Video: INTO THE WOODS Director Peter Rothstein Talks 40th Anniversary at SCR
David Ivers and Peter Rothstein discuss bringing the Sondheim classic to a new stage.
A new interview from South Coast Repertory features Artistic Director David Ivers in conversation with Peter Rothstein, the director helming the Costa Mesa theatre's new production of INTO THE WOODS. The conversation centers on the musical's 40th anniversary and how Rothstein's staging approaches the material four decades after its debut.
INTO THE WOODS features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, who directed the original Broadway production, with orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. The show interweaves familiar fairy tale characters, including a baker and his wife, a witch, a boy and his cow, and a girl in a red cloak, sending them into the woods to confront wishes, consequences, and a curse.
The video finds Ivers and Rothstein discussing what Ivers calls the enduring power of Sondheim and Lapine's artistry, along with how the new SCR production aims to bring the material to life for contemporary audiences. Rothstein directs the Costa Mesa staging, which South Coast Repertory has positioned as part of its recognition of the show's four-decade legacy.
The interview follows an earlier promotional video from SCR's 'Here's the Story' series previewing the production, which runs at the Orange County theatre from Sept. 12 through Oct. 18, 2026.
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