Event Article

he Fullerton College Theater Arts Department is bringing its Spring Semester program to life on March 6 with Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods." The department had a reprise of last semesters "The 1940's Radio Hour" but "Woods" is a first run show for this semester.

Originally hoping to do "Tommy: The Musical" the theater arts department encountered a major dilemma with the budget. "Tommy" is such an extravagant show that director Gary Krinke wouldn't do it unless he could spend as much as he -needed to. Even though the decision. concluded with the plans of producing "Woods," Krinke and cast still had a tremendous job at hand.

With a cast of 19, Krinke has had the time to fine tune the production to his liking. Even a week before it opens he is excited and offers complete confidence in his cast to perform marvelous.

"It's one of the smallest cast shows we've ever done. It's really different from what I've usually been assigned to. I know their names. I know something about them," Krinke said with. an appreciative look on his face. He hasn't had an opportunity to get to know his cast members in his' past few shows. With all of that time, he's taker, advantage by being able to focus on his show.

"The other day we spent five and a half hours on details," he said, as if he was talking about a secret burial of gold. That's because for Krinke, time is worth its weight iii gold. Usually his schedule calls for him to only spend a limited time with his cast members and the show. "How long has it been since I've had the chance to [detail a show]?"

"Woods" is a highly technical show that requires the detailing that Krinke speaks of, to make it work. With the musical numbers extremely complicated, the cast had to devote three weeks of their winter break to the show.

·"When we headed into this I said 'We can't short change anybody,"' Krinke ·says reflecting back. "We rehearsed three weeks during Christmas vacation to get to where we are now. And of those three weeks, two of them they [the cast] j1,1st sat and sang." But that wasn't it. "We still sit and sing. Last night we sang for almost twenty minutes just on the last number, just going over and·_over. We are very blessed with a really gifted musical director, Joe Monteleone. She is just brilliant. This is by far the toughest music ever, ever composed for a musical."

Soundheims piece also differs from normal musical theater in that it doesn't have as many songs, set pieces and the music fluctuates throughout. Sondheim also explores different sorts of human emotion in all periods of life.

"'Into the Woods' has very strong moral instructions," Krinke says, as he explains why he chose the production, "And it's not from, what I would call, a real religious point of view."

The production wasn't decided upon because of the department's last productions (Best Little Whorehouse in Texas). Krinke wasn't so much inspired, but was metaphorically "hit by a bolt of lighting" to do this show.

"Every show has a moral that the theater is trying to get across. But I don't think there's any show that presents as many possible moral choices as this one. I mean it just runs a gamut for two hours," he adds, "But entertainingly so."

With the inferences of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood, "Into the Woods" offers entertainment as well as what Krinke says, "It leaves you with something to think about."

"Into the Woods" will be performing on March 6,7,8,13,15 at 8p.m. and 16 at 2 p.m .. All seats are $10. Box office is (714) 871-8101. Box Office Hours are Monday-Friday 10:30-3:30 and one hour before performances.