the WOULDS for all the questions it poses for characters and the audience,” he said.

While taking Performing Arts classes is helpful, participation in the musical is open to all. The show offers skill development for newcomers and real-world application for veterans. “We’re always trying to meet students who love and are interested in the Performing Arts,” said Campbell. “By being part of the musical, it’s ‘Here’s the training, then go! You’re going to do it now!’”

The cast and crew—including eight student musicians who will perform alongside professionals in the pit orchestra—are tested by complex harmonies, intricate stage cues, the creation of meticulously designed sets and costumes, and for the puppeteers, learning an entirely new skill.

The puppets in the show include birds that fly from specially designed poles, a Golden Hen that dashes around the stage, and Milky White, whom Campbell describes as a “sad, forlorn cow.”

Fourth Former Finn Barnosky operates Milky White. The easiest part, he said, has been controlling the puppet, while the hardest has been “getting on stage in time. I’ve been making sure that I move slowly and cow-like because cows, even when running, don’t reach high speeds.”

Barnosky appreciates the realism the puppets add to the production. “If a person were to play the role of the animals, the audience would see the animal as just a human in a costume. With puppets, the audience eventually forgets that this is not a real animal and can enjoy the play to the fullest,” he explained.

Isaac Moon ’27 is one of the commanders of the magic blue birds around Cinderella as well as the evil pigeon puppets. “I wanted to be involved in the magic of the show,” he said. Fluttering the birds has been easy – keeping them from tangling with each other less so. “I enjoy the part where the birds pluck the eyes out of [Cinderella’s] stepsisters,” he joked. “Although this may sound cruel, everybody has fun as it is a humorous and ironic scene.”

Sonia Shum ’27 studied videos of actual chickens to master maneuvering the Golden Hen. “I found that they wobble and swerve a lot, like a toddler learning to walk, and flap their wings while running,” she said. “They look quite silly, so I try to imitate the same movements when puppeteering. The design of my puppet makes it easy for me to control the hen’s movements, allowing me to move forward, turn, and sway from side to side.”

Although she has worked with hand puppets before, this is Shum’s first experience with a stick puppet. “It wasn’t too difficult to pick up, as my puppet is fairly straightforward to control. However, it took some time to get comfortable.”

Shum has embraced the puppet’s quirks. “The singular wheel made rolling the Hen unstable at first, as it would always sway from side to side. After practicing a few times, I learned to use the sideways movements to my advantage and incorporate them into the Hen’s motion.” She added, “Being able to imitate animal movements has been fun as a puppeteer. I don’t normally get to run around crazily like a hen while being chased by another cast member.”

While Cinderella’s carriage horses aren’t exactly puppets, “coachman” Ethan Lee ’27 will be one of their behind-the-scenes guides. “I’ve never worked with puppets before nor have I controlled a carriage, but I believe I’ve been able to get comfortable with miming the process and keeping a unison with the rest of my group pretty well,” he said.

“Being part of the musical’s ensemble has made my love for theater and performances grow even stronger now that I not only participate in watching as part of the audience, but also get to sing and act with the greater cast and directors as well, learning the process,” he added.

When the curtain falls each night, Campbell hopes that everyone involved, as well as the audience, “feels a little more seen, loved, felt, heard, and valued.”

“I hope parents hold their children a little tighter and let them know how important they are—and I hope the students do the same for their family and friends,” he said. “I hope they are delighted by the show and caught up in what theater does best, which is to transport them to places they haven’t emotionally perhaps allowed themselves to go. It’s escapism, but with intent.”

Campbell envisions audiences leaving the Kirby Arts Center “singing, smiling, holding hands, or hugging because, truly, by the end of Act Two, I’m a little teary-eyed and grateful for the work I get to do with these kids.”

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, Director of Public Relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.