Go 'Into the Woods' This Weekend at Dexter Performing Arts Center

The Dexter High School Drama Club will tackle the subject of actions and consequences in the musical retelling of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods this weekend.

The family-friendly theatrical production follows a cursed baker and his wife in their journey to steal objects from folklore icons including Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Little Red Riding Hood, in order to conceive a baby.

DHS senior Emily Rosenzweig serves as stage manager for the show, and said the production boasts a compliment of roughly 120 students, including 35 cast members and a full pit orchestra.

"The show is very vocal heavy and brings out the vocal talent of the students at the high school," she said.

One of those students is DHS senior Andrew Grafton, who plays Jack, a poor teenager who sells his cow for magic beans.

Grafton is new to the drama club, and said he is looking forward to performing on stage in front of an audience.

"I'm very excited about it," he said. "I'm a little nervous because I don't know what to expect (from the audience), but I feel confident and ready to perform."

The former football player said he equates performing on the stage similarly to performing on the field.

"It's two different skill sets, but it's the same amount of pressure," he said. "I want to perform and do the best I can whether its playing football or acting."

Senior Sarah Keen is also looking forward to the show's opening night. Keen was last seen on stage in the club's production of The Music Man in 2012.

"I'm excited to have a larger part this year," she said. "There's more pressure, but I'm looking forward to performing with my friends again."

Keen said the show has wide appeal to both children and adults.

"I think kids will enjoy all the fairy tale references, while parents will enjoy the deeper messages conveyed in the story," she said. "The show speaks to the whole idea that, you should be careful what you wish for because you may not like the results."

In addition to a large cast of characters, the musical, which clocks in at two and a half hours with two acts and an intermission, also requires several quick set changes.

"We have 40 students working behind the scenes as part of the tech crew to make sure everything runs smoothly," Rosenzweig said. "My job is to call the sound and light cues."

Tickets for Into the Woods are $8 for students and seniors, and $10 for adults. Performances are Feb. 1-2, and Feb. 8-9 at 7 p.m., with an afternoon matinee at 2 p.m. Feb. 3.

For more information, visit www.dexterdrama.org.