Events
Bringing Storybooks to Life:
A Student-Led Journey Into Into the Woods Jr.
This year’s production of Into the Woods Jr. at Concordian “Milky White didn’t speak, but trust me—she had opinions.” International School was more than a school play—it was a fully realized student-led theatre production shaped by creativity, collaboration, and community. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, Into the Woods Jr. is a beloved work of modern musical theatre, and Concordian’s first-ever MYP musical brought it vividly to life through the lens of storybook-inspired design, envisioned by the students themselves.
At the heart of the project was the Grade 8 Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU)—a collaboration between Design, Art, and Drama that empowered students to lead across all production areas, with additional support from the Music department. The visual concept, bringing storybooks to life, was realized through a set featuring three revolving books that opened into the homes of Cinderella, Jack, and the Baker and his Wife. The forest was built from trees made with the words of the Brothers Grimm tales, and a bookmark-covered wish tree stood back center—an imaginative world designed and built by students.
- Kao G7, Milky-White “Even though the granny had a few lines, the impact was still BIG.” – A-chi G6, Granny Under the mentorship of core faculty—Ms. Lindsay (Drama), Ms. Charne (Design), Mr. Mark (Music), Ms. Kristen (Art), and Khun Game (Technical Direction)—students were guided in developing both their artistic vision and their leadership. Each of these departments was supported by their departments' wider team of dedicated and creative teachers and assistants, as well as operations staff who contributed their time and expertise throughout the process. While many elements were supported by faculty and staff, students took ownership wherever possible, learning to collaborate, lead, and deliver a polished production from the wings to the spotlight.
“A director is like a wizard, waving their hand, making magic happen hoping no one notices they’re mostly winging it.” Students from Grades 6–11 contributed to many aspects of the - M G8, Co-Director production—set design, costume construction, prop making, makeup, graphics, and tech support. Most primary leadership “Stage managers may not be the brightest on stage, but sure are the roles were held by Grade 8 students, but the production brought busiest backstage, reaping the joy of watching everything on cue.” – Leo G8, Co-Production Stage Manager together talents from across the middle and high school in a shared creative process.
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