THE WOODSMAN
DARK, POWERFUL THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE DRAWS YOU DEEP INTO THE FOREST
A MYSTERIOUS PRE-QUEL TO THE WIZARD OF OZ
“When a man’s an empty kettle he should be on his mettle, And yet I’m torn apart. Just because I’m presumin’ that I could be kind-a-human, If I only had heart.” – Lyrics, If I Only Had A Heart, sung by The Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz
No ordinary walk in the woods, the intimate spectacle of the off Broadway performance of The Woodsman draws you in to literally the heart of the story as we discover sweetly, sadly how the Tin Man literally lost his heart. Just as the Lion needed courage, the Scarecrow needed a brain and Dorothy needed to go home so did the Tin Man find himself in search of the very core of his being in Frank Baum’s magical tale, The Wizard of Oz. So the question is how did this come to happen?
The Woodsman, a theatrical experience like no other, tells the poignant story with beautiful simplicity. Pantomime and powerful puppets rule here, drawing us deeper into the woods. Sweeping through the tale with gale force evil is a requisite witch rendered here with the most exquisite artistry; this puppet pulls the strings as she sets out to annihilate the Woodsman. Eerie music lends an air of foreboding as it forms a relentless soundtrack to this fairytale gone awry.
Love is found and lost in this magic world. Dark, dramatic, heartbreaking and genuinely engrossing, The Woodsman literally keeps you on the edge of your seat, yearning for love to triumph over evil. Pushing aside the branches – the theatre is conceived as a forest illuminated by the glimmer of fireflies – to watch this backstory unfold, it’s a revelation how much we care what happens to the character who becomes the Tin Man in The Wizard of OZ. He may be torn apart but like Dorothy, we’re right there with him hoping he’ll find heart.
The Woodsman – an extraordinary theatrical experience – created by James Ortiz, the writer, co-director, puppet master and star of the current production at
NEW WORLD STAGES
340 West 50th Street, stage 5
Between 8th and 9th Avenues
New York, NY 10019
Tickets and information, www.thewoodsmanplay.com
The cast, youthful, compassionate and skilled musicians and puppeteers, includes Benjamin Bass, Devin Dunne Cannon, Will Gallacher, Alex J. Gould, Amanda A. Lederer, Aaron McDaniel, Lauren Nordvig, James Ortiz, Eliza Martin Simpson, Meghan St. Thomas, Sophia Zukoski.
30 Under 30 Tickets: $30.00 – Available 2 hours prior to curtain – Limit 2 tickets per customer – Must provide valid ID with proof of age – Subject to availability.