There is a magic that is happening with this group of students," said K.C. Testerman, who is directing "Into the Woods," this year's spring production at Octorara Junior-Senior High School. "They wanted to have practice on snow days. They know their lines and they know the music. They like to be around each other, and they love the show."

"I never had a group of kids like this," added Testerman, who has been directing plays at Octorara for more than 20 years.

The community is invited to enjoy a performance of "Into the Woods," which will be presented in the school auditorium on Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m.; Friday, March 6, at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, March 7, at 2 and 7 p.m.

"Into the Woods," which has been described as a modern mash-up of classic fairy tales, brings main characters from "Cinderella," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Rapunzel," and other tales by the Brothers Grimm together in a story about a baker and his wife, who wish to start a family.

Testerman and Octorara theater staff members chose the musical for this year, which features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine. The stage play was also adapted into a Disney feature film.

"It's ironic because in 11th grade my new English teacher was trying to bond with all of us, so he said, 'Let's eat lunch together and we will watch "Into the Woods." We watched the video version of the Broadway show," Testerman recalled. "Bernadette Peters was the witch, and I thought it was amazing. We had thought about (other plays at Octorara) this year and went back and forth, but 'Into the Woods' has a lovely special place in my heart."

Cast members were encouraged to watch the Broadway musical, which was available on streaming sites. "We asked them not to watch the movie, but to watch the Broadway show and (listen) to the Broadway sound. The movie does change it up here and there," Testerman noted.

She said the most challenging aspect of the performance is for the cast members to learn the complicated musical score. "The scenery is not as important. Almost every scene except for the opening is in the woods," Testerman stated. "Because it is a Stephen Sondheim musical, it is really difficult. It's almost like an opera because it has so much music and not as much dialogue as a traditional musical. The kids really have to work on the music portion of it; there are harmonies that they have to find."

Traditionally, the cast of "Into the Woods" is small, but Testerman has added to the numbers by creating an ensemble cast that will feature additional backup singers and dancers. "This cast is only about 20 kids, but we are upwards of 50 kids," she noted. "We also have kids involved in the crew (and working) the sound and lights. It gives students a lot of opportunities to be leaders."

"Into the Woods" has been testing the skills of the student performers, who have been rehearsing since December 2025. "It is very fast-paced. You have to learn everything quickly so you can speed up the process," said Eva Elboubkri, who plays the baker's wife.

Sophia Rothenberger, who plays Cinderella, added, "There are so many moving parts. There are so many different characters and so many different plots."

"It is messy, too, in the sense that there are so many things happening at the same time," said Andrew Blomiley, who plays the baker. "There are four different subplots, so you are constantly going between scenes."

"But it still all connects," added Lauren Bierlein, who plays Little Red Riding Hood.

In addition to those already mentioned, other featured cast members include Gabriella Rossi, the witch; Ty Hollingsworth and Bridget French, Jack and Milky White (split role); Addison Koehn, Rapunzel; Sawyer Grocki, Cinderella's Prince and the wolf; Marshall Koehn, Rapunzel's Prince; Jordyn Nuse, Jack's mother; Rocco DeLuca, narrator; Annalisa Griffiths, Stepmother; Jona Linnenbaugh, Lucinda; Aubrey Hatton, Florinda; Dan King, Cinderella's father; Cole Hirtzel, Steward; Grace Eberhardt, Cinderella's mother; Liz Novak, Granny; Olivia Smith, Giant's wife and Snow White; Lexi Martin, Sleeping Beauty; Zoey Laxos, Hansel; Vivian Hollingsworth, Gretel; and Brianna Kerstetter, Evil Queen. The three fairies are portrayed by Izzy Hopkins, Layla Carney and Xitaly Juarez.

Octorara Junior-Senior High School is located at 228 Highland Road, Atglen. Tickets for the show will be available at the door. To order tickets in advance, visit https://events.hometownticketing.com and search for "Octorara Area JSHS."