Into the Woods Study Guide

Otterbein University’s Production

April 9-12 and 16-18

Created by junior BA Theatre major Alexx Conrad

What is a fairy tale?

A fairy tale is a story that is written by someone and contains magical elements. A folktale is a story passed down through generations, often containing magic. Into the Woods is several stories

based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales weaved together that combine both fairy tales and folktales.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales

The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm worked together to collect and publish folklore. Their interest began when they attended the University of Marburg where they developed a curiosity

for German folklore. Not only were they drawn to German folklore, they were also influenced by Charles Perrault, who published the beginnings of fairytales including Puss in Boots and Little Red Riding Hood in 1967. Working together, the brothers gathered tales to create a book that discussed fairy tales thoroughly on an academic level that could be passed to generations to come. They published ‘Children and Household Tales’ or ‘Kinder und Hausmärchen.’ This

collection of legends and folktales, 86 in all, were not intended for children. Despite anger from the community and demands that the graphic tales be removed from the collection, Jacob and

Wilhelm wanted to show that these stories reflect society in those times. After several revisions, the brothers produced a final copy in 1857 that held 211 folk stories. During World War II, these stories were celebrated by the Nazi Party, who said that the book belonged in every household.

Synopsis

Act One, Scene One: In a story told through a narrator: We open on three homes and those who live in them; Cinderella cleaning in her kitchen, Jack milking his cow Milky White, and The Baker and his Wife preparing bread. They all sing of wishes and what they desire most in the world. Cinderella, wishing to go to the King’s Festival is delayed by her evil stepmother and

stepsisters. Milky White will not produce milk and Jack’s Mother is insisting he sell her so they can eat. The Baker and his Wife cannot have a child. Little Red Ridinghood enter the Baker’s

home in need of bread and sweets for her grandmother who is sick. A Witch, who neighbors The Baker enters their home. She tells them that when the Baker was a baby, his father snuck into her

garden and stole magic beans from her to satisfy his wife’s cravings as she was expecting another child. In return for the stolen beans, the newborn child now belonged to the Witch. She

also placed a cursed on the family to ensure “that the family tree would always be a barren one”. However, the Witch offers a deal to the Baker and his Wife to reverse the curse. They are to bring her four items; the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as

corn, and the slipper as pure as gold in three days time. The Baker and his Wife agree and The Baker prepares to head to the woods, finding six of the magic beans in his father’s hunting

jacket. He leaves his wife at home and begins his journey, as do the rest of the characters into the

woods. Scene Two: Cinderella, having been tricked by her stepmother to not go to the ball has gone into

the woods to visit her mother’s grave, a tree. As she tells her wishes to her mother’s grave, the ghost of her mother appears offering her to grant any wish she wants. She is given a beautiful

ballgown and golden shoes. She hurries to the Festival. Meanwhile, Jack is walking Milky White to the market. He is met by a mysterious man and quickly avoids his path. Little Red Ridinghood is also greeted by an unwelcome guest on her path; the Wolf. In an attempt to eat her, the Wolf

attempts to sway Little Red from her path by showing her flowers that she can pick. As she strays from the path, the Wolf heads to her Grandmother’s house to wait for her to arrive. As

Little Red leaves the path, the Baker enters and catches sight of her bloodred cape. As the Witch convinces him to steal the cape, he notices that his wife is following him, and they begin to

quarrel about her being in the woods. In the midst of their fight, Jack enters with his cow. The Baker’s Wife gets Jack to exchange his cow, as white as milk, to them for five magic beans. Jack says goodbye to his friend, in the hopes that he can buy her back someday, as the Baker and his

Wife debate whether if deceit is the way to get their child. They spilt up, the Wife to take the cow home and the Baker to get the cape.

