Down the gravel path toward the lake, just past twilight, Brooks actors and crew went literally “into the woods” to perform their latest musical of the same name outdoors this fall.

Six crew and 19 cast members brought the epic play of interwoven fairy tales to life at The Demoulas Family Boathouse on October 23 and 24 (and in the Center for the Arts theater on October 30).

See the album of “Into the Woods” photos.

“It was really cool and very different than the other productions that they've done inside,” said Tessa Nganga ’28 of the Firetrail Theatre show. “The lighting was really cool, too. I liked how they used the upstairs of the boathouse and set it all up.”

In fact, much about this production was fresh, from the open-air setting to the actors performing on stage at Brooks for the first time.

Making Debuts

“A lot of brand-new kids came in not really knowing anyone but it quickly felt like they’d all been working together for years,” said Director of Theatre Meghan Hill. “Sometimes, I wish people could see the dressing room, backstage culture; the music they're playing and the dance party they're having. The kind, encouraging words that they're saying to each other and the huddles that they do, speaks a lot to who they are and why they were so successful in the work that they were doing.”

Emme Dixon ’27 had previously participated in theater but playing The Baker’s Wife in “Into the Woods,” was her campus debut.

“I remember coming here for the first time and seeing the art center and stage and thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh. I have to do this,’” she said. Yet Dixon (below on right) didn’t immediately dive in to theater at Brooks. “And it was almost like I felt I was lacking something, like I was missing something,” she recalled. “So, this year, I'm doing the Advanced Performance Studio [class] as well as I did this musical, which was amazing. It was even cooler than I thought it would be.”

The Witch actress, Ainslie Gorton ’26 (below), sings in the Advanced Rock Band and had wanted to try performing for a while before deciding to go for it in “Into the Woods.”

“I've never done acting before but I think when you work alongside people who know what they're doing, you kind of just start to act and, like, practice along,” she said. “Watching everyone give their all to their acting and their singing and just being inspired by that, working alongside really talented people, was my favorite part of being in this show.”

When Cinderella’s Prince, Jack Rousmaniere ’28, was asked for his take, the Brooks theater veteran (below) acknowledged that this group was a unique one. “We had a really great community in the cast this fall,” he said. “Everyone was so involved with it and loved being there all the time. … It was so fun to be a part of.”

Making Moves

Staging the show outdoors, in a facility built for rowers, certainly delivered a new spin on the 1986 James Lapine/Stephen Sondheim musical. It also created some challenges, including moving the full production indoors for the finale.

“There was rain, there was wind, there was a nor'easter and there was mud,” said director Hill. “The lighting all fell down. We had to pivot in 36 hours and re-stage it for inside — and the students could not have been more on board.”

Frequently, the crew and the cast of a show work separately until they come together in the end. “This group, all the way around, was exceptionally collaborative,” Hill shared. “It was impressive to watch them pivot to stage the show inside. It was really special to watch them make what could have been a very stressful, frustrating process so pleasant.”

Alongside the school’s helpful facilities group and accommodating crew team, she commended the two dozen students involved in “Into the Woods” for their “unwavering support for one another and their collective spirit.”

As Hill shared in an email to the campus community prior to opening night, staging the production by the lake challenged the cast and crew to think beyond the traditional stage and “embrace the natural world as both scene partner and setting” as they learned to perform al fresco.

“From adapting their voices to shifting weather to integrating the landscape into their storytelling, they have grown tremendously as artists and collaborators,” she wrote. “What stands out most is their unwavering support for one another and their collective spirit. It has been a privilege and a joy to work alongside such a creative, generous, and determined group of students.” Bravo, Brooksians!