The 2026 Booneville High School Drama and Choral departments are inviting you Into the Woods this weekend.
A blend or beloved fairy tales along with an overarching story that ties it together the play stars Hunter Warren as the baker and Braylee Carolan as his wife, a couple desperate to be a family, and Malena Loftin as a witch who can make it happen, for a price.
“You have Jack and the Beanstalk, Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Rapunzel,” said director Doug Sanders.
Title roles of the four stories are being filled largely by drama department veterans. Taylor Shaver is filling the role of Jack, and Cora Nichols will be donning the cape of Little Red Riding Hood. Lily Haynes is playing Cinderella, and Taylor Danekas is portraying Rapunzel.
“The story is about a baker and his wife. But the witch cursed them to not have children. The baker’s father stole magic beans and the family is cursed” said Sanders. “The witch comes along and says you can relieve that curse.
“How you relieve that curse is you have to go to the woods. I need a cow that is white as milk, a slipper that is pure as gold. I need a cape that is red as blood, and I need hair as yellow as corn.”
Each of the necessary bounty pieces is tied to a fairy tale.
“They have to go along and collect all these things and the witch can relieve the curse. But in the process, Jack’s mom has thrown these beans because he traded the beans for the cow,” said Sanders.
That creates issues throughout the play.
This production, Sanders said, “is one of the most difficult he has directed.”
But, he adds, that is because of the number of vocalists and amount of the assistance he has had with its production.
Sanders has gotten help from Tanner Fritsche, an alumnus who is no stranger to the BHS auditorium stage, having performed in three plays under Jonathan Payne and been the intermission entertainment for the Mr. and Miss BHS pageant on multiple occasions.
“Tanner Fritsche has been a great help,” Sanders said of Fritsche, who this year took over as the music teacher at Booneville Elementary School.
Sanders also credits Shaver with helping to write an act and to Lily Haynes for her organizational assistance with the production.
Sanders said he is also appreciative of Justin Leftwich, a district employee who is constructing Rapunzel’s tower, which Sanders says is “going to look awesome.”
Besides nightly practices this week, the play will be performed on Thursday morning for elementary students and Thursday afternoon for junior high and high school students.
Public performances are set for 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a closing matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday. 