Arts Alive! podcast: Actress/singer Ryan Joustra

Ryan Joustra is not a real witch – as far as we know – but she’s playing one onstage through April 26 at Demens Landing Park. It’s there you’ll find the American Stage production of the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical Into the Woods.

Fairy tales come to life in this whimsical and humorous tale, and as might be expected, there’s a witch at the center of the goings-on. The Witch, as she’s known, makes trouble for the Baker and His Wife, Rapunzel, Jack (of beanstalk fame) and the others.

From left: The Witch (Ryan Joustra) and Rapunzel (Kayah Bonilla-Mas). Publicity photo.

Is she, to borrow from The Wizard of Oz, a good witch or a bad witch? In today’s Arts Alive! interview, Joustra provides her thoughts on the matter. She also discusses the show’s impressively large cast, and how the backstage designers and crew have made their madcap comings and goings appear seamless (hint: The word is teamwork).

The St. Petersburg native recaps her impressive resume (she majored in Vocal Performance and Professional Music at Berklee College of Music), her work in American Stage’s Tales By Twilight series, and her longtime membership in the Dirty John’s comedy troupe.

Click on the arrow to listen to the conversation.