Shortly after word got out that Venture High School was performing "Into the Woods" for their first ever high school production, I received a call from a good friend of mine--a theatre teacher--who exclaimed, "Into the Woods? You're doing Into the Woods? Are you serious?" I have to admit, at the time of the call, I had my own reservations. The students were given a vote on which play we selected and this was their choice. It was ambitious. We had practically no budget and the students had little experience in performance or design. Honestly, it was an intimidating endeavor. I worried it would be a production that parents would applaud, but that it would lack that little extra that makes a play special.
I was wrong.
The directors pulled it together and the actors did an amazing job. And the set...probably the most expansive, yet least expensive set I have ever worked on...turned out really well. We built it out of 2x2s and cardboard . . . donated, used cardboard boxes, stripped down, cut, glued together, and painted. I am proud of the final product and the work so many students put in to complete it. Their work helped open doors, providing me with the opportunity to incorporate a Design Team class into my curriculum for next year. So, it is with new confidence that I am looking forward to the opportunities we will have to design and build next year.
