Into the Woods

Into the Woods
Inspire Creative
Parker Schoolhouse Theater
Parker, CO
April 10-19, 2015

I've seen several shows at the PACE Center in Parker and have enjoyed them. Into the Woods is one of my daughter's favorite shows, so when it was advertised on their site, I bought tickets.

This performance was actual held at the Parker Mainstreet Theater. It's a small, experimental space, but I've seen shows in small spaces before, so this was not an issue.

The production, however, came across as rather lazy. The actors entered the stage in street clothes and were handed props for the parts they played. So, the baker wore an apron over his jeans and rugby shirt and so on. They were nice enough to have Red Riding Hood in a red hoodie to help us out a bit.

The sets were also very basic. Black flats suggested separate locations, but no other set dressing was used. The Beanstalk Jack climbs was just a ladder - they didn't even bother with any leaves. The props were less than impressive. A chicken hat on a yellow volleyball was the goose that laid the golden egg. It was a cheap joke, and made the darker Act Two even harder to get through.

The saving grace of the production was the performances. Clearly these are talented people who perform for the love of it. And that is what kept the audience's attention through the show. It's unfortunate that they weren't given a more dynamic production to showcase their abilities.