We then find ourselves outside of a tower, where a young maiden named Rapunzel is held captive. The Witch calls for Rapunzel to let down her hair, while a Prince watches from a

distance. The Baker, having found Little Red again attempts to take her cape from her. When he steals it, she cries and he returns it to her, feeling guilty of stealing something from a child. Little Red runs into her grandmother’s home and the Wolf who has already eaten her grandmother and

eats her. Hearing screams, the Baker enters and slits the Wolf’s stomach, releasing the two inside. Little Red gives him her cape as thanks for saving her life. Jack returns home with his beans. In a rage, his mother throws them out of the window. During the night, the beans grow

into an enormous beanstalk. On her way home, the Baker’s Wife runs into Cinderella, who is running away from the King’s Festival. As Cinderella begins to leave, the Baker’s Wife realizes that she possesses the slippers needed to reverse the curse. In an attempt to grab the slippers, she loses the cow. At the end of

the first midnight, we find each character questioning the events that have occurred in the woods.

Scene Three: Having discovered the beanstalk in his backyard, Jack has climbed it finding a kingdom belonging to the giants. He has stolen several pieces of gold from them and uses these stolen pieces to try and buy his cow back from the Baker. When the Baker says that Jack cannot have his cow back, he returns to the sky to steal more gold. The mysterious man reappears and

questions the Baker in his methods to receive his child. He disappears as the Baker’s Wife enters. She reveals that she has lost the cow. The Witch tells the two that they need to get the cow back. When the Baker attempts to give the Witch the cape, she refuses to take it. She leaves the two,

after hearing Rapunzel singing. As the Baker and his Wife return to their quest, two princes enter, discussing maidens they have each encountered and fallen in love with. They wonder why the two princesses, who are revealed to be Cinderella and Rapunzel, continue to be out of their

grasp. They both vow to find them and marry them. The mysterious man finds Milky White and delivers her to the Baker. The Baker’s Wife, having found Rapunzel’s tower, steals some of her

hair, that is as yellow as corn. As she leaves, she runs into Cinderella once more, failing to obtain

her slipper again as Cinderella runs from the Prince. When the Baker and his Wife meet up again, with their three objects, they decide that they have to work together to get what they want. Jack returns to them, with a chicken that lays golden eggs, demanding that he get Milky White

back. Just as he approaches her, Milky White dies. It is the end of the second midnight.

Scene Four: The Baker and his Wife split in hopes of finding their last two objects. Rapunzel, who has been discovered with her Prince by the Witch, loses her hair that brings her visitor into

her tower. The Witch also blinds the Prince and takes Rapunzel far away. Jack, running into Little Red, is dared to steal a golden harp from the giant’s kingdom. Cinderella, who is still

questioning her desire to go to the King’s Festival, has found herself tricked by the Prince. He has placed tar on the stairs so she cannot run away. She leaves one of her shoes behind for him to

find her, to help her decide what she wants to do. As she leaves, she once again runs into the Baker’s Wife. The Baker’s Wife convinces Cinderella to trade her shoes, as the Prince is not following her and her shoes would help her escape quicker. Jack’s Mother enters, claiming a

dead giant is in her backyard. Jack had gone up to steal the harp and was caught. To escape the giant, Jack cut down the beanstalk and the giant fell. Now that the Baker and his Wife have

obtained all four objects, including a cow they have covered in flour, they bring their items to the Witch. Unhappy with the cow, the Witch brings Milky White back to life and they feed the

remaining objects to her. As it seems, the spell is not working. We learn that the Witch could not touch the objects fed to the cow and she had touched Rapunzel’s hair. The mysterious man

returns and tells them to feed the cow the hair from an ear of corn, and it is revealed that he is actually the Baker’s father. As the spell begins to work, the Witch turns into a beautiful woman

and the Baker’s father dies.

Scene Five: The Prince has now begun a search for his lost Princess, trying to find a woman who fits the shoe that was left behind on his steps. After several attempts, he finally finds Cinderella and takes her to marry him. Rapunzel, who had two children, finds her Prince blindly walking through the forest. Her tears being his vision back. When the Witch finds them, Rapunzel says

that she wishes to stay with her Prince. When the Witch tries to place a curse on them, she realizes that her powers have been replaced by her new beauty. The Baker’s Wife is now

pregnant. Jack and his mother are now wealthy. The act ends with all characters getting what they wanted, as a new beanstalk grows behind them.

