Director's Note

This is a room created for serious pretending. So, it’s the appropriate place to stage a musical of many fairy tales assembled into one story. 

These age-old tales are timeless and timely. They remind us that the woods are beautiful…until they’re not. The woods are healing…until they’re not. The woods are an escape…until they’re not. We go into the woods with no thought of danger, only peace, rejuvenation, escape from stress, escape from the hassles of our lives. 

I’ve heard plenty of people recently comment on the difficult times we live in. Filled with uncertainty and divisiveness. I also wonder how many people since the time these fairy tales were first written said the same thing.  

When circumstances unpredictably change once we are deep in the woods, how is the person we thought we were hold up to our new definition of The Woods? There are wolves. There are mysterious people. There are giants. 

This side of eternity, disappointment and loss are inevitable. As we have worked on staging Into the Woods, the musical has immerged as a timeless and timely allegory of the necessity of community. We may experience healing through our close and sometimes unexpected relationships with others. Despite our weakness, despite our pain, and perhaps because of it, we may find a new joy in the comfort and companionship of others. 

Let us love one another.  

Norm Jones

Creative Teams Bios

Norman Jones (Director)
Norm has been teaching theatre at Gordon since 1985. Into the Woods marks the sixtieth production he has directed in those years. His interest in encouraging the creation of new theatrical works has resulted in 2 premieres or commissioned plays. In 1992, Norm founded History Alive, a theatre company based in Salem, Massachusetts. It’s critically acclaimed production of Cry Innocent, written by Mark Stevick, has been performed for hundreds of thousands of people. The company continues to thrive under Artistic Director Kristina Wacome Stevick. Norm is also an actor and playwright. He performed Inspired, his original one-person script as Nathaniel Hawthorne in dozens of different settings. He also recently performed in the role of Stage Manager in Gordon’s production of Our Town directed by Kimberly LaCroix and Jill Rogati. Norm lives in Salem Massachusetts with his wife, artist Jean Sbarra Jones.  

Jessica Modaff (Music Direction/Piano/Conductor)
Jessica Modaff, Assistant Professor of Music, is a collaborative pianist, music theorist, music director, and vocal/instrumental coach. Dr. Modaff has held professional collaborative pianist and coaching positions for numerous choirs and individual performers throughout the United States, England, France, Russia, Slovenia and Austria. She has been a collaborative pianist at contests and events for ACDA, NATS, ILMEA, MMEA, MICCA, and Stars at Symphony Hall, and has performed at Boston Symphony Hall, Avery Fischer Hall, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, United Nations Headquarters, and the U.S. Capitol Building. She is continually sought after for her versatility and leadership at the piano and offers this same multi-genre expertise in her coaching studio and in the classroom. At Gordon College, Dr. Modaff has taught all levels of music theory, vocal diction, art song literature, twentieth-century music history, applied piano, and chamber music. She previously served on the teaching faculties of the Children's Music Center (Jamaica Plain, MA) and the Wheaton Yamaha Music School (Wheaton, IL) where she received certification as a Yamaha Music Education instructor.

With a keen ear and extensive knowledge of music notation, Dr. Modaff also specializes in transcription and arranging. Her recent research and publication have focused on Aural Skills improvement in the choral rehearsal. She teaches the entire undergraduate aural skills sequence at Gordon, and maintains a recreational YouTube channel where her theatre piano accompaniments are learned and performed by ear. These recordings have been used by professionals and amateurs across the globe. Jessica is an experienced and enthusiastic theatre musician. Gordon Music Director/conductor/pianist credits include: My Favorite Year, Titanic, She Loves Me, The Last Five Years, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Urinetown, Godspell, and Into the Woods (’25). Other theatre highlights: West Side Story, Into the Woods (Warehouse Theatre Company), Godspell (WTC), Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, Hello Dolly, Scrooge, Grease, Oklahoma, Shrek, and The Addams Family. Her pianist/director experience also extends into her calling as a church musician. Prior to her current position as Director of Worship Arts at Anchor Bay Church on Boston’s north shore, she served the Highrock network of churches where she consulted as a coach, worship leader, pianist, and choral/instrumental arranger.

