Into the Woods” Musical

The Show Must Go On

Planning a performance in a pandemic

After a tumultuous year for the world of performance, the Lakeview Theatre Department was thrilled to announce their work on a production of Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical, “Into The Woods.” This news came after months of uncertainty regarding how to proceed with live performances and was welcomed warmly by staff, students and parents across the district. To plan a performance in the midst of a global pandemic, however, was something that required a combination of change and tradition alike. In order to remain in compliance with local gathering mandates, smaller details such as the location of the performance were adjusted. Though the high school black box and middle school auditorium were once the setting for countless shows, “Into The Woods” required its crew to perform outdoors. According to freshman Katherine VanWienen, this change in location had its share of ups and downs. “Some of the things that I miss are having convenient places to sit or being able to control the temperature. That being said, I do actually enjoy being outside. It’s really nice to have that fresh air,” VanWienen said. Rehearsals were also impacted by local restrictions. As junior Grace Cox put it, many of these changes were apparent from the very beginning. “Now that Covid has kind of taken over the world, rehearsals are way different. As you can imagine, it’s not easy wearing a mask and trying to act and sing while doing it,” Cox said. “Before, rehearsal was a place to go and be with your friends doing what you love. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still like that, but it’s a little sad having to social distance from everyone.” One similarity between this production and those from previous years was the prospect of collaboration. Like countless shows before it, “Into the Woods” was a collaborative effort between students from both the high school and the middle school. “Working with middle schoolers can be challenging at times, seeing as the high school theatre program operates differently than the middle school, but overall it’s nice to show the younger students around and act as a role model to them,” Cox said. Students from the middle school held similar sentiments. “Working with the high schoolers has been a lot of fun!” eighth grade Sema Frantz said. “Everyone has been very nice and helpful towards students who are younger than them.” Despite initial setbacks, sophomore Lauren Davis looked back on the experience fondly. “COVID-19 has changed every aspect of our lives, but we will not give it the power to continue doing so,” Davis said. “All in all, wearing masks, being six feet apart, and all the regulations have changed everything, but I won’t let it change the true experience of live theater. It means too much to me, to all of us.”

Rehearsal Memories

Courtesy Photos: Lane Gordon

“Personally, my favorite memory so far has been accidentally choking Zach Brooks, who plays the wolf, a little too hard. I started to fall and my instincts kicked in, so I tried to catch myself with my hands. He started to legitimately choke and I felt so bad, but now I find it hilarious.” - Lauren Davis

A8

“My favorite memory is, by far, any moment when all of the Narrators are just together. We all match well with each other and have fun in our costumes. Another honorable mention would be when Jack accidentally stepped on the baby’s head... oops!” - Katherine VanWienen “Me and a group of my friends sing a song called Your Fault in the show. One day at rehearsal, we all stood up to sing. We got in this big half circle and started singing. At the same time, we all snapped into character and started singing it to each other. It was the first time in the rehearsal process that I actually felt like we were singing the song as our characters.” - Grace Cox “My favorite memory from rehearsals is seeing the show come together. There is always a moment after you have been rehearsing for a while where you realize the show is actually coming together and it is one of the best feelings as a performer.” - Jack Austin “My favorite memory from rehearsals so far is that time where everyone was helping me with my costume. The fellow actors, actresses, and crewmates are all so nice!” - Kaiden Osborne

Kaylee Messenger, Reporter