There may be no form of literature more beloved in Western culture than the fairytale.
“There is something very basic about them that is deeply ingrained in the human psyche,” says John Staniunas, Associate Professor of Theatre at Kansas University. “They’re a gateway to the unconscious mind.”

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Staniunas is directing University Theatre’s new production of “Into the Woods” – the Tony Award-winning, Stephen Sondheim musical that re-imagines several classic stories, among them “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” He notes they are one of the oldest forms of literature.

“These kinds of stories go all the way back to ‘The Odyssey’ and ‘The Illiad’. Then the Grimm Brothers took oral traditions and wrote them down.”

He sees fairytales as important to us at all stages of life.

“They relate to a step toward maturity,” he says. “All fairy tales are about growing up or becoming more mature. There’s a discovery process in them. We shouldn’t tell children what they mean. We should let them discover the lesson for themselves. And the great thing about them is we discover something different in them at different times in our lives. As we mature, the stories change.”

Likewise, cultures change, and old stories sometimes have to adapt with them to stay relevant.

To that end, Staniunas is taking his stylistic cue from ABC’s hit series, “Once Upon A Time.” Like the show, “Into the Woods” blends several fairy tales and recreates them in a new way.

“We’re a changed society,” he says. “‘Once Upon A Time’ and ‘Into the Woods’ reflect that.”

Modern audiences don’t want stories wherein the heroine has little to do but wait for her prince to come and villains are motivated to do harm by more than being jealous over someone’s beauty.

“We have two choices,” Staniunas says. “We can live in the fairytale realm, or we can live in a world of total realism. Neither of those choices is useful. We need something in between. In ‘Into the Woods’, Cinderella and Jack both long to live between those two extremes. They want more than a fairytale existence, but they don’t want no magic either. They discover that what we need and what we want are often different things. The show is about trying to find a comfortable place in between.”

But, he notes, as instructive and revealing as fairy tales are, they have another compelling attribute – they are rousing entertainment. Audiences coming to the show will get an abundance of that.

“This is a truly epic production,” he says. “We’re using every single inch of space in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre. We’re using the revolve a lot; we’ve got 40 revolve cues alone.”

He has a strong cast to execute the production as well.

“The voices onstage are just beautiful,” he says. “This is one of the strongest casts of voices I’ve had the pleasure to work with for a very long time.”

The symmetry is perfect. A new cast of talent brings to life a 25-year-old show that takes some of the oldest stories of our culture and tells them in a new way. Like any good fairytale, “Into the Woods” promises lots of discoveries.

“Into the Woods” plays November 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, and 18 in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at the University of Kansas. Curtain is 7:30 for all performances except November 11 and 18, when the show begins at 2:30pm. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 785-864-3982 or online at www.kutheatre.com.