Act Two, Scene One: We once again enter upon three houses; Cinderella’s castle, The Baker and his Wife and their child, and Jack’s home with Milky White outside. Once again, each

character is wishing for something. Cinderella wishes to host a festival. Jack wishes to return to the giant’s kingdom. The Baker and his Wife wish they had more room in their home.

Nevertheless, the characters are happy with their lives overall. Their happiness is interrupted by a loud crash that destroys the Baker’s home. With the Witches help, they decide that a giant has

entered the kingdom and head out to tell the royal family. When the Baker gets to the castle, after consulting with Jack, he tells Cinderella what is happening. The royal family’s steward tries to brush off the Baker’s claims, but Cinderella ensures that the Prince will know. When the Baker

returns home, he discovers Little Red, her house also collapsed. The Baker and his Wife offer to take her to her grandmother’s house. Jack also returns to the woods to slay the giant. Knowing

that something is wrong, Cinderella disguises herself and heads back into the woods to investigate. Once again, our characters find themselves embarking on a journey.

Scene Two: The characters join together now, in fear of the giant. The Princes also meet in the forest. They talk about their wives and how they have found new maidens that they’ve fallen in love with. They begrudgingly return to their wives and head back as they hear screams in the forest. Meanwhile, the Baker, his Wife, and Little Red have become lost looking for Granny’s

house. They come upon the royal family, who confirm that a giant is attacking the kingdom. The giant, who is the wife of the giant that Jack slayed in Act 1, is searching for Jack and demands to

know where the boy is who killed her husband. While working together, they talk about who they should give to the giant in exchange for Jack. They decide to sacrifice the Narrator of the story, and the giant drops him to his death. Jack’s Mother intervenes, angering the giant more,

until the Steward hits her on the head to quiet her, causing her death. The Baker and his Wife go off in search of Jack, while Little Red watches the baby. They agree to walk one hundred paces

to find him. The Baker’s Wife encounters Cinderella’s Prince and they kiss and go into the glade together. The Baker encounters Cinderella and she joins him on his search. The Baker’s Wife and Cinderella’s Prince have now separated and as she returns the search for Jack, she realizes

she is lost. The giant, approaching, creates an earthquake and the Baker’s Wife falls to her death.

As the Baker, Little Red, and Cinderella wait for the Baker’s Wife to return, the Witch arrives having found Jack. She also brings news of the Baker’s Wife’s death. The group argues whose

fault it is that they are all in this dire situation. The Witch, tired of the arguing and selfishness of the group, disappears, leaving each character feeling guilty of their wishes. The Baker, in shock over losing his wife, abandons the group, running away from his child just as his father had. In the woods, the Baker once again meets the mysterious man who convinces him to return to his child. He returns and begins a plan to defeat the giant, through tricking her. As they start their

plan, Cinderella runs into her Prince, and he admits he strayed from her and they go their separate ways. While waiting for the plan to begin, Cinderella and the Baker become parental

figures to Jack and Little Red. As the plan works and the giant is struck down. Cinderella and the Baker take in Little Red and Jack to raise them. The Baker, still doubting his parenting ability, is visited by his wife’s ghost, who gives him confidence and tells him to tell their child the story of

his birth.

Artistic Team Biographies

James Lapine (Book) was born in 1949 in Mansfield, Ohio. He majored in History at Franklin and Marshall College and went on to get a MFA in Design from the California Institute of the

Arts. He moved to New York City where he worked as a waiter, a page/tour guide at NBC, and freelanced in photography and graphic design. He received a job designing print materials for the Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre and taught courses in advertising design. His first directed work, Photograph by Gertrude Stein, won an Obie award. Lapine moved to writing

plays as well as directing them, producing works like Table Settings, Luck, Pluck, and Virtue, and Act One. When moving to Broadway, Lapine worked with Stephen Sondheim, writing and

directing Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Passion, and Sondheim on Sondheim. He has worked with William Finn on March of the Falsettos, Falsettoland, and Little Miss

Sunshine. Other Broadway works include Golden Child; The Diary of Anne Frank, Amour, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and the 2012 revival of Annie.

