Plays explore psychology of fairy tales, virginity

INTO THE WOODS

When the Brothers Grimm say, “and they lived happily ever after,” don’t believe it. Certainly songwriter Stephen Sondheim and playwright James Lapine are not buying it.

That is part of the subversive appeal of their noteworthy 1987 musical, “Into the Woods,” which has been spectacularly mounted by director Moises Kaufman and the Kansas City Repertory Theatre.

Some of literature’s most famous fairy tales are reworked in this clever and occasionally frustrating show that attempts nothing less than to uncover disturbing psychological underpinnings at the heart of these fables.

Lapine’s book integrates the stories of Cinderella, Jack the giant killer, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and the Baker and his wife into a somewhat labyrinthine single narrative covering act one.

Act two deconstructs the tales with suppositions about what happened afterward.

Circumstances force the characters into some serious navel-gazing as they attempt to justify their motives and actions. This sophisticated conceit benefits greatly from Sondheim’s clever, intricate lyrics and artful music.

While the show is arguably too long and tied up a bit too conveniently, there is no denying its thought-provoking power. For sheer theatrical liveliness, this one is hard to beat.

All of the design elements are imaginative and beautifully executed, giving the show a splendid visual appeal. But the aural pleasures are even greater. Kaufman has cast the show to perfection with each vocalist displaying Broadway caliber pipes.

Michele Ragusa is marvelous as a wicked witch whose pursuit of youth and beauty propel the narrative. Equally good are Lauren Worsham as a melancholy Cinderella and Dana Steingold as a spunky Red Riding Hood.

The male performers also are impressive, with Claybourne Elder particularly memorable as both the ravenous wolf and Cinderella’s prince. Brandon Sollenberger as Rapunzel’s self-absorbed paramour and Euan Morton as the Puckish narrator each give affecting performances.

But ultimately it is Kaufman’s accomplished work at the helm that steers this nettlesome enterprise through the murky woods and into theatrical luminance.

“Into the Woods” runs through Oct. 11 at the Helen Spencer Theatre, 4949 Cherry, Kansas City, Mo. For tickets, call (816) 235-2700 or visit kcrep.org.

MY FIRST TIME

Web surfers who have stumbled upon the site myfirstime.com know that it is a repository of some 40,000 stories submitted by people from around the world.

There is one common thread: They are all tales about people’s first sexual experiences. Dozens of theses accounts have been woven into an entertaining theatrical oddity called “My First Time,” now playing at the Unicorn Theatre.

Playwright Ken Davenport’s opus is essentially a series of vignettes enthusiastically performed by four gifted actors – Cheryl Weaver, Lauretta Pope, Keenan Manuel Ramos and Scott Cordes.

They share the sometimes awkward and sometimes blissful details of these brief encounters without a hint of moral judgment. While many of the accounts are comic, some are heart-rending.

One unique aspect of this adults-only production is that audience members are asked to anonymously fill out cards before the performance, sharing details about how they lost their virginity. Some of these responses are integrated into the show.

An ongoing series of projections highlights humorous statistics and fun facts about this particular “coming-of-age” moment. A few of these also involve the audience, providing some unique demographic insight.

Director Cynthia Levin and her crack production crew have transformed this unlikely confessional into a provocative and refreshing 90-minute pastiche.

For those who are not easily offended, “My First Time” provides a provocative invitation to reminisce.

“My First Time” runs through Oct. 17 at the Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main, Kansas City, Mo. For information, call (816) 531-7529 or visit unicorntheatre.org.

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