On stage at the Alexandra Nechita Center for the Arts this month is an imaginative retelling of some of the most well-known fairy tales, as Orange Lutheran Theatrical Arts presents Into the Woods, April 16–19.

A Tony Award–winning stage musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods brings beloved storybook characters together in one interconnected tale as they set out on a quest for fulfillment and to explore what comes after “happily ever after.”

As with each production at the Nechita Center, Lancer student actors will be supported by the OLu Arts Theatre Tech team, whose work in areas such as lighting, sound, set design and costuming will help bring the world of Into the Woods to life.

OLu Theatrical Arts Technical Director David Bartle and Associate Technical Director Cory Cooke lead a staff of up to 35 people, including approximately 12 Lancer students, overseeing all technical aspects of OLu’s productions and ensuring each show runs smoothly.

With extensive professional experience in theatre and broadcast production, Bartle and Cooke are the liaisons for bridging the gap between the creative and technical sides of OLu’s performances.

“It's really about taking the director’s creative vision, making it technically possible, and doing it in an educational setting where our students are hands-on, trying and learning all the things,” says Bartle.

At the start of rehearsals, the stage management team works closely with the director to build a book documenting all cues in the production, from lighting and sound to stage movement and effects.

The audio team, an area of expertise and passion for Bartle, manages sound design for each production, including system setup and calibration, microphone placement, and live mixing during performances to ensure clear and balanced audio throughout the show. Audio staff also create soundscapes, handle playback, and incorporate immersive or surround sound elements as part of the production.

Lighting designers, programmers, and operators work closely with the director and choreographer to shape the production’s visual storytelling through light, color, and movement.

The video team manages and operates up to five cameras during each performance, capturing a presentation package of the show and often producing a live stream broadcast. With a strong background in video production, Cooke helps ensure that the storytelling translated through the screen maintains the spirit of the live performance. For Into the Woods, each in-person performance will include a live stream option.

Additionally, costuming and makeup artists add to the visual elements of the show, along with front-of-house staff, who serve as ushers, ticket takers, and house manager, as well as backstage staff who support the production.

With so many moving parts, Bartle and Cooke describe OLu Theatre Tech as part symphony, part dance, and part storytelling, with everyone working together in seamless coordination.

“Our wonderful technical staff, and all of the student techs that we have, need to be just as versed in the show as the actors that are going to go out and perform it,” says Cooke. “Everything moves so seamlessly, so the actors can go out there and just perform… It becomes this wonderful sort of symbiotic relationship where we're all creating art.”

In addition to the working professionals who make up the OLu Theatre Tech team, which is a mix of in-house staff and outside contractors, OLu offers a UC-approved afterschool class taught by Bartle that gives Lancer students the opportunity to learn about and contribute to the technical production.

Through participation in Theatre Tech at OLu, students can shadow a stage manager, operate a video camera, assist with lighting operations, or work in hair and makeup. In doing so, they gain practical, behind-the-scenes experience while becoming part of a supportive community.

“That's part of our whole mission statement is to try to provide all of these students with a college-level experience or beyond,” says Cooke. “We're shooting for more of a real world, professional experience when they come do these shows, whether they're working behind the scenes or whether they are a performer on that stage.”

Theatre Tech students also contribute to scenic and set design and assembly, which for Into the Woods is being designed in-house under the direction of Cooke. With a storyline that lends itself to unique interpretation, the audience will experience one-of-a-kind elements and backdrops for this show created by Cooke and the team.

For Bartle and Cooke, being able to live out their passion for theatre production at a professional facility like the Nechita Center, with the support of the OLu community, is, in a word, magical.

“It’s magical being here and being able to be surrounded by the community that this mission stands for,” says Bartle of OLu Theatrical Arts. “We are guided by Christ, and we are doing that for our students and setting this example for them while getting to do something that's absolutely our passion… The students are amazing, and I think it's just magical to be able to do what we love with a community that loves us and we love them.”

Performances for Into the Woods begin Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 p.m., and Bartle and Cooke hope audiences will not only enjoy the show but will also walk away with a deeper understanding of the collaboration, teamwork, and storytelling behind OLu Theatrical Arts productions.

“The Nechita Center is a special place among high schools because it provides us with the opportunity and resources to bring that energy and those God-given gifts, both on stage and behind the scenes, to life,” says Cooke. “That is what makes this place unique, and what we hope everyone who comes to Into the Woods feels when they leave, that it was something special and different in the best way.”

For more information and to purchase tickets for Into the Woods, visit lhsoc.org/arts/purchase-tickets