āMiddlesex Community Collegeās theatre department is proud to present Stephen Sondheim and James Lapineās award-winning āInto the Woodsā for the Spring 2025 production. The musical will run for five performances from Thursday, April 10 to Sunday, April 13 at the collegeās Richard and Nancy Donahue and Family Academic Arts Center in Lowell.
āI auditioned for āInto the Woodsā because I was interested in exploring musical theater, and because I hoped to make connections with and learn from the talented members of Ā鶹¹ū¶³'s theater program,ā said Ellery Martin-Gleason, an Ā鶹¹ū¶³ Liberal Arts and Sciences student from Concord. āSince I began acting at Ā鶹¹ū¶³, I have found more confidence in my abilities to communicate with others, and greater ease embracing my personality. It is important for students to have opportunities to follow our passions in order for us to grow as people, create our paths as individuals, and figure out the roles we want to play in our communities.ā
āInto the Woodsā includes characters from popular Brothers Grimm fairytales. Focusing on after the original plots come to an end, familiar stories include āLittle Red Riding Hood,ā āJack and the Beanstalk,ā āRapunzelā and āCinderella.ā Opening in November of 1987, the original Broadway production was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning three.
āOpportunities like this serve as reminders as to why we either started working in or fell in love with theatre in the first place,ā said Abby McIsaac, an Ā鶹¹ū¶³ alumna from Tyngsborough. āReturning to Ā鶹¹ū¶³ to perform there again feels like coming home after being away for so long. I couldnāt be prouder of the work that weāve put into this, and Iām so very excited for people to see what weāve created together.ā
āWhen the āInto the Woodsā auditions came along, I knew that I wanted to participate,ā said Connor Lee, an Ā鶹¹ū¶³ Performing Arts student from Chelmsford. āTheatre is so important because it is a place where people can go to make friends and build their community. It allows students to feel like they belong to something important. On top of all that theatre is just so much fun and I'd recommend it to anyone who gets the chance.ā
The Ā鶹¹ū¶³ theatre department partnered with UMass Lowellās theatre arts on the Spring 2025 production. Auditions for students and alumni of both schools were held in January with the goal of bringing together talents, perspectives and resources from both institutions, according to Karen Oster, Ā鶹¹ū¶³ās Chair of Performing Arts.
āBy collaborating with partners in our community and drawing on the expertise of dedicated faculty and staff from both institutions, we create enriching experiences that allow our students to develop their skills ā both on stage and behind the scenes ā gaining invaluable experience that prepares them for future success,ā Oster said. āAudiences can expect the high-quality, dynamic productions Ā鶹¹ū¶³ is known for, brought to life by the incredible talent and dedication of our students."
Curtain times for Ā鶹¹ū¶³ās productions are 7 p.m. on Thursday April 10 and Friday, April 11; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 12; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 13. Tickets are $5 for Middlesex students with ID, $15 for Ā鶹¹ū¶³ faculty and staff, and $20 for general admission.
Ā鶹¹ū¶³ās Academic Arts Center is located at 240 Central Street in Lowell. With parking not available on site, the nearest public parking facility is the Early Garage on 135 Middlesex St.