Lapine wrote the screenplay for the film version of Into the Woods as well. He has been nominated twelve times for a Tony, winning three, and has received five Drama Desk Awards,

the Peabody Award, and a Pulitzer Prize.

Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics) was born in 1930 in New York City. Sondheim started songwriting as a child, learning from the master lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. Sondheim would later work with Hammerstein as an assistant during his collaborations with Richard Rodgers. He attended Williams College, where he majored in Music. In the 1950s. He moved to Los Angeles and wrote television scripts and composed background music for plays. His first big break came when he was asked to be the lyricist for West Side Story. After this huge step in his career, he continued to work on high-profile pieces such as Gypsy and A Funny Thing Happened on the

Way to the Forum, which won him a Tony award. Sondheim won more Tonys over the next ten years on his pieces that he collaborated with Harold Prince; Company, Follies, A Little Night

Music ,and Sweeney Todd. At this point, his style of writing, witty lyrics and merging words with music, Sondheim’s work could be easily distinguished. He then worked on Pacific Overtures and

Merrily We Roll Along. He would then collaborate with James Lapine on Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Passions. Sondheim’s work would later be combined into several revues including Side by Side by Sondheim, Putting it Together, and Sondheim on Sondheim. He has won numerous awards including a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award, 8

Grammys, 13 Tony Awards, 16 Drama Desk Awards, and many others.

Sondheim’s Music

Stephen Sondheim is known for a very specific type of musical style that he has created himself. He is known to write scores (a document showing all the notes of a work of music) rather than songs. These scores tell stories with special functions, often sharing a lesson or moral with the

audience. Sondheim’s lyrics are often witty and complex, never using words that are unnecessary to finish a rhyme or thought. Every word Sondheim writes is important. The songs written are

often an expression of the characters and his melodies always reflect the time in which the musical is set. You can also tend to hear melody or rhythms repeated throughout the show.

One major thing that sets Sondheim apart from other musicians is that he doesn’t aim to write a “hit” song. He often views his works as a whole and does not write to have a song extracted, to be played on the radio for example. Many of his songs use syncopation (rhythm in which stress

is given to weak beats instead of the strong ones) copying natural speech rhythms, giving his work a conversational feeling.

See if you can identify any of Sondheim’s musical traits throughout the show. Can you hear any repetition in lyrics or rhythm? Why would Sondheim use the same patterns multiple times in one

show? Do these moments have a hidden meaning behind them?

History of Into the Woods

Premier (Old Globe Theatre) - 1986Broadway premier (Martin Beck Theatre) – 1987

PBS American Playhouse reunion show (used for tape/DVD distribution) - 1989Original London West End production (Phoenix Theatre) – 1990

London Revival (Donmar Warehouse) – 1998Broadway Revival (Broadhurst Theatre) – 2002

Central Park Theatre Production (Delacorte Theater) -2012

Awards

Tonys: Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason), Best Revival of a Musical (2002), Best Lighting Design

Drama Desk: Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Book of a Musical, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Robert Westenberg), Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason), Outstanding Revival of a Musical (2002), Outstanding Set Design,

Outstanding Sound Design,

Laurence Olivier Award: Best Director of a Musical (Richard Jones), Best Actress in a Musical (Imelda Staunton), Best Actress in a Musical (Sophie Thompson), Best Musical Revival (2011)

Themes

Wishes and Happily Ever After?

Throughout the show, we learn of each character’s wishes. However, the way each character works to get these wishes is completely different. Some expect their desires to be handed to

them, like the Prince, while others must work to get what they want, like the Baker and his wife. While all characters get their “wishes” at the end of Act 1, Act 2 begins a new theme, of

consequences for getting what we want. For every action, there is a reaction and sometimes the results are disastrous.

