My mom is in a play! My parents go to the UU church in Chapel Hill and every year the church puts on a musical. This year my mom got a part, in Into the Woods (which happens to be one of my favorites). She’s Little Red Ridinghood’s Grandmother.

Mike brought the kids down for the weekend so we could all go. This show is perfect, through the first act, for little kids. It’s funny and silly and the fairy tales characters all get mixed up together, and in the end they all live happily ever after. The second act, though, is a lot darker. It’s the what-happens-next part of life, after the princess’ wedding, when the wolf is gone and the giant’s treasure is won – but life keeps on happening. The church offered child care for little kids during the second act, because parts of it are pretty scary.

Jaden and Kyler made it the whole way through, though! Kyler sat on my lap through the whole second act, and checked in with me often to confirm in whispers that none of this was real.

Mom was great. She went after that wolf like a warrior.
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[Little Red Ridinghood has been compulsively eating sweets at the Baker’s house; she now
swallows, wiping her hands and mouth.]
Into the woods,
It’s time to go,
I hate to leave,
I have to, though.
Into the woods–
It’s time, and so
I must begin my journey.
Into the woods
And through the trees
to where I am
Expected, ma’am,
Into the woods
to Grandmother’s house–
[mouth full]
Into the woods
To Grandmother’s house–
Baker’s Wife: You’re certain of your way?

The way is clear,
The light is good,
I have no fear,
Nor no one should.
The woods are just trees,
The trees are just wood.
I sort of hate to ask it,
But do you have a basket?
Baker: Don’t stray and be late.
Wife: And save some of those sweets for Granny!
Into the woods
And down the dell,
The path is straight,
I know it well.
Into the woods,
And who can tell
What’s waiting on the journey?
Into the woods
To bring some bread
To Granny who
Is sick in bed.
Never can tell
What lies ahead.
For all that I know,
She’s already dead.
But into the woods,
into the woods,
Into the woods
to Grandmother’s house
And home before dark!
Baker, Cinderella:

Into the woods,
The path is straight,
I know it well,
But who can tell–?
Baker, Wife: Into the woods to lift the spell–
Cinderella: Into the woods to visit Mother–
Wife: Into the woods to fetch the things–
Baker: To make the potion–
Cinderella: To go to the Festival–
Baker, Wife, Cinderella, Jack, Jack’s Mother: Into the woods
Without regret,
The choice is made,
The task is set.
Into the woods,
But not forget-
Ting why I’m (you’re) on the journey.
Into the woods
To get my (our) wish,
I don’t care how,
The time is now.
Jack’s Mother: Into the woods to sell the cow–
Jack: Into the woods to get the money–
Wife: Into the woods to lift the spell-
Baker: To make the potion–
Cinderella: To go too the Festival–
LRRH: Into the woods to Grandmother’s house…
Into the woods to Grandmother’s house…
All: The way is clear,
The light is good,
I have no fear,
Nor no one should.
the woods are just trees,
The trees are just wood.
No need to be afraid there–
Baker, Cinderella: There’s something in the glade there…
All: Into the woods
Without delay,
But careful not
To lose the way.
Into the woods,
Who knows what may
Be lurking on the journey?
Into the woods
To get the thing
That makes it worth
The journeying.
Into the woods–
Stepmother, stepsisters: To see the King–
Jack, Jack’s Mother: To sell the cow–
Baker, Wife: To make the potion–
All: To see-
To sell-
To get–
To bring–
To make–
To lift–
To go to the Festival–!
Into the woods!
Into the woods!
Into the woods,
Then out of the woods,
And home before dark!