Imperialists Giants, the Power of Community and after the Fairytale ends: Into the Woods at SF Playhouse

Into the Woods proves again why it is such a beloved and enduring musical since its debut in 1987 with SF Playhouse’s festive production. Unapologetically witty, with a driving narrative and songs that vie for top dog, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical lives up to its reputation. Heather Kenyon’s enchanting forest set creates the mood from the very first moment.

The show brings together recognizable fairytale characters like Little Red Riding Hood (Olivia Hellman), Prince Charming (Trevor March and Johann Santiago Santos), Cinderella (Jillian A. Smith), the Wicked Witch (Alison Ewing) and Jack, the one from the beanstalk (William I. Schmidt), and creates a collage of story pieces that fit into a new work of art. They cross paths, steal beans, barter, bicker and survive curses on their quests in the woods.

Hellman’s Red Riding Hood is the perfect feisty foil to the childless baker and his wife, while the Big Bad Wolf’s song becomes a duet between March and Santos, who also play the Prince Charmings, in a clever twist under Susi Damilano’s direction. Their rendition of the song Agony, one of the most popular numbers, had the princes questioning whether a charming wolf or prince is friend or foe. Smith’s Cinderella remains dainty with a side of steel, while Maureen McVerry, and the costume and wig design by Kathleen Qiu and Laundra Tyme, complete with pink tasseled udders as Milky White the cow, drew a huge amount of joy.

At the beginning of the show, the stage manager announced that this production is actually in two parts and that we should not leave at intermission, to much laughter. The first part of the story ends with the typical fairytale ending. The princes have found their princesses, the evil witch has her magic taken away, a giant has been murdered and there is enough gold and babies for all. According to the trope, this should be the end.

Part Two becomes a cautionary tale of the consequences of wishes, actions, and the sad fizzle after love at first sight. Cinderella finds she does not want to be married to a prince. The Giant’s widow comes calling on Jack in a wave of destruction for vengeance. Rapunzel has a mental breakdown from her time in banishment and then birthing twins. The Baker and his wife, acting as the very human straight man in the chaos, soon descend into squabbling themselves. The defining message about the importance of acting in community to become stronger in the face of evil hits differently now than it might have in decades past. In particular, the idea of a giant with imperialist tendencies, who owns more than their fair share of wealth and land, descending from high places to squish tiny people and their homes strikes a different political chord in the current landscape.

In the end, this production shows a group of characters set to rise above the ashes of destruction, stronger for their ties to one another under Damilano’s skilled hand. It is a perfect holiday treat. Into the Woods runs through January 17 at the San Francisco Playhouse. For tickets, priced from $52 to $145, visit the company’s website.