We see through several characters, but mainly Cinderella, that maybe they didn’t necessarily understand what they were wishing for. When they gained their “wish”, did they really end up

with living happily ever after?

Family and Community

Into the Woods shows many family relationships in different ways, especially in Act 1. The Baker and his Wife are looking to start a family with a new child. The Baker hasn’t seen his own

father in years, and fears that he too will be absent for his own child. The Witch considers Rapunzel her daughter as she has raised her since she was born. Cinderella is trapped in a household with her evil Step-Mother and Step-Sisters after the death of her mother. Jack is

forced to sell his only friend to keep food in his home for himself and his mother. Little Red is on her way to visit her sick grandmother in bed. We see a strong sense of family connection in

this act and see how important these relationships are to each character.

In Act 2, we see a turn in these relationships. While many still value their family, a connection to community becomes equally important. When the Giant’s Wife comes to avenge her husband, havoc is unleashed upon the kingdom, while ultimately killing The Baker’s Wife and Father,

Jack’s Mother, and Little Red’s Family, the remaining characters, including the Witch, must join together as a community to defeat the giant. They now have one shared goal, instead of several wishes, working towards something bigger than themselves. They realize that they have created a new “family” that cares and supports each other. Each character sees the value in other’s lives

versus just their own.

We truly see the value of community versus self in “Your Fault/Last Midnight”, when the Witch asks the group to give her Jack to sacrifice to the Giant’s Wife. Their reply is simply “no”.

Discussion Questions

What is the wish of each character? When (If) each character receives their wish, are they happy with the outcome? What are the consequences of each wish?

The show’s opening and closing line is “I Wish”. Why?

What do the woods represent? Each character views the woods differently as containing different journeys and outcomes. Does the representation of the woods change from Act 1 to Act 2? What

do the woods represent to you?

Do the characters that die throughout the show deserve death? Did they get what they wanted before they died? Did their wishes ultimately lead to their deaths?

Many stories often have a protagonist and antagonist or “good guys and bad guys”. Who is who in Into the Woods? Can someone be both? Are we sympathetic and understanding of these

characters even though they have done wrong things? Consider the following:

The Baker intends to leave his son behind after he learns his wife has died. He steals from several characters to receive what he wants.

Little Red Riding Hood kills and skins the Wolf, as she has done with other animals, and wears the skins as trophies. She also tempts Jack to steal more from the Giant’s kingdom.

Jack kills the Giant while stealing items that Jack and his mother don’t need from his kingdom.The Baker’s Wife commits adultery with Cinderella’s Prince.

Often, the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince are played by the same actor. Why do you think this is? What traits do the two characters share? Do they share any lines, motives, or goals with each other? How does the Wolf lure Little Red from her designated path? Does Cinderella’s Prince

lure the The Baker’s Wife to evil?

Vocabulary

Vile: wretchedly bad, unpleasant The Witch had a vile personality.

Lentils: a small legume plant, often in seed formCinderella often made her stepsisters lentil soup for lunch.

Eaves: the overhanging lower edge of a roofThe leaves were stuck to the eaves on the house.

Dugs: the nipple of a female mammal, a breast especially one that is old and witheredThe cow’s dugs no longer produced milk.

Dither: a state of flustered excitement or fearThe girl was in a dither seeing the giant

Withers: the highest part of the back at the base of the neck of a cow Jack brushed Milky White on her withers.

Touched: slightly crazy, unbalancedJack seemed touched to the others in town when he talked about meeting a giant in the sky.

Dell: a small, wooded valleyThe Baker’s home was nestled in a dell.

Raping: the act of seizing, or stealing. The Baker’s father raped several vegetables from the Witch’s garden.

Mollified: to soften in temperShe mollified after receiving several apologies.

Barren: incapable of producing offspringBecause of several health complications, the women was barren.

Pounds: a unit of moneyJack paid with a pound.

Mortified: humiliated or shamedThe Witch was mortified when she lost her powers.

Vain: excessively proud of or concerned about one’s own appearance or qualitiesThe stepsisters were vain when it came to how they looked.