Jill Rogati (Movement Director)
Jill, ’07 Gordon alumni, is a mover and a shaker in the literal sense that she received her masters degree in physical theatre (more formally an MFA in Lecoq-based, Actor-Created, Physical Theatre from LISPA in conjunction with Naropa University, but my goodness that’s a mouthful). As a college adjunct professor and director she teaches actors how to move and how to move their audience. Most recently she directed the Miser, Men on Boats, was the movement director for Godspell, and co-directed Our Town. Outside of academia she works art department on film sets, consumes and critiques movies with her spouse, and creates plays with her theatre company Soap & Rope. Her most recent show (for babies!) went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in ’23 with a sold-out run! It has been an honor finding our way through the woods with Norm Jones at the helm of his last Gordon College production. 

Jessica Algard (Technical Director, Production Manager)
Jessica is thrilled to be in her sixth year as the Technical Director and Production Manager! Along with this position, she has recently designed the sets for The Tempest, The Fantasticks, and Little Women. As well, she directed Hitler’s Tasters for the Gordon Fringe Festival. Previously she has worked as the TD for Gloucester Stage Company, Master Carpenter at Jean’s Playhouse, Production Manager at Fresh Ink Theatre and designed an escape room at Stained Hourglass Escapes in Salem! She was also the Boston Troupe Director for American Immersion Theatre, directing and performing interactive mysteries across New England. She is thankful for her husband and parents for being ever-supportive and endlessly loving!

Michael Harvey (Set Designer)
Michael Harvey is an associate professor at Salem State University, where he teaches scenic and lighting design. Michael also designs scenery and lighting for select productions in the New England area. Previously, he spent four years at Southern Utah University as an assistant professor and Director of Design and Production, where he taught scenic, lighting, and sound design and designed for productions in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. In addition, he spent eight years teaching and designing at Central Lakes College in Minnesota and two years teachingat the University of Southern Indiana, where he served as Scenic Designer and Technical Director. His professional credits include: Scenic Coordinator for the Opera Company of Philadelphia; Scenic and Lighting Designer for several Primedia Inc. television productions; and Production Manager for both the New Harmony Theatre in New Harmony, Indiana, and Capital Repertory Company in Albany, New York. He holds an M.F.A. in Scenic Design and Theatre Technology from Wayne State University in Detroit.

Karen Perlow (Lighting Designer)
Based in Boston for over 30 years, Karen has designed the lighting for over 200 productions.  She has taught Lighting Design at MIT and Northeastern University, and has been a guest designer at Boston Conservatory, Boston College, Brandeis University, Suffolk University, and Emerson College. She is proud to serve as the treasurer of the Theater Community Benevolent Fund and is a member of the United Scenic Artists’ Union 829. Karen last designed at Gordon with Norm over 20 years ago on: Pride's Crossing and I Promised I Would Tell.

Zoë Sundra (Co-Costume Designer)
Zoë Sundra (Costume Designer) is thrilled to be designing at Gordon College. Previous credits include Summer and Smoke,  A Midsummer Night's Dream and Jesus Christ Superstar at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Regional design credits include John Proctor is the Villain at Huntington Theatre Company, Chicken and Biscuits with Front Porch Collective, and The Addams Family at Wheelock Family Theatre. www.zoesundra.com

Kat Lawrence (Co-Costume Designer)
Kat Lawrence (Costume Designer) is elated to be designing at Gordon College with her dear friend Zoë Sundra. She is a Brandeis University graduate and freelance designer, actor, and wardrobe runner. Past credits include: Orlando at Brandeis University, Romeo and Juliet and Pericles for CSC2, Into the Breeches! and Love, Loss, and What I Wore at The Hub Theater. Kat is also a Costume Design teacher at the Cambridge School of Weston and working as Design Assistant at The Huntington Theatre in Boston for Triumph of Love and Light in the Piazza. See more at her website www.kat-lawrence.com.

Chloe Agyare '24 (Assistant Movement Director, Assistant Costume Designer, Hair, Wigs, & Makeup Supervisor)
Chloe Agyare is a Gordon alum ('24) who is beyond excited to have worked on Into the Woods. She has performed in shows with Gordon's theatre department such as Our Town (Mrs. Soames), The Tempest (Queen Alonsa), Steel Magnolias (Clairee Belcher), and Medea (Medea). She has a passion for working behind the scenes, as she has worked as head of wardrobe crew for Little Women and Godspell and choreographed shows such as Dancing with Two Left Feet, Peter Pan, and Narnia the Musical. Chloe is now working with the company History Alive and continues to direct, choreograph, and costume design for different projects. 

