Little Red

Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods had an intriguing way of taking the bones of classic tales and building from there, disregarding the common perception of how these well known stories and characters are "supposed to be". The characters of Into The Woods are unique to any other portrayal while still being true to their roots. This brings me to feel that each character in the show deserves a proper, in-depth examination, removed from any preexisting assumptions, to find a full understanding and appreciation of their individual depths.
Like many younger characters Little Red Red Riding Hood is introduced as strong willed but small minded, she is sure of herself and her world as she has never been given cause to question it. Her playful and self indulgent demeanor serves to cement the youthful naivety that steers her personality. Red appears as childish and carefree as any other young character, even taking pride in overcoming and learning from a confronting traumatic experience; This is until one line eludes to a solemn depth she refuses to accept, veiling the effects of her experiences with a facade of her younger (albeit a few hours younger), more sure self. "... And a little bit, not."
Nestled within the pause before the final word of the line is a song she chooses not to breath life into, only slightly admitting that it ever existed. This is the moment in which Red accepts that she will never be who she once was, that her world has become far more grey and intricate than that of her fleeting childhood. I see this story as one of childhood's end and the birth of a maturity and adulthood that holds an unavoidable cost. Metaphor aside, this is the moment that Red sheds her innocent, joyful youth and finds an understanding and realism that heralds her entry into the adult world.
As tragic as this seems, Red's character growth becomes necessary when act 2 takes her to a place that cannot be easily met with childlike wonder. She is abruptly hurtled into adulthood when her mother and Grandmother are killed in giant related accidents. As Cinderella comforts her in No One Is Alone we must realise that with the foundation and structure of Little Red Ridinghood's childhood flattened and burried beneath rubble, she now has no choice but to grow into the maturity that she has not yet embraced. As audience members we must decide for ourselves whether Little Red's story tells us that once you find yourself with a bitter sweet, adult maturity (however young you may be) there is no way to remain a blissfully ignorant child, or that we are provided with the experiences necessary to prepare us for what's to come, as the young girl from act one could likely not cope with her circumstances at the end of the show.