BACK INTO THE WOODS, BACK TO SCHOOL
Photo of Peter Rosthtein with the cast of Into the Woods and South Coast Rep Artistic Director David Ivers: Guramrit Malhotra/Courtesy of South Coast Repertory. – Production Photos: Scott Smeltzer/Courtesy of South Coast Repertory.
I was fortunate to spend the past six weeks in Orange County, California directing a production of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. This was my 15th production of a Sondheim musical and my third time staging Into the Woods. Like all Sondheim shows, it is a rich journey through the complexities of the human experience, and I learn something each time I am fortunate to venture into the woods.
When I began working with the design team, about six months ago, we decided to stage the show in an abstract carnival, a place we named Once Upon a Time. I recall my friend and colleague, Frank Galati, saying “The most profound words in the English language are ‘Once Upon a Time.’” Frank was an extraordinary theatre-maker because he believed in the sacred power of telling stories. (Asolo Rep audiences were blessed to have Frank create so many stunning productions on our stage.)
In my opinion, the fact that human beings tell each other stories is the thing that most clearly separates us from other living creatures. It’s how we make sense of the world, how we capture history, and collectively imagine the future. It’s how we learn right from wrong (although Into the Woods might challenge that duality). There is great power in the stories we choose to tell, and curating those stories is perhaps the most important part of my job as an Artistic Director.
Danielle Hope and Dylan Saunders in South Coast Repertory’s 2026 production of Into the Woods, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. Photo by Scott Smeltzer.
Working at South Coast Rep for the past six weeks was like going back to school, and I loved school. Theatre directors work in isolation. On a typical production there are multiple actors, a handful of designers, a few stage managers, but only one director. That isolation can lead to stagnation. It was such a gift to work inside another institution, learning the complexities of how others do the work. My longtime friend, David Ivers, is the Artistic Director of South Coast Rep. I deeply value David’s work as an artist and a leader. We were able to spend a good deal of time together these past weeks, having frank conversations about the challenges and the opportunities of running a large regional theatre. I returned home to Sarasota with new insights, reinvigorated, and grateful for the journey into the woods.
— Peter
Danielle Hope, Dylan Saunders and Valerie Perri in South Coast Repertory’s 2026 production of Into the Woods, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine. Photo by Scott Smeltzer.