“Happily ever after” is just the beginning as ISU Theater and Stars Over Veishea present Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” this weekend at Stephens Auditorium.

The musical follows the story of a baker and his wife who want to have a child. On their quest they meet up with such Grimm Fairy Tale characters as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Rapunzel. Where those stories stop, however, “Into The Woods” is just beginning.

Eve Himmelheber, assistant professor of theater, will be making her ISU directorial debut with the show. She talks excitedly about what the play holds.

“It’s about community awareness and personal responsibility,” she says. “At the first intermission we reach a happy ending. Act 2 is one year down the line. It asks ‘What happens when you get your wish?'”

Before coming to Iowa State in the fall, Himmelheber directed mainstage plays and musicals at Cypress College in southern California.

One of the biggest challenges has been preparing the show for an auditorium the size of Stephens.

“Stephens is huge,” she says. “The Giant in [Into the Woods], that’s Stephens.

“It’s been thrilling in a way,” Himmelheber explains. “[Working in Stephens] is liberating. We’re getting an opportunity to test ourselves technically; it’s more of a playground.

“It ain’t a Cabaret, that’s for sure,” she adds.

One person who has gotten to know the challenges first hand is Brian Swanson, senior in performing arts. As technical director for the show, he makes sure everything is built and ready to go when the curtain goes up.

After 24 hours straight working on the set, Swanson sits down to talk about the task at hand.

“Everything is going really smooth, which is scary,” he says. “It doesn’t usually go this good.”

Stars Over Veishea productions have been notoriously late in the past; Swanson credits the SOV Aides with making this year’s show an exception.

“This year’s aides have been outstanding,” Swanson says. “They’re the reason this show is on stage right now.”

Also busy with last-minute preparations is costume designer Linda Pisano.

Pisano, assistant professor of theater, takes a minute to talk from the costume shop.

Around her, a half dozen people stitch and cut fabric in preparation for the first tech rehearsal.

Although she has extensive experience with theater and dance, “Into the Woods” will be the first time Pisano has designed costumes for a musical.

“There are so many different well-known characters,” she says. “We had to figure out how to make them original but also fit the stereotypes people expect and want to see.”

In order to diversify the look of the show, Pisano assigned each set of characters clothing specific to a certain time period.

“Jack and his mother are in the Cavalier period — German folk wear,” she says. “Cinderella and her family are in the 1820s, romantic period. Rapunzel and the witch are in medieval.”

“They each have their own time period, but all of them meet,”Himmelheber says.

The concept for the costumes has changed a bit since the initial meetings.

“[The costumes] were going to be realistic, but we went toward a more illustrated effect,” Pisano says. “They’ve become less lyrical and more animated.”

She really enjoyed the experience of working with Himmelheber.

“Eve is really fun to work with,” she says. “She’s very conceptual and very creative.”

Sean Kehoe, senior in performing arts, says he has also enjoyed working with Himmelheber.

Kehoe plays Jack, and although this is his 11th ISU Theater production, a few things have set this experience apart.

“I’ve enjoyed the professionalism of everyone on the directorial and stage managing staff and the enthusiasm of the cast,” he says.

“This is probably the first principle role I’ve had. It’s been challenging because it’s a fantastical character, but it still holds a lot of things true to life,” Kehoe says. “Also, Jack’s a 14-year-old boy, and I’m a 21-year-old baritone; that makes it a challenge.”

Kehoe hopes that young and old enjoy the journey the characters take in the show.

“It’s about never being too old to learn,” he says. “It’s about wanting to grow up and understand more.”

While the play deals with fairy tale characters, Himmelheber warns that the show may not be appropriate for children under seven.

“There is no overt violence or sexuality on stage,” she says. “However, there is a lot of suggested violence and sex.”

“I’ve consciously tried not to put anything offensive on stage, to keep it G-rated,” Himmelheber says.

She suggests that parents of very young children might want to leave after the first act, when everything is happily resolved.

“If they leave at intermission, they get the storybook version,” Himmelheber says. “In Act 2 there’s a twist and more adult themes.”

After the Sunday matinee, she says the actors will be in costume in the lobby to meet with children.

Though the dust is far from settling, Himmelheber says she’s confident about the show.

“It’s been terrific,” she says. “I’m very pleased with what we got.”