Friday, January 24, 2014

A Baker is more than just bread... or so Joshua Sherman Tells Us.

Joshua Sherman
Twitter: @JShermanActor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/joshua.sherman.actor
Today we spend some moments in the woods with Joshua Sherman who is returning to the stage at the Rose Marine as the Baker. Many may remember Joshua for his show stopping vocal performance in IN THE HEIGHTS or his chilling take on Central American Military Politics in THE FIFTH SUN. In our production of INTO THE WOODS, Joshua shows us a tender side that has many people questioning the heroism under his submissive demeanor.

A Baker is more than just bread...
...Is he a hero or just a baker?

he·ro
hi(ə)rō
noun
1. a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities
That is the definition of 'hero' word for word. So... feminist, don't be angry! Besides, you gals have heroine. The word. Not the drug... Well, that went downhill quickly; such is a hero's life.
Much like The Baker in Stephen Sondheim’s classical hit musical 'Into The Woods'. It seems like everything The Baker does in this high energy musical puts himself in harm’s way. Not only his physical well-being but within himself as well.

Joshua as The General in The Fifth Sun
It's hard to say if he is a hero or not. I mean, by definition listed above... he's not very heroic. He shows some courage but he is not idealized for it!  He has some achievements, and I say they are rather outstanding! But... he didn't reach his achievements alone. In fact, he wouldn't be able to do much alone!

And as for noble qualities... He's a baker! His father and mother, who died in a baking accident, were merely bakers before him. No nobility there.

By definition The Baker is no hero.

That being said; I believe he is a Hero. Just, not in the traditional sense. The Baker doesn't save the day. He doesn't fight off evil with his abilities to make cakes and pastries. (Which are very good, mind you.) He doesn't wear a spandex suit and don a cape and mask to gallivant around the woods or
Joshua Sherman & Lorens Portalatin starred as
Nina & Benny in Artes de la Rosa's In the Heights
village looking for crimes to solve! But what he does do is much more important. He chooses not to run away. He chooses to make his own happiness, to forge his own path in life surrounded by people he cares about, when things are at rock bottom. His super-strength comes not in the form of being able to lift  a tree from the ground but rather being able to pick himself up after being shattered completely; Gluing himself back together and filling in the missing pieces with reflections of what he's lost.... and then some! And we all know how difficult that can be sometimes.

This is the beauty of fairy tales. (Especially the Grimm Fairy Tales that Into The Woods is based on.) That there is evil in this world and sometimes, evil wins. Think about it; Snow White takes that bite. Little Red Ridinghood strays from her path. Jack steals from the giant. The big bad wolf destroys the houses of the first two piggies. But, with that in mind; if you just persevere, if you just keep on going through the woods and all of the bad, if you consciously make the choice to get your happily ever after… You’ll get it. It might not be what you had originally thought it to be. But it’ll be there. That’s what The Baker does.

He is a hero…he is the hero of his own life.

Alden Bowers Price and Joshua Sherman star in
INTO THE WOODS
February 21st - March 16th
PHOTO BY MARK MAYR

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