MTI Music Theatre International

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine discuss their stage musical Into the Woods

The District of Columbia Public School system faces many challenges, including insufficient resources and large class sizes. Although DC students live less than ten miles from the Kennedy Center, many have never seen a play. Children Will Listen shows how some committed artists, educators and colege students launched an extraordinary group of kids in a new direction. The program follows 140 students from seven Washington, DC elementary and middle schools as they kick off the Kennedy Center's tribute to Stephen Sondheim with their own production of Into the Woods, Jr. This was, for the students, a rare opportunity to experience the theater both in the classroom and on stage. Guided by the mentorship of four professional artists, the students participated in all aspects of the production and experienced the history and techniques of costume design, set construction, and acting. Meanwhile a second group of students recorded their journey on film, with their professor Charlene Gilbert.

Stephen Sondheim and librettist John Weidman discuss their stage musical Assassins, and offer advice for future productions. Sondheim, seated at a piano, focuses on the arrangement of his score, singing excerpts from the show's songs as examples. Weidman focuses on his text and the meaning of individual sequences. Scenic designer Loren Sherman, who designed the set for the 1990 Off-Broadway production of the show at Playwrights Horizons, displays his model for the set and offers advice on dealing with the scenic design challenges presented by the show. Each man appears separately and addresses the camera directly, with no interviewer present.