Glade: an open space in a forestThe forest was extremely thick except for a small glade in the middle.

Befall: to happenThey waited patiently for something to befall to them.

League: a unit of distance, around 3 miles The house was a league away from their neighbors.

Lush: tender and juicy The steak was incredibly lush.

Supple: flexibleThe gymnast was supple after she stretched.

Carnality: characterized by the flesh or the body

Deceit: heating, fraud, to trickThe Baker used deceit to obtain the objects he needed.

Dank: unpleasantly moist or humidThe greenhouse was dank.

Heeded: gave careful attention toThe Baker heeded his father’s advice to return home.

Dolt: a dull, stupid personThey said only a dolt would climb a giant beanstalk.

Thatched: a material, like straw, used to cover roofsWhen they made their small cottage, they made their own thatched roof.

Delirious: wild with excitementThe group was delirious waiting for the surprise.

Knoll: a small, rounded hillThey hid behind the knoll in the field.

Disdain: to despise, to think unworthy of noticeCinderella’s stepmother had a great disdain for her stepdaughter.

Vague: not clear or distinctThe mysterious man was vague about why he was in the woods.

Disposition: a state of mindCinderella had a loving disposition.

Queer: strange or oddThey had a queer feeling when the ground began to shake.

Amends: to compensate for an injury, loss, or insultThe group tried to make amends with the giant by offering her other people instead of Jack.

Mongrel: any cross between different things, often inharmoniousThe mongrel was unpleasant to look at as they didn’t know what animal it was.

Molested: bothered, interfered with, or annoyedThe Baker was molested by the Witch’s frequent pleas to get the objects.

Providence: the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over Earth’s creatures

Pitch: a type of tar, often used for pavingThe pitch stuck to Cinderella’s shoe, causing her to leave it behind.

Malice: desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on anotherThe Giant’s Wife had great malice towards Jack after he killed her husband.

Deleterious: harmfulThe smell was deleterious to their health.

Stunted: slowed in growth or developmentThe garden was stunted due to the lack of rain.

Wench: a girl or young woman, often a servant The wench cleaned the floors of the castle.

Impoverished: deprived The kingdom was impoverished due to the King’s greed.

Haughty: snobby, proud, arrogantThe King was haughty when he addressed his court.

Discontent: dissatisfaction Cinderella was discontent with how the kingdom was being run.

Footmen: a servant who attends the door to a carriageThe footmen helped the princesses out of the carriage.

Row: a noisy disturbanceThere was a row and then they knew something was wrong.

Pence: plural form of pennyJack spent several pence on meat for his mother.

Beget: to procreate or generate offspringThe Baker and his Wife tried to beget a child.

Manticore: a monster with a man’s head, horns, a lion’s body, and the tail of a dragon

Griffin: a monster with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion

Snuff: to suppress, to put an end toThe Witch wanted to snuff the giant’s wife.

Wrought: to manipulate or treat by laborThe Witch wrought the Baker to do her bidding.

Biers: a frame on which a corpse or a coffin is laid on before a burialThey laid the coffin on the biers so the body could be viewed.

Intrepid: fearlessJack was intrepid when he returned to the kingdom in the sky.

Consensus: majority of opinionThe group came to the consensus that they should trick the giant’s wife.

Steeple: a tall ornamental construction on the roof of a buildingThe church’s steeple also held the church bells.

Untainted: a trace of something bad, offensive, or harmful. Not tarnished, contaminated, or polluted

Little Red remained untainted until she experienced the real world.

Paces: a rate of movingThe Baker walked several paces away from the group.

Beseeming: to be suitable or fittingIt was beseeming that the Witch would lose her powers in return for beauty.

Remorse: deep and painful regretThe Baker held remorse for trying to steal Little Red’s cape.

Hitch: a fastener that connects things temporarilyThey decided to hitch the trailer to the car until they could find a more permanent solution.

Steward: a person who manages another’s property or financial affairs

Grope: to feel with one’s handsThe Baker groped his bread dough to create the loaves.