Audiences of Trafford Middle School’s spring musical “Into the Woods Jr.” will witness multiple beloved storylines and characters in one performance, slated for March 20 to 22.
Director Janice Ruoff calls it a whimsical, fractured fairy tale, featuring stories such as “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella” and “Rapunzel.” The musical — which opened on Broadway in 1987 and was adapted to movie screens in 2014 — was the perfect choice for the club’s 50-actor cast, Ruoff said.
“I had a number of eighth graders who had talent to showcase,” she said, “so I really looked for a show that would allow enough people to have a feature role. So many shows are one female lead, some boys.”
Ruoff also felt the cast was up to the challenge of the show’s fast pace.
“The lines and the singing are really fast for them,” she said. “There are a lot of words that have to fit into a short space for them. I think the memorization of that has been difficult for some of them, but they’ve done very well at that.”
With about 75% more actors in this year’s musical cast compared to last year’s, Ruoff created ensemble roles, where students portray trees in the forest, to ensure everyone had a part.
“They made this forest magical so that they have movement,” she said, “and they show that the forest is alive.”
The costumes and sets for the performance also play a role in bringing the show to life, Ruoff said.
Parent volunteer Jamie Kostyak’s dining room table has been covered with “Into the Woods” costumes since November.
This is Kostyak’s first year designing costumes for the drama club, though she has spent years creating handmade Halloween outfits for her children — including Cinderella, Sally from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and characters from the video game Minecraft.
The number of dresses required for “Into the Woods” has presented a challenge, said Kostyak, of Manor.
“The kids love their costumes, which is really nice,” she said. “That’s important to me.”
Tech director Emiy Daignault was most excited to watch the actors rehearse with the set for the first time.
“The students have been practicing with these random props on stage, and then they see what they are actually going to be — it’s magical,” said Daignault, of Penn Township. “It’s really rewarding on so many levels.”
Daignault, a Hempfield Area art teacher, has helped design sets for Trafford Middle’s drama club for the past three years. Rapunzel’s tower and Cinderella’s mother’s tree, both nearly 3 feet in diameter, were among the main components.
The sets are created in a classroom on the second floor of the middle school, transported downstairs to the auditorium and assembled on stage, Daignault said.
“You have to really plan it all out so that it can be taken apart and reassembled back on the stage,” she said.
The Trafford Middle School Drama Club will perform “Into the Woods Jr.” at 7 p.m. March 20 and 21 and 2 p.m. March 22. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online for $12 at cur8.com/projects/40917.
