The Battle Creek community has yet again found themselves in the woods – this time with some old and new faces. The first weekend of shows may be over, but do not fret – you still have a chance to experience the magic for yourself in the Binda Auditorium at KCC’s North Avenue campus this weekend.
KCC and What a Do’s production of “Into The Woods” marks the very first collaboration between two Battle Creek theatre staples. Both programs have united to share resources, actors, and staff to enhance their offerings to actors, backstage crews, and audiences.
“The partnership between KCC Theatre and WaD is intended to be long-term (if not permanent). The basic notion behind it is to co-support and turbocharge the productivity and resources of both parties- a symbiotic relationship at its’ core,” KCC Director Brad Poer said. “As young actors come up through the ranks at What A Do, they are better prepped to experience KCC Theatre productions and courses; and then when those folks (and new KCC students with no WaD experience) are done at KCC, What a Do will be there to supply paying gigs in teaching, design, direction/etc with shorter schedule requirements outside of the longer processing of full-scale KCC shows.”
“Teri Noaeill and I chose this show because we felt that it could bring in adults from both companies and a few youth actors as well. We wanted a larger-sized cast and to do something with a full pit orchestra, too- and a challenge for our more veteran actors and singers. And since a large chunk of the box office profits from this show are going toward bringing down costs for the folks going on the Scotland trip in August, we wanted a well-known show that the whole family could come to and find something to enjoy. Our collaboration looks to check all those boxes and then some,” Poer said.
As someone who was already quite familiar with both theatre programs before, I was often able to tell what aspects of the show originated from which group. What I didn’t necessarily expect, however, was how seamlessly both groups were able to morph into one.
“I believe that the strengths of our two groups complement each other very well. Specifically from my own point of view, the What a Do folks seem to be very technical and well versed in music theory and singing as a whole while the KCC group excels at characterization and being larger than life while acting. Each member of the cast and crew brings their own special skills to the stage.” Jade Ivory (The Wolf) said.
The show has been wildly popular since its debut in 1986. If you know someone who does theatre, there’s a good chance they have been in their own production of “Into The Woods.” This cast is no exception.
“I was in the ensemble before during a production in 2016, it was my first role out of high school, and being able to be in the show again after nearly a decade has really been a full circle moment for me,” Ivory said.
For some, “Into The Woods” brings back fond memories of their time in high school theatre.
“I have done ‘Into The Woods’ once before with the Lakeview High School Performing Arts! In that production I was in the ensemble/little pig. It’s definitely nice having played ensemble before because I truly got to take a step back and appreciate the musical artistry that is Sondheim,” Kendall Eberhard (Lucinda) said. “Getting to understand the whole picture before doing the show again was amazing, it has helped me immensely during this production playing Lucinda. I have been able to take more time fine tuning things rather than relearning, and it’s been nice to compare and see how much I have improved as an actor.”
For others, this was an opportunity to experience the show from a completely different point of view than they did in the past.
“I did backstage for ‘Into the Woods’ at Lakeview High School in Spring of 2021, so what I have to say is I truly feel it’s some beautiful fate that exactly four years later, in another freshman year, I got to do this show again and am able to both be in it and play the role I’m playing,” Percy Rivera (Jack) said.
There are even some actors reprising the very same roles they played not even a year ago – if the Witch, Cinderella’s Stepmother, or the Narrator look familiar to you, you may have seen them in Our Legacy Dance Studio’s production of “Into The Woods” in Athens in May of 2024.
“Having the opportunity to play Cinderella’s Stepmother for the second time has been an interesting experience,” Lisa Perez said. “While the script is the same, the direction, blocking, cast, and overall feel of each production is unique, allowing me to present the character in a new way.”
This production features plenty of strong acting performances with even stronger vocals. Sondheim shows are notoriously difficult, but this cast tackled each piece with remarkable skill and dedication to their characters. With a live pit to back them up (something that I see less and less of these days), singers were fully supported in a way you simply can’t expect from a prerecorded track.
Most importantly, however, the newfound relationships between actors immediately became evident on the stage. The audience can often tell if the cast members actually enjoy each other’s company, and it was apparent that the actors had developed connections with their peers throughout the rehearsal process. The ability to feel comfortable with one another while sharing ideas and trying new things on stage results in more impactful storylines and an overall better show.
“It feels like a family, just like before. At first, everyone was sticking with their regular crews but everyone seems to be getting along great now,” Chris Havlock (Cinderella’s Prince) said. “Everyone has different levels of comfortability on stage, there have been a lot of out-of-the-box ideas pitched that have allowed us to view the show through a lens that may not have been clear initially.”
“Into The Woods” offers valuable life lessons for children and adults alike, and touches on subjects like family dynamics, greed, and owning up to one’s own mistakes.
“What resonates most with me is the lesson it has to tell about maturity. Realizing that if we spend all of our time pointing fingers or stressing over why this is the way it is and who did this, we will never fix the problem,” Rivera said.
There is a striking difference in tone between the first and second acts. As the characters reach their goals and expect a perfect outcome, there comes a whole new set of challenges to face – not unlike what we may face in our daily lives.
“One of my favorite online personalities, Hank Green, had a quote a few weeks ago that seems to strike at what the lessons of the second act of ‘Into the Woods’ teaches: namely, that ‘when humans solve problems, we tend to create new ones’. ‘Into the Woods’ tries to reassure us that we shouldn’t assume utopia is just over the next hill. Instead, we celebrate whatever small victories come our way with grace, rest a bit, then push on to start solving the new problems that will inevitably rise up in the absence of the old ones. A very applicable lesson and perspective for where the world is at these days.”
You have three more chances to see KCC and WaD’s production of “Into The Woods” on Friday 21 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday 22 at 7:30 p.m., or Sunday 23 at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door or at https://kelloggcommunitycollege.ludus.com/index.php. Learn more about KCC Theatre and What a Do Theatre here.