Susanah Burch '24 (Stitcher)
Susannah is a recent Gordon grad working as a church music director and in development for a nonprofit in Boston. She worked as the costume apprentice and resident during her time at Gordon and continued to learn about costumes during her internship with the St. Louis Operas. In her studies at Gordon, she took a special interest in costumes, sound design, conducting and performance. As a student, she worked for La Vida growing her interest in outdoor education and working for nonprofits. She is thrilled to help out stitching for Into The Woods! 

The Gordon College Theatre Arts program is thrilled to share that The Princeton Review recently named Gordon in its top 20 Best College Theater list, based on the rankings of fellow students. We share this honor with all of you who made these productions possible by your participation and attendance. Thank you! Read more about it in The Bell Article here→

Gordon Theatre Mission Statement

Everyone tells stories to understand and to be understood, to reflect, praise and question. Theatre uniquely develops empathy and community by embodying diverse stories. Gordon Theatre approaches learning holistically, helping students discover new passions and cultivate skills that benefit all aspects of life. Whether onstage, backstage or in the classroom, our students thrive in an environment defined by collaberation and curiosity. Graduate with the courage to explore and experiment and the ability to flourish as an artist and Christian. 

A Christian Perspective on the Performings Arts 

As a Christian liberal arts college, Gordon College is committed to producing a wide variety of plays that assess the human condition, raise moral questions and acquaint students with the history of theatre. The words and views expressed in the plays do not necessarily represent the positions or opinions of Gordon College, its faculty, staff, or student body. They are, however, carefully vetted for their power to engage the imagination, challenge assumptions, reflect culture, encourage dialogue, raise questions, and affirm truth.

About the Margaret Jensen Theatre 

The Margaret Jensen Theatre, affectionately known as The Black Box, was designed by Iain Mackintosh, one of the world’s preeminent designers of theatres. Some of his notable theatre designs are The Cottesloe Theatre for The Royal National  Theatre of Great Britain, The Tina Packer Theatre for Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, and the Tricycle Theatre in London. He has remodeled many other theatres, including The Edinburgh Festival Theatre and London’s Royal Court  Theatre. He is a graduate of Worcester College, Oxford, and is the author of Architecture, Actor and Audience.

About the Adams School of Music and the Arts

Gordon College is the preeminent Christian college in the global hub of higher education—widely respected for its commitment to bold intellectual inquiry, personal mentoring and academic rigor. Through a broad spectrum of liberal arts and sciences, students develop the intellectual scope and leadership skills to address the increasingly complex challenges of a global society. Just north of Boston and only a few hours from the financial and political capitals of the Western world (New York and Washington, D.C.), the College is ideally situated to offer students extraordinary access to leading-edge opportunities for professional and leadership development. Gordon stands apart from other outstanding institutions in New England by combining an exceptional education with an informed Christian faith. 

 Formed in 2024, the Adams School of Music and the Arts houses the Music, Art, Theatre arts and Communication aarts programs. The Adams School strives to graduate students fully equipped for success in today’s complex and ever-changing world. Each of the School’s music degree programs combines a performance-oriented, nationally accredited education with real-world experience, graduating young adults who possess not only exceptional skill and knowledge, but also the experience required to have a crucial impact in their communities. 

 One of only 19 schools in New England fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the Adams School offers undergraduate degrees (B.M., B.A.) in which students may specialize in music performance, music education or a liberal arts degree in which they can pursue concentrations in Music in Worship and Composition. Minors in Music and Musical Theatre are also offered. Upon successful completion of all program requirements, music education graduates are eligible for licensure in 48 states through the NASDTEC Interstate Contract. An innovative summers-only Master of Music Education degree combines intense research and classroom study with concrete improvement in teaching ability and technique. Across campus, almost 120 students in these music degree programs benefit from the expertise of 35 full-time and part-time faculty and instructors, many of whom are recognized leaders in their fields. All students, regardless of major, are welcomed into music ensembles and core music classes. Numerous community music initiatives in the summer season and throughout the academic year bring the joy of music to the local community. The Gordon Symphonic Band and other College performing ensembles incorporate community members in a truly intergenerational approach to music-making. There are also varied programs at Gordon which instill a love of music in local children, whether it’s singing in the Children’s Choir, spending time on campus during popular music camps, making music with a parent in an early childhood music class, or learning how to play an instrument for the first time in private lessons. 

 For further information contact the Adams School of Music and the Arts by emailing asma-office@gordon.edu or visiting the website at www.gordon.edu/adams. 

Interested in Supporting the Arts?

Thank you for coming to see Into the Woods. We are grateful for your support. If you would like to further support the Theatre Arts program here at Gordon, please visit www.gordon.edu/giving to make a gift.