‘Into The Woods’

Philip Shore 

for RSVP Community Theatre

ASHEBORO – RSVP Community Theatre, in conjunction with the City of Asheboro, will proudly present Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine at the Sunset Theatre the last weekend of July and the first weekend of August. 

Erin Shellman is Artistic Director and Sarah Downey is Music Director. Zoe Glover is Stage Manager. Lisa Johnson is rehearsal accompanist as well as playing keyboard for the performances.  

Into the Woods is a montage of fairy tales, the literature on which we have all been raised. Fairy tales are humorous and fun up to a point; thereafter ,they become moral tales of responsibility and consequence. They’re pretty serious. The Brothers Grimm, who collected most of the stories in the show, were sometimes rather grim.

The show has been on Broadway four times with runs of various lengths, from two years to four months, including a one-night stand in honor of the show’s t25th anniversary performed in concert style. It has been made into a movie, but, you know, a movie can tell too much. The story fares better in the sparseness of the dimly lit room with fragile humanity emoting about fragile humanity right in front of you.

Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics to the book by James Lapine. The two collaborated previously in creating Sunday in the Park with George. Their style is utterly contemporary and, although it has a grand sweep of humor and song, it contains dissonance and moral realism, two characteristics of truly modern theatre, musical or otherwise.

The cast fulfills the longtime mission of RSVP, from way back when, when it was Randolph Summer Vacation Playhouse at Southwestern Randolph High School — that of attracting a cast of mixed ages to work on artistic productions for a Randolph County audience, a family project for family recipients. 

RSVP in its earliest form began in the mid-’80s under the aegis of Jerry Jones, then followed by Stuart Bullock, funded by grants administered by the county school system. 

From the earliest of times, Lisa Johnson, Laurine Varner and Cindy Watson continue in this show. On the other end: Newbies such as Kellan Auman, Natalie Clements, Clayton Morgan and Tatum White — none of whom will particularly appreciate being called newbies, given the amount of experience they possess — press forward into the future. Everything is relative and the future is looking good!

The folks who are in the center of their community theatre careers are also greatly experienced and proficient in their craft. Tim Clements, Shannon Lowe, Megan Smith and Tammy Wilcox are some, but not all, of these middlin’ folks. Here are the cast members and their roles:

Cinderella: Addie Fields

Jack: Clayton Morgan

Jack’s Mother: Laurine Varner

Baker: Tim Clements

Baker’s Wife: Shannon Lowe

Little Red Riding Hood: Olivia Smith

Witch: Ayah Church

Wolf: John Halsey

Cinderella’s Prince: Brandon Almazan

Rapunzel’s Prince: David Lambert

Rapunzel: Fernanda Guerrero

Stepmother: Cindy Watson

Lucinda: Abby Delk

Florinda: Megan Smith

Narrator/Mystery Man: Austin Rowland

Steward: Landon Allmon

Cinderella’s Father: Elijah Beaton

Cinderella’s Mother: Kara Jones

Milky White: Nathan Stilin

Granny: Tammy Willcox

Giant: Natalie Clements

Snow White: Tatum White

Sleeping Beauty: Kaitlyn Evans

Ensemble/Dwarfs: Kellan Auman, Alanna Cheek, Natalie Clements, Jeslyn Grimes, Ainsley Marlow, Leia Wood, Simon Wood

The orchestra features Lisa Johnson, Susan Butler, Ricky Cox and Ian Rood. Props by Michele Dawes, assisted by Jackson Rose and Shelley Peterson. Costumes by Nikki Peters.  

Director Erin Shellman expresses of her cast and crew a sense of joy that they are enjoying what they do. She says they work with extra diligence and on their own, exhibiting professionalism with a strong work ethic in combination with willingness and creativity. 

This show is not only a play, it is the study of community collaboration. Staff, cast, crew and audience all working together to build a bulwark of presenters and receivers.

Performances are July 26-27 / Aug. 2-3 at 7 p.m., with Sunday matinees July 28 and Aug. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Sunset Theatre, 234 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro. Adult admission is $20-$23; for Seniors, Youth, Military, — $15-$18. 

Tickets are available in three ways: 

* Online at:  https://buytickets.at/rsvpcommunitytheatre/1299603.

 * At Brightside Gallery, 170 Worth Street, Asheboro. Cash or check only; NO credit cards (and no fees either!). Questions? Phone 336-736-8714.

* At the door.  

Need more info? Visit online at rsvptheatre.org or inquire at facebook.com/RSVPCommunityTheatre.