Into the Woods, BISV’s 2025 – 2026 fall musical, based on the Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim, intertwines classic fairytales, including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel. The story follows a baker and his wife who are unable to have children after an evil witch places a curse on their family. To reverse the spell, they embark on a journey into the woods to collect the four magical ingredients: a milk-white cow, a strand of hair as yellow as corn, a cape the color of blood, and a gold slipper in order to reverse a curse of childlessness. Along the way, they cross paths with familiar fairytale characters, each chasing a wish of their own.
This year’s production features a large cast and a hardworking crew of twenty-one students., Into the Woods has fast-paced musical numbers and overlapping storylines, making it one of BISV’s most ambitious and impressive shows. Students have been working since early fall to memorize lines, build harmonies, design and build sets, and bring the magic of the woods to the stage.
Below are a few interviews with cast members who shared their experiences and favorite moments from bringing this classic Broadway musical to life:
Cinderella’s Prince – Grace Y.
Q: Hi! Do you mind if we record you for an interview?
A: No, not at all.
Q: Okay, first question: Why did you audition for this play?
A: Well, overall it’s a really good experience. The cast members have become like family, and we all have really good chemistry. We’ve built a sort of community. It’s really fun.
Q: Wow! That sounds really great. Okay… what do you enjoy the most during rehearsals?
*Grace looks around at her fellow cast members scattered across the theater*
A: I really enjoy being able to chat with people and practicing our songs together. And also when we’ve rehearsed a lot and we see it all finally starting to come together.
Q: What is your favorite line in the whole play?
A: Oh! I was thinking about this the other day actually.
*Grace briefly looks through her script*
A: “Children may not obey, but children will listen” by the witch.
Q: Nice! What did you learn from this whole experience?
A: Start practicing early, and also, teamwork is important because there’s so many interactions in each scene that are very intricate.
Q: Hmm… that makes sense. Ok last question. In a few words, what would you say to encourage people to see the show?
A: Uh… You definitely won’t regret it. I think it’s one of the first few BISV musicals that has actually been on Broadway, and is really popular, and this is our interpretation and I really encourage you to watch it.
The Witch – Shaanvi M.
Q: Hi! Do you mind if we record an interview with you?
A: Yeah- I mean- no, I don’t mind.
Q: Okay great. First question: Why did you audition for this play?
A: Well I do theater. Like I do shows and theater is one of my favorite things to do.
Q: Nice! It’s cool that you’re so passionate about theater. What did you enjoy the most during rehearsals?
A: I really enjoyed especially like the bond that you form with your cast. You all get really close. It’s one of the best parts of theater and just like getting to know your cast when you’re practicing your lines and it just makes it so much more fun and easier to like… perform it.
Q: Wow! I’m sure building that sense of community made the experience even more worth it.
Q: What is your favorite line?
*Silence for a few moments while Shaanvi considers her response*
A: Actually, I don’t know.
*Shaanvi hesitates and desperately looks at Mr. Juarez for an answer.*
A: Uh… give me like two seconds.
*Shaanvi frantically flips through her script*
Q: It doesn’t have to be one of your lines, it can be any line in the entire play.
A: Maybe “I’ll find that lad, I’ll serve him to the giant for lunch.”
Q: Cool. What did you learn from this experience?
A: You learn public speaking, you get over stage fright, you see like how singing and acting and dancing and it all comes together. You can learn about yourself, and how to like being yourself and kind of create a different mindset. So, it really helped, not just on stage, but it changes like your attitude towards things.
Q: That’s amazing. Theater helped you grow and change on stage and personally. Last question. In a few words, what would you say to encourage people to see the show?
A: It’s a really entertaining show, there’s so many varieties of different characters from like different fairytales from when you’re young. All of them are put together, creating multiple plotlines, and like twists in the story that way you can really stay engaged. It’s also a fun thing to see how people you know can fit into like a different character, and it really like interests you. You have so many people watching Broadway, and this is just like that but like smaller, and you get to see like how it is.
Light and Stage Manager – Sia M.
Q: Hi! Can we record an interview with you?
A: Yeah, of course.
Q: Okay uh… how did you decide on the lighting and stage design to match the overall atmosphere and theme of this play?
*Sia looks at her friend Mihika with a blank expression*
A: Um… let me think. I like to look at the interactions between the characters and make choices that amplify their interactions with one another.
*Her friend Mihika gives her a nod of approval*
Q: Oh, interesting. What challenges did you guys face during the production process?
A: A lot of the mics and lighting don’t work and we just have to try again and again until it works.
Q: What makes your design choices unique or different from others?
*Mihika whispers an answer to her*
A: Ooh that’s good. I like to make personal connections from the actors and I make choices that best suit their needs.
Q: In a few words, what would you say to convince people to come to the show?
A: It’s a very fun show and you’ll enjoy seeing your friends act in it a lot.
Baker’s Wife – Mihika M.
Q: Why did you decide to audition for this play?
A: Because it’s really fun and all my friends are doing it.
Q: What was your favorite experience during rehearsals?
A: I guess… not paying attention with my friends.
Q: What is one thing you learned from doing this play?
A: I learned that doing real Broadway musicals are really really hard.
Q: In a few words, what would you say to convince people to come to the show?
A: Like what would I say?
Q: Yeah, what would you say to encourage people to watch?
A: It’s really funny, and you get to see your friends make fools of themselves.
Jack – Jack Z.
Q: What’s your role in the musical?
A: Basically, there’s like 4, no 5 main characters: Cinderella, Baker, Baker’s Wife, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack, which is me.
Q: What’s your favorite line in the musical
A: Okay, so, at the start of Act 2, there’s this line where the Baker’s house gets destroyed and he goes to my house and asks my mother if she’d seen anything happen today because his house got destroyed. She said, “No, Jack has been at home the whole day.” And I really like it because it really captures the characters.
Q: What made you want to do this play?
A: I’ve been doing drama since pretty much the dawn of time, like if you look up at the posters, my name’s basically on all of them. I’ve been doing it since 7th grade.
Q: In a few words, what would you say to encourage people to come to the show?
A: Okay, unironically, I think this might be one of our best shows ever, uh, just with the way that the circumstances play out. So I will say that if you do decide to show, you will not be disappointed.
