Thursday, November 30 – Sunday, December 17
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim | Book by James Lapine
Directed by Robert Quinlan
What happens after happily ever after? Stephen Sondheim’s beloved musical revisits all your favorite fairy tale characters including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood as they work to make their wishes come true, only to realize that sometimes getting what you want isn’t all you dreamed it would be. This Tony Award-winning musical adventure is at turns delightful and haunting, but always enchanting.
Content Note: Although Into the Woods is a fun and fantastical musical featuring fairy tale characters, it contains some dark themes and storylines that may not be appropriate for all ages. For more details, call the box office at 314-442-3283.
Thursdays 7:30pm
Saturdays 2pm and 8pm
Sundays 2pm
Messages left will be returned within 24 hours, or the next business day.
Actors
Matthew Billings (Cinderella’s Prince/Milky White ) Born and raised in Northern California, Matt holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. He has been a Saint Louisan for roughly eight years now.
Matt was most recently seen onstage at COCA in both Matilda and the premiere of the new musical, Big Machine. Additional credits include: Grease, Catch Me If You Can (Tent Theater), Flanagan’s Wake (Playhouse at Westport Plaza), and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Sargent Conservatory). Matt is honored to be making his NJT debut with Into The Woods!
Kevin Corpuz (Rapunzel’s Prince/Lucinda) is thrilled to make his NJT debut! Select credits: The Last Five Years (Jamie Wellerstein), Godspell (Jesus), Urinetown (Bobby Strong), The Who’s Tommy (Tommy), 25th Annual Spelling Bee (Chip Tolentino), Jesus Christ Superstar (Peter), Spring Awakening (Otto), Welcome to Arroyo’s (Nelson Cardenal), In The Heights (Sonny), Altar Boyz (Luke), Macbeth (Fleance), and Rent (Benny). He is currently on staff as a Creative Director with Tesseract Theatre.
Matthew Cox (Jack/Steward) is thrilled to be making his New Jewish Theatre debut! Born and raised in St. Louis, Matthew graduated this past May from the Webster Conservatory with a BFA in Acting. His recent credits include A Texas Romance, Seminar, and The Learned Ladies. Matthew is currently working as Artistic Associate at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. He would like to thank his family, Gabi, and the NJT team for all their support!
Sarah Gene Dowling (The Witch) is elated to be working with New Jewish Theatre again, where she had the honor of portraying Bella Abzug in Gloria: A Life. For almost two decades Sarah Gene has worked as a professional performer and has traveled the country working for many different companies. In addition to performance, Sarah Gene runs Stray Pups Youth Theatre at Stray Dog Theatre. Most recently, she has begun working as a wig designer (@visual.feast.design). Some of Sarah Gene’s favorite roles include Petra in A Little Night Music, Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown, Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show.
Aliyah Jacobs (Little Red) is thrilled to be making her professional debut with the wonderful people at New Jewish Theater! Aliyah is currently a junior BFA acting major at the Sargent Conservatory of Theater arts at Webster University where she was recently seen as Zoe in Rain and Zoe Save the World. She is so grateful for her Webco ‘25 family, and all her amazing teachers at Webco. Forever many thanks to Mama, Papa, Mozi, and Alex <3
Phil Leveling (Wolf/Mysterious Man/Stepmother) He is thrilled to be making his debut with NJT! He has performed for multiple St. Louis theatre companies including: Stray Dog Theatre, Tesseract Theatre, Fly North Theatrics, and STL Shakespeare Co. to name a few. He would like to thank everyone at NJT, this wonderful cast and crew, and his family and friends for all their love and support. Love you QG and PCL!!!
Kristen Joy Lintvedt (Cinderella/Granny) is ecstatic to be making her St. Louis debut here at the New Jewish Theatre. This past year, Kristen returned to the city after earning her bachelor’s in Theatre Performance from Indiana Wesleyan University. Previously, Kristen appeared in several productions with the Hoosier Shakespeare Festival including A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Past), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Rosaline), Othello (Bianca), As You Like It (Audrey), Richard III, The Tempest, and Hamlet. Additional credits include Ajax (Tecmessa), Doubt: A Parable (Sister James), The Diary of Anne Frank (Anne), Guys and Dolls (Adelaide), Pride and Prejudice, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Also a passionate writer, Kristen has served as a dramaturg for Transformation Theatre Inc., and Indiana Wesleyan University. Finally, Kristen would like to thank her loving family, friends, and fellow artists for their love, support, and inspiration. “…but you are the music while the music lasts.”
Victoria E. Pines (Jack’s Mom/Cinderella’s Stepfather) This is Victoria’s first production with NJT. Her most recent roles were Shug Avery in The Color Purple – Hawthorne Players, The Wedding Singer – Alpha Players, Godspell – Take Two Productions, Berenice Sadie Brown in The Member of the Wedding – Clayton Community Theatre, and Dr. Tracey Lake, Watch Night – Theatre Guild of Webster Groves. A Maryville University Alum, Victoria is an EPIC Applications Analyst at Washington University School of Medicine and enjoys riding her motorcycle and most water activities. She thanks Sean and her daughter and son and 12 grandchildren for their continued love and support.
Kevin O’Brien (Baker) is excited to be making his New Jewish debut in this dream role. He has formerly worked with St. Louis: Stray Dog Theatre (Godspell, …Spelling Bee, Guys & Dolls, Rocky Horror Show, and others), Westport Playhouse (Avenue Q), St. Louis Shakespeare (Cardenio), Chicago: Marriott Theatre (Hero the Musical, For the Boys, and others), and The Music Theatre Company (Merrily We Roll Along). Kevin thanks the production team for trusting him with this role, his family and friends for their support, and his handsome and talented husband, Stephen, for being the best. ILYAF.
Molly Wennstrom (Baker’s Wife/Cinderella’s Mother) Originally from Austin. Texas, Molly holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. Molly recently won a St. Louis Theatre Circle Award for her performance as Louise Rabiner in Dear Jack, Dear Louise at the New Jewish Theatre. She was last seen onstage at the NJT in Jerry’s Girls. Other credits include: Princess in Spells of the Sea (Metro Theater Company), Dromia of Red Cross in Winds of Change: Bevo Mill (St. Louis Shakespeare Festival), Olivia in Twelfth Night (Piknik Theatre), and Margo Crawford in Bright Star (Charleston Stage Company). Molly would like to thank her family, friends, and husband Eli for all of their love and support.
Sarah Wilkinson (Rapunzel/Florinda) is honored to make her NJT debut with Into the Woods! She is a senior at Washington University in St. Louis studying Drama and Computer Science with a minor in Human-Computer Interaction. Her favorite credits include Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Carla in Nine with New Line Theatre, Mary Wooley in Bull in a China Shop with WashU, and the teen ensemble in The Sound of Music with the Muny. When not acting, Sarah enjoys exploring full-stack development through the development of web apps, as well as trying a lot of new delicious foods.
Creative Team and Tech Crew
Robert Quinlan (Director) is thrilled to direct for The New Jewish Theatre for the first time. In Saint Louis, he has appeared in staged readings of The Summer Woman and Why Did Desdemona Love the Moor? at the Tennessee Williams Festival. He is the Associate Artistic Director of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival where he has directed King Lear, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Richard the Second, and an upcoming production of Twelfth Night. Other directing includes Taproot Theatre (Seattle), Arkansas Shakespeare, and First Stage Milwaukee. Robert heads the MFA directing program at Illinois State University. Thanks to Charles, Mom and Dad.
Larry D. Pry (Narrator/Music Director) has been teaching voice, piano, and musical theater for over 30 years. He is a former member of the faculty of Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts. Larry is also a nationally recognized vocal coach, clinician, orchestrator, and accompanist. He was honored to be the associate music director for the world premiere of Stephen Schwart’z Children of Eden. He studied piano and voice at Webster University and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Larry worked as an Audition Pianist and Publicity Manager for The Muny Theatre in Forest Park for 18 years. Internationally, Larry has performed with the Beach Boys and Charo, as well as served as a musical director for the Papal visit of John Paul II, in Denver, Colorado. Favorite performance locations include London, Puerto Rico, The Muny, and Mile High Stadium. Honored to join the New Jewish family!
C. Otis Sweezey (Scenic Designer) C. Otis Sweezey professional work in St. Louis includes scene designs for Hot City Theatre productions of Fat Pig, Intelligent Life, Why Torture Is Wrong and The People Who Love Them, and Entertaining Mr. Sloane. He designed costumes for Mid America Dance Company’s production of Pretty Fools and Peasantry and scene design for Wonderstruck. He also has designed scenery for Candide, Tales of Hoffmann, and A Little Night Music at the Union Avenue Opera. Otis’s New York City design work includes designing scenery and costumes for Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters at the Equity Library Theater.
Michele Friedman Siler (Costume Designer) has been designing costumes for NJT since 2001, productions including Broadway Bound, Dear Jack, Dear Louise, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Brighton Beach Memoirs (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee), Never the Sinner, The Whipping Man, and Shlemiel, The First (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee). Recent credits include The Rose Tattoo, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire for the Tennessee Williams Festival (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee), The Nerd, Barefoot in the Park, Proof, (Moonstone Theatre), The Tempest, The Heir Apparent (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee) for St. Louis Shakespeare, Into the Breeches (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee) Shakespeare in the Streets: Winds of Change for the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, A Human Being Died That Night, The Death of Atahualpa (Kevin Kline Award Nominee) for Upstream Theater, Blithe Spirit (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee), and Waiting for Godot for St. Louis Actors’ Studio. Michele was named “Best St. Louis Costume Designer” in the 2016 Post-Dispatch GO! List and was named a 2022 “Unsung Hero” by the St. Louis Jewish Light.
Jayson M. Lawshee (Lighting Designer) is a Saint Louis-based Production Manager by day and a lighting designer by night whose experience includes Musical Theater, Opera, New Work, and Dance. An alumnus of the Sargent Coversavory of Theater Arts at Webster University, Jayson holds a BFA in Lighting Design. Jayson’s experience includes the Production Manager at the Repertory Theater of Saint Louis and Technical Director at the Center of Creative Arts as well as the Lighting Designer at The Black Rep, Balletmet, Lyric Rep, and Metro Theater Company. His design credits include A Celebration of New Works (BalletMet), Spells of the Sea (Metro), and Pippin (COCA). He has additionally served as the Lighting Programmer at The Santa Fe Opera and is an alum of the apprentice program at Wolf Trap Opera. Jayson often refers to the tech table as his “home” and is passionate about making theater in all forms accessible to all people. @the_lawshee
Amanda Werre (Sound Designer) is thrilled to be back at The New Jewish Theatre as the sound designer for Into the Woods. Previously at New Jewish Theatre, she has designed Gloria: A Life, Jerry’s Girls, Dear Jack, Dear Louise, An Act of God, Life Sucks, Tuesday’s with Morrie, Intimate Apparel, Yentl, and My Mothers Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding. A St. Louis-based sound designer, her work has been heard locally at Moonstone Theatre Company, The Tennessee Williams Festival, COCA, Max and Louie Productions, The St. Louis Zoo, Metro Theatre Company, and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Outside of St. Louis, her work has been heard at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, Hope College, The University of Toledo, Cider Mill Playhouse, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and Great Lakes Theatre. Amanda teaches sound design at the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts.
Emily Ann Fluchel (Stage Manager) has been a freelance stage manager in the St. Louis area for about 4 years. She graduated in 2019 with a BFA in Theater Design and Technology from the Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theater and Dance at Southeast Missouri State University. Some of her previous credits include stage managing Broadway Bound here at the New Jewish Theater, and being the stage manager/lighting designer for La Rondine at the Southern Illinois Music Festival, as well as many other productions around St. Louis. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her closest friends, flying kites, and playing video games. She hopes to enjoy this wonderful production.
Cecile “Cece” Entz (Assistant Stage Manager) is beyond excited to be working their first show with New Jewish Theatre and its production of Into the Woods! Cece is a recent graduate of The Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University where they received their BFA in Stage Management. They have worked on shows like Hedwig and the Angry Inch (PSM), The Marvelous Wonderettes (PSM), Amélie (ASM), Murder on the Orient Express (PA) with the St. Louis Rep, and recently Bitter Fruit (Props) with Upstream Theater.
Tony Anselmo (Master Electrician) works with many local performing arts companies as both electrician and designer. He’s worked with the Tennessee Williams Festival, St. Louis Actor’s Studio, and Winter Opera, just to name a few. Past favorite designs include The Year of the Bicycle from Upstream Theater and Souvenir from M&L Productions.
Abby Pastorello (Wardrobe) is a Costume, Hair/Wig, and makeup Designer based in St. Louis. She is ecstatic to be doing what she loves and wants to thank all of her friends and family for their endless love and support in pursuing her passion. She is the current Costume Designer for STLCC, Meramec Theatre. Favorite past credits for design: The Glass Menagerie (STLCC), The Prometheus Project, Heathers: The Musical, Bright Star The Musical, The Pajama Game, Suddenly Last Summer (Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis), and The Man Who Came to Dinner (AFL Winner for Outstanding Costume Design). Other non-design credits include: King Lear (Shakespeare in the Park), The Glass Menagerie, and The Rose Tattoo (Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis).
Jacob Baxley (Sound Mixer) is happy to be working with New Jewish for the first time! He is currently working as a freelance Sound Designer/Engineer in the St. Louis area. Recent credits: Mindgame (Albion Theatre Company), Tik Tik Boom (Take Two), Wrens (Prism Theatre Company), The Mad Ones (Tesseract Theatre), Doubt: A Parable (Prism Theatre Company), The Crucible (Missouri Baptist University), The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (Hawthorne Players), Ride The Cyclone (Stray Dog Theatre), and many more!