Going Into the Woods with the RPI Players

When Photography Editor Theo Olinkiewicz ’25 and I arrived at the RPI Playhouse to attend the dress rehearsal for the RPI Players’ production of Into the Woods, the stage was fully set with an assortment of artificial greenery and colored lighting. Just below the stage, the orchestra pit slowly filled as people trickled in, instruments in hand.

As the run through began, the actors arrived on the stage in a variety of different styles. Two outfits that stuck out were the purple suit worn by one of Cinderella's siblings and the ornate, pearly white dress worn by Rapunzel. During the sound check, we got a small peek into what kind of performance we were in for, as each mic test came with a small snippet from whichever song they were supposed to perform later.

Upon the first couple scenes of the performance, it was immediately apparent how skillful every performer was both on stage and in the orchestra. Each vocalist, performer, actor, and actress was absolutely fantastic. It’s incredible to think that each performer was able to gain and maintain this level of skill while pursuing a degree at RPI. I was consistently blown away by the quality of singing and acting there was on display.

The plot of Into the Woods also surprised me. For those who’ve never seen it before, it’s a crossover between different fairy tales. The play seamlessly moves between Red Riding Hood’s story, to Jack and the Beanstalk, to Cinderella without missing a beat. It’s strange how naturally all of them blend together. The story of the two bakers who want to have a child integrates all of the disparate storylines with each other, and the actors do a great job at portraying their characters. One would think that the tale would be at least somewhat derivative; however the interactions between all of these different characters transform them in new and often surprising ways.

The Players will be performing Into the Woods for the public on April 22 and 23 at 8pm, along with a 1 pm matinee on April 24. If you have about two hours and 45 minutes, you should absolutely watch this performance. We’ve all got finals coming up, so I’m sure we’re all looking to find things to do which aren’t studying—if for no other reason than simply to hold off burnout for a little bit longer.