Dangerous magic, dazzling beauty, and people desperate for their dreams to come true: Stephen Sondheim’s musical masterpiece Into the Woods is a fairy tale like no other. Weaving together a half-dozen familiar tales such as Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk, it’s a twisty, surprising show that anyone and everyone can enjoy.
This March, Into the Woods will dazzle audiences at Prima Theatre in Lancaster city. In Prima’s intimate theatre space, stunning performances will transport the audience to a magical world. “Audiences are really going to be in these woods, with these characters, and feel like they are on the journey with them,” says Galia Backal, who will be directing the production.
Backal is the Resident Director for the North American tour of the Broadway smash hit SIX, an exuberant, empowering musical from the perspective of the six wives of Henry the Eighth. The show has won two Tony awards, and the ongoing tour has taken Backal all over the United States. Backal is also a faculty member at Circle in the Square Theatre School. Her career began in high school when she auditioned for the theatre department to support a friend who was too nervous to audition alone. Although she was quickly pulled into the world of the theatre department, something about acting didn’t feel right: she didn’t love the spotlight, and memorizing lines could be tedious. But when Backal had the opportunity to try directing, something clicked. She loved the imaginative work that went into creating a show, and she especially loved seeing others succeed at their passions and take pride in their work. “It always felt right, and I have so much joy when I see others succeed at what they do and bring things to life,” she explains.
Backal went on to study directing in college, and over time, she began to develop her style as a director, one focused on theatre as an immersive, sensory experience. One turning point in that journey was a New York production of Our Town, directed by David Cromer. As the show’s famous shift into the past began, a curtain lifted, revealing a full period set. At that exact moment, the smell of bacon permeated the air. “And that was the thing that got me,” Backal recalls. “The smelling of the bacon was what brought me into the show.” Later, reading about Cromer’s production online, she learned how deliberate that one scent had been. Cromer had crafted a fully sensory experience, and from then on, Backal wanted to do the same for her audiences.
Directing Into the Woods is exciting for Backal, who’s always found the show compelling. “It always interested me how…as an American society, we always lean towards fantasy, fairy tales, superheroes, in times of crisis,” she says. “And it's always because we are seeking...a world where there's hope, where wishes come true, and where we see ourselves succeeding.”
But of course, pursuing a happy ending is not so simple—in the show or in real life. In Backal’s eyes, Into the Woods is about “...people trying to ‘live the dream’ and doing anything they can to succeed.” She adds, “And that, to me, is the American story, especially the American immigrant story.” As a first-generation Mexican American, Backal knows firsthand how exhausting, frustrating, and heartbreaking chasing the “American Dream” is for so many. In Jack’s obsession with the far-off world of giants, or Rapunzel’s dream of escaping her tower, there is a familiar longing for a different life.
Backal hopes that everyone who sees Into the Woods at Prima will find their own connections to the theme of dreams and their consequences. “I want theatre to transport us,” she says. “I want the audience to be involved from the minute they step in the theatre, all the way through.” Over the years, she’s seen firsthand how powerful theatre can be when it embraces fluidity and immersion. “It’s such a way of inviting audiences into the world that even if you’re not a theatre person, you’re still enjoying it because it’s all around you, and you are a part of it,” she explains. She’s watched people who never previously cared for theatre—people like her dad—suddenly connect with it when the experience is immersive.
Backal also knows that for many, theatre comes alive when they see their own lives and stories reflected on the stage. From the very beginning of her career, she noticed a lack of Latinx representation and stories in mainstream theatre. Telling those stories, and centering underrepresented communities, is a cornerstone of her work. To that end, she recently worked as the Associate Director to Estefanía Fadul on a Zoom tour of Carla’s Quince, an ensemble-devised digital theatrical experience aimed at mobilizing young Latinx voters. The show provided voting information through a performance that centered Latinx voices and experiences. “We wanted audiences to walk away feeling empowered,” says Backal. And it seems they did: after the show ended, the ensemble heard from many audience members, young and old, who were excited and motivated to vote for the first time.
And while shows like Into the Woods are often performed by all-white casts, Backal and Prima aim to create a production that truly reflects the diversity of the theatre community. “We really want all to feel welcomed in this space,” says Backal. The Lancaster County Community Foundation, Myokind by Prana, and Henry & Carol Mauermeyer are the leading sponsors of Into the Woods, inspired by Prima and Backal’s vision to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in the creative team and cast. Prima’s production invites audiences of every age and life experience to step into the story. Deep in the world of the woods, they’ll find hope, fear, and beauty. And when they emerge from the woods, they too will be changed by what they’ve experienced.
Into the Woods runs March 10-25, 2023 at Prima Theatre, 941 Wheatland Avenue in Lancaster. Tickets are on sale, and availability is limited. Tickets start at $58, and reservations at primatheatre.org/woods are highly recommended. Discounted group tickets are available by visiting primatheatre.org/groups or calling the box office at 717-327-5124. The theatre is handicap accessible.
