Raine Hokan is no stranger to the role of the Narrator in Into the Woods, but it has been a while- 20 years to be exact! And this time he’s adding the part of the Mysterious Man to his performance. While the role of Narrator isn’t new to him, it does mark his first audition and role with GREAT, adding a new chapter to his acting journey.

Raine grew up in Central Minnesota, and left for college at the University of Minnesota – Morris, majoring in theatre. He was in 16 shows in four years while attending college. He then moved to the Twin Cities and worked as a paid actor for 14 years! After performing in St. Cloud on a tour, he decided to stay.

Raine reminisced about his time working at Cedar Riverside People’s Center in Minneapolis, where he loved working in the small space.

“You could flinch an eyebrow 🤨 and it reads,”

he told us. He also toured with Mixed Blood Theatre for five seasons as a one-man show at schools, prisons and nursing homes. Raine ended that reign because, “That’s a show for a 20 year-old acrobat. I didn’t need to be running somersaults at 35!”

Raine has been in theatre for most of his life. Initially, he chose theatre “for all the wrong reasons- attention, approval and applause” but matured and now embraces other reasons. “It teaches you poise, and the ability to not be afraid when you get up in front of people. Plus, it’s such a wonderful team exercise.”

Raine has what he calls “off-stage fright”. On stage, everything is planned.

“I like to be in a show because I know what’s going to happen. Everything is coordinated. We know where we’re going next. In life, we don’t know that.”

Reprising a role isn’t easy. Sondheim isn’t easy! But practice pays off. “When I did the show 20 years ago, there was a note that I couldn’t hit. I was always off by a half step. I’m now hitting that note!”

“I’ve forgotten how much fun it is to watch this show and as the Narrator I get to stand back and watch the show. I get to deliver people to their next moment. So, I am constantly being entertained and when we’re here for a five-hour (Saturday) rehearsal, it seems like a really long time but it’s jam-packed full of entertainment that I love.”

When asked about his GREAT experience with Into the Woods, the experienced actor explained that “Ethan (Nienaber) is the most