Interview for Front Row Reviewers by Jennifer Mustoe
Our interview is with David Morley Walker, Director for Creekside Theatre Fest‘s production of Into the Woods.
Jennifer Mustoe (JM): Welcome, David. I’m excited to hear more about your production!
David Moreley Walker (DMW): Thank you for this opportunity to tell you about our production, playing now in Cedar Hills.
JM: What is the most creative way you can think of to summarize the plot of this production?
DMW: The honest and unexpected outcome of wishing for what you most want. It’s funny and tender and thought provoking and full of beautiful music.
JM: If you had to describe the process of putting on this show with one word, what would it be and why?
DMW: Imagination! We had to use a set that would work for Into the Woods and Henry V as well as it taking place in an outdoor space where there are lots of trees and bridges and pavilions etc that belong to a park.
JM: What is the most wonderful thing you’ve learned while working on this production?
DMW: That performing in the outdoors is magical!
JM: What do you do right before each performance to get ready?
DMW: I visualize and communicate to start and allow myself to feel gratitude and acceptance when it ends. Theater is all in the mind and I start and end there.
JM: What is your favorite device used in the show?
DMW: We use a rope during a song called “Your Fault”. And as the characters blame each other for their misfortune they become more and more tangled in the rope.
JM: What is your favorite aspect of this production?
DMW: My favorite part of this production is the incredibly talented cast. They are powerfully storytellers!
JM: Tell us about your cast.
DMW: The are professional, hard working, determined, and incredibly gifted actors, vocalists, and storytellers. They show up, work hard, and tell a beautiful story that is challenging and rewarding. They are superstars!
JM: What is your background and training as a director?
DMW: I’ve worked as a professional actor and director for over 30 years. I’ve been in hundreds of plays and musicals all over the world. I’ve been in five Broadway National Tours and three International Tours that have taken me to all 50 states, all the provinces of Canada and many countries around the world. I am the luckiest!
JM: What is the biggest challenge of directing in general?
DWM: Scheduling!
JM: What is the biggest challenge of directing this show?
DMW: Being in an outdoor space. It’s hard to control the elements of an active public park and the weather, etc. Plus it all has to be taken down, put away, and reset the next day.
JM: What are the surprises and delights you’re finding in directing this show?
DMW: I’m taken by how invested the actors are, the beauty of the nature that literally surrounds the show, and the powerful message of this piece. It’s beautiful!
JM: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about this project?
DMW: 20 years ago I played Jack in Into the Woods and it’s been an amazing experience to come back to it as the director. It’s a full circle moment for me and I’m loving it!
JM: Thank you so much for taking the time to share information about this wonderful show! Good luck with your production!
4425 W Cedar Hills Dr, Cedar Hills, UT 84062
Contact: Jordan.Michael.Long@gmail.com
Into the Woods Promo Reel
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