Into the Woods
By Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine
NOTE: This cutting asks each student to portray multiple characters, which is
permissible for Nationals and SOME states. It may not meet the rules requirement for
DUO in your state! Be sure to check your STATE rules before performing at local
tournaments.
Suggested Roles: Actor: Baker, Witch, Cinderella, Rapunzel
Actress: Narrator, Wife, Jack, Little Red
NARRATOR: (Pg 3-4) Once upon a time . . . (Actor 2 provides background music and
pantomimes the actions of a baker) in a far-off kingdom lived a childless baker with
his wife.
BAKER: I wish
NARRATOR: (Pg 12-14) Because the baker had lost his mother and father in a baking
accident – well, at least that is what he believed – he was eager to have a family
of his own, and concerned that all efforts until now had failed. (A knock on the
baker’s door)
BAKER: Who might that be? (He looks off to see)
WIFE: We have sold our last loaf of bread . . .
BAKER: It’s the witch from next door! (He opens the door) We have no bread.
WITCH: (transition sound as Baker transforms into the Witch) Of course you have no bread!
(Wife reacts)
BAKER: What do you wish?
WITCH: It’s not what I wish. It’s what you wish. (Points to wife’s belly) Nothing cooking
in there now, is there? (Wife reacts by clutching her stomach)
NARRATOR: The old enchantress went on to tell the couple that she had placed a spell on
their house.
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BAKER: What spell?
WITCH: (Actor 1 pantomimes the actions as the Witch speaks) In the past, when you were no
more than a babe, your father brought his young wife and you to this cottage.
They were a handsome couple, but NOT handsome neighbors. (Actor 1 is filling his
pockets with beans) My beautiful garden! How was I to know what your father
had hid in his pocket? You see, when I had inherited that garden, my mother had
warned me I would be punished if I ever were to lose any of the beans.
WIFE: Beans?
WITCH: The special beans! I let him go / I didn’t know / he’d stolen my beans! (Getting
worked up – Actor 1 off stage provides background “rap” sounds and other sound
effects) Then Bang! Crash! And the lightning flash! / And I laid a little spell on
them. (Rap background stops) You too, son – that your family tree would always be
a barren one. (Wife comes on-stage to gasp at the news then exits off stage to continue
rap sounds) So there’s no more fuss/ And there’s no more scenes / And my
garden thrives - / You should see my nectarines! / But I’m telling you the same /
I tell Kings and Queens / Don’t ever never ever / Mess around with my greens! /
Especially the beans.
INTRODUCTION
ACTRESS: A barren baker and his wife long for a child. But it seems that the witch’s curse
will never allow that to happen. Do wishes ever come true?
ACTOR: Walt Disney thought so. He once said: “If you can dream it, you can do it. This
whole thing was started with a dream . . . and a mouse!”
ACTRESS: So leave today with us and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy . . .
ACTOR: But only if you are brave enough to go. . .
ACTRESS: Into the Woods
ACTOR: by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine.
ACTRESS: (whispers) A great adventure is about to begin.
WITCH: (Pg 16) You wish to have the curse reversed? I’ll need a certain potion first. Go
to the wood and bring me back . . . One: the cow as white as milk, Two: the cape
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as red as blood, Three: the hair as yellow as corn, Four: the slipper as pure as
gold. Bring me these before the chime of midnight in three days’ time, and you
shall have, I guarantee, a child as perfect as child can be. Go to the wood! (the
witch disappears in a puff of smoke) (The Baker and his wife prepare to leave for the
wood as the Baker dons his father’s old coat, the finds something in the pocket)
BAKER: (Pg 17) Look what I found in Father’s hunting jacket. (holds out his hand)
WIFE: (Looking at his hand) Six beans BAKER: I wonder if they are the–
WIFE: Witches beans? We’ll take them with us! BAKER: No! You are not coming.
WIFE: I know you are fearful of the woods at night. (Baker exits, leaving his wife at
home)
NARRATOR: (Pg 18) And so the baker, reluctantly, set off to meet the enchantress’s
demands. (Baker wanders aimlessly as the Narrator speaks)
BAKER: (Pg 27-29) This is ridiculous. I’ll never get that red cape, nor find a golden cow,
or a yellow slipper – or was it a golden slipper and a yellow cow? (Wife sneaks up
behind him and taps him on the shoulder; he jumps in fear) Oh, no . . . .
WIFE: The cow as white as milk, The cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the
slipper as pure as . . .
BAKER: (cutting her off at any point) What are you doing here?
WIFE: (tries to put a scarf around his neck) You forgot your scarf –
BAKER: (taking the scarf off) You have no business being alone in the woods. Now go home
immediately!
WIFE: I wish to help!
BAKER: No! The spell is on my house. WIFE: Our house
BAKER: (Overlapping) Only I can lift the spell
WIFE: We must life the spell together. (noticing a young boy with a white cow) A cow as
white as . . .
TOGETHER: Milk! (They approach the boy)
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BAKER: Hello there, young man.
JACK: Hello, sir.
BAKER: What might you be doing with a cow in the middle of the forest?
JACK: (Nervous) I was heading toward market – but I seem to have lost my way.
BAKER: And what are you planning to do there?
JACK: Sell my cow, sir. No less than five pounds.
BAKER: Five pounds! (to wife) Where am I go get five pounds? (Searches his pockets)
WIFE: She must be generous of milk to fetch five pounds!
JACK: (Hesitant) Yes, ma’am.
WIFE: And if you can’t fetch that sum? Then what are you to do?
JACK: I hadn’t thought of that . . . I suppose my mother and I will have no food to eat.
BAKER: (holding out his hand to his wife with a few coins and the beans) This is the sum
total . . .
WIFE: (Loudly) Beans – we musn’t give up our beans! Well . . . if you feel we must! (to
Jack) Beans will bring you food, son.
JACK: Beans in exchange for my cow?
WIFE: Oh, these are no ordinary beans, son. These beans carry magic. (Baker puts on a
pantomime magic show with the beans while she speaks)
JACK: (Super excited) Magic? What king of magic? WIFE: (to Baker) Tell him.
BAKER: (nervously) Magic that defies description . . . JACK: How many beans?
BAKER: Six.
WIFE: Five! We can’t part with all of them. (She takes one of the beans and puts it in her
pocket) Besides, I’d say they’re worth a pound each, at the very least.
JACK: Could I buy my cow back someday?
BAKER: (uneasy) Well . . . possibly. (He hands Jack the beans as wife takes the cow’s lead)
Good luck there, young lad. (to Wife) (Pg 31) Take the cow and go home. I will
carry this out in my own fashion. (Baker and Wife exit in separate directions)
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WIFE AND BAKER: (Pg 84,85) I wish
******* (Another part of the woods) *******
BAKER: (Pg 31-32) (he steps into Little Red Ridinghood’s path) Hello there, little one.
LITTLE RED: Hello.
BAKER: (aside) [The cape as red as blood] (to Little Red) Where did you get that beautiful
cape? I so admire it.
LITTLE RED: My granny made if for me.
BAKER: I would love a red cloak like that.
LITTLE RED: (Giggling) You’d look pretty foolish.
BAKER: (Grabbing the cape) May I take a look at it?
LITTLE RED: (in a panic) I don’t like to be without my cape. Please give it back! Please!
WITCH’S VOICE: Forget the little girl and get the cape! (Baker tucks the cape under his
arm and dashes away)
LITTLE RED: (stands numb for a moment then lets out a bloodcurdling scream)
******* (Another part of the woods) *******
(Cinderella dashes onstage, looking over her shoulder)
WIFE: (Pg 37) Are you all right, miss?
CINDERELLA: (Breathless) Yes. I just need to catch my breath.
WIFE: What a beautiful gown! (Focusing on her shoes, not the gown) (aside) (Pg 27) The
slipper as pure as . . . (Pg 37) (to Cinderella) Were you at the King’s Festival?
CINDERELLA: (Preoccupied with the people who are chasing her) Yes. . . . What brings you
here – (notices the cow) and with a cow?
WIFE: Oh, my husband’s somewhere in the woods. (Proudly) He’s undoing a spell. (Moving
closer and closer to the shoes) Now, the Prince, what was he like?
CINDERELLA: (creeped out) (Pg 39) I must get home! (She runs away)
WIFE: Wait! I need your shoes! (She begins to chase Cinderella. Cow moos; she changes
direction to chase the cow) Hey. Come back here!
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******* (Another part of the woods) *******
BAKER: (Pg 40) (looking at his watch) One midnight gone.
WIFE: (Pg 45-46) (Coming up behind him; she startles him again) I see you’ve the red
cape.
BAKER: Yes. Only two items left to locate.
WIFE: Three.
BAKER: Two. I’ve the cape and the cow.
WIFE: (Faking enthusiasm) You’ve the cape!
BAKER: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE COW!
WIFE: She ran away. I never reached home. I’ve been looking for her all night.
BAKER: (very upset) I should have known better than to have entrusted her to you.
WIFE: She might just as easily have run from you!
BAKER: But she didn’t! WIFE: BUT SHE MIGHT HAVE! BAKER: BUT SHE DIDN’T!
WITCH: (appearing from nowhere) WHO CARES! THE COW IS GONE! GET IT BACK!
GET IT BACK!!!!
BAKER: I don’t like that woman.
WIFE: (contrite) I’m sorry I lost the cow.
BAKER: (calming down) I shouldn’t have yelled. (Beat) Now, please, go back to the village.
I will make things right. And then we can just go about our life. No more hunting
about in the woods for strange object. No more witches. Go! (They exit in
opposite directions.)
WIFE AND BAKER: (Pg 84,85) I wish
******* (Another part of the woods) *******
WITCH: (Pg 57) Two midnights gone!
WIFE: (Pg 51) (to herself) I hope there are no witches to encounter
RAPUNZEL: (sings a tune without words)
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WIFE: (Hears Rapunzel’s singing and sees her glorious hair as she brushes it near the tower
window) (Pg 27) The hair as yellow as corn! (Pg 51) (Calling up) Rapunzel,
Rapunzel? Let your hair down to me.
RAPUNZEL: (Dubious) Is that you, my Prince?
WIFE: (in a deep voice) Yes. (Rapunzel lowers her hair out the tower window)
(Wife yanks her hair three times. Each time Rapunzel’s song is interrupted by the tugging. On
the third yank, Rapunzel screams and the hair falls into the Wife’s hands. She runs away)
******* (Another part of the woods) *******
BAKER: (Pg 53) (Enters dejectedly leading the cow by a rope, he spies his wife) I thought you
were returning home. (Angry) I’ve had no luck.
WIFE: You’ve the cow! BAKER: Yes. I’ve the cow. We’ve only two of the four.
WIFE: Three. BAKER: Two.
WIFE: (Reveals the hair she was hiding behind her back) Three! (Pg 27) The hair as yellow
as corn!
BAKER: (Pg 54) (Smiling) Where did you find it?
WIFE: (False modesty) I pulled it from a maiden in a tower.
BAKER: (Caressing the hair) Three!
WIFE: And I almost had the fourth, but she got away.
BAKER: We have one entire day left. Surely we can locate the slipper by then.
WIFE: We? You mean you’ll allow me to stay?
BAKER: Well . . . perhaps it will take the two of us to get this child.
WIFE AND BAKER: (Pg 84,85) I wish
WIFE: (Suddenly notices a golden slipper on the ground; she squeals in delight) (Pg 65) The
slipper! We’ve all four!
WITCH: (appears out of nowhere; she speaks unpleasantly) (Pg 67) The third midnight is
near. You’ve all the objects?
WIFE: Yes.
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WITCH: (Pg 68) Quiet! Feed the objects to the cow!
WIFE: What?
WITCH: You heard me. Feed them to the cow! (the Wife mimes feeding the items to the cow)
Now fill this! (She hands over a goblet, and the Wife milks the cow and hands the
goblet to the Witch who drinks it down)
BAKER: (Pg 69-70) We’ve given you what you wish.
WIFE: Now when can we expect a child?
BAKER: What’s wrong? What’s happening. (the Witch begins to shudder and move away)
WIFE: (Suddenly very pregnant) Wait. Where are you going? (the Witch with a flourish
turns around. She has been transformed into a beautiful woman)
NARRATOR: The witch, who had been punished with age and ugliness that night when her
beans had been stolen and the lightning flashed, was no returned to her former
state of youth and beauty.
WITCH: (Pg 73) (raises her arms to put a spell on the Baker and his Wife once again, but only
a pathetic puff of smoke comes from her hand. She tries again. No success)
NARRATOR: As is often the way in these tales, in exchange for her youth and beauty,
the witch lost her power. (Pg 74) And it came to pass, all that seemed wrong was
now right. The kingdoms were filled with joy and those who deserved to were
certain to live a long and happy life. Ever after. (The witch snorts in derision and
stomps off). (Tableau of the Baker and his Wife with a child in their arms)
WIFE AND BAKER: (Pg 84,85) I wish
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SOURCE INFORMATION
Author: Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine
ISBN: 978-0930452933
Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
Date (Month/Year): June 1989
AWARD HISTORY
2009 National Qualifier
2011 National Qualifier
2012 National Qualifier
2014 National Qualifier
2016 National Qualifier
2016 National Qualifier – MS
CO State Qualifier
IN State Qualifier
KS State Qualifier
MN State Qualifier
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