The Indulgence Of The Modern World In Stephen Brockett's Into The Woods

Open your mind and come into the world of the woods, a forest of wonders with worlds collided. Experience the universe of Stephen Sondheim at its best in Into the Woods, where princes and princesses, wolf and giants brought together by the mighty witch of the dark wood. The story began with characters seeking wishes of their hearts, but little did they know of their intertwined destiny, their wishes brought them together, but where karma takes hold, consequence ensues. In Into the Woods, through the masterful use of plot, music, and alienation Sondheim made me reflect on the indulgence of the modern world, where everything at our finger tips and the loss of meaningful fulfillment. Sondheim, Into the Woods, used a unique plotline through combining multiple fairytales with the association of the woods, where every hero seeks to wish for contentment. But, how can attainment be so easy to achieve, every action has a reaction and the result is not always the one we had hope for. Each playwright has his or her own thoughts and social perspective which emerges through the plot or characters (Brockett 50). In his exposition, each hero seeks for his or her particular happiness, be it a prince searching for a princess, a couple wishing for a child, or a witch pursuing her youth; we noted the price of fulfillment at the denouement.

The art of taking your viewer out of the trance, keeping observations more objective cannot be done any better, by the performers (Brockett 184). The use of Alienation in Into the Woods is surprisingly important due to how wonderful the actors were. On stage, in a corner, a narrator stands under the golden light, mapping out each scene and conveying the story through a third-party perspective. Indeed, each interruption by this narrator brings back the audience from their focus, keeping them objective and detached, but moments later the soul of the mass will need guidance ones