Kelrik Productions Present INTO THE WOODS, 7/16-18

Kelrik Productions presents its final show in San Luis Obispo with INTO THE WOODS from July 16th to the 18th at the Spanos Theatre at Cal Poly. The show times are Friday and Saturday at 7PM and Sunday at 2PM. Tickets range from $22.50 to $27.50. Please visit the website (www.pacslo.org) or call (805) 756-2787 for tickets.

When a baker (Matthew Ambrose) and his wife (Lacey McNamara) learn they've been cursed with childlessness by the witch (Kerry Mayling) next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell, swindling, lying and stealing from Cinderella (Lauren Seidenberg) , Little Red Ridinghood (Rachel Vasquez), Rapunzel (Danielle Dutro) and Jack (Joe Ogren), of beanstalk fame.

Everyone's wish is granted at the end of Act One, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. What begins as a lively, irreverent fantasy becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories people tell children.

Other members of the cast include: Debora Schwartz (Jack's Mother), Garrett Marshall (Cinderella's Prince), Erik Austin (Rapunzel's Prince), Olivia Richardson (Stepmother), Katie Ridge (Florinda), Ashlin Hatch (Lucinda), and Lester Wilson as the Wolf. Members of the creative team include Stephen Tosh (Musical Direction), David Beals (Lighting Design), and Keith Wetzel of Costume Capers (Costume Design). Professional backdrops will be provided by Grosh, Inc.

When INTO THE WOODS first opened on Broadway in 1987, it was called "the most imaginative musical of the season, a major theatrical event" by Jeffrey Lyons, then a theatre critic for WCBS-TV. The play's soaring melodies and witty dialogue caused it to become a Broadway blockbuster, running for 764 performances and then beginning a 17-month national tour. Writers James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim also won the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for Sunday in the Park with George.

This is the last show for Kelrik Productions as co-founder Erik Austin is leaving the area. Kelrik Productions originated in Portage, Indiana, as a small neighborhood theater group founded by brother and sister team Erik and Kelley. They continued their love of theater and productions after moving to San Luis Obispo in 1988. Together, they have produced various plays and musicals, mainly children's fairy tales. Kelley's life changed direction; her new stage is a San Diego Courtroom where she "performs" as a Public Defender supporting people in another way. Erik has persevered in his endeavor to provide children's theater (and an occasional adult show) and is elated and grateful to see such continued local interest throughout the years. Kelrik has struggled to remain intact and solvent at times, but Erik's love for theater and working with others, his parents' and sister's belief in him and support, and the support of businesses of the San Luis Obispo Community have kept it alive.

Kelrik is dedicated to providing quality live theater to the communities surrounding San Luis Obispo. Each year, the company will present new works, as well as previously produced plays, that uphold the high standards and artistic vision of Kelrik Productions. Our goal is to challenge, motivate, enlighten, and captivate our audiences; to introduce young people to, and foster their appreciation of, live theater; to stimulate thought; to evoke change, both personally and within society . . . and above all, to entertain. As a company, we aim to promote the growth of actors and audience members through our dedication to the art of theater, the medium in which performers and audience connect.

Photo Credit: TWO GUYS WITH CAMERAS; Lacey McNamera (Baker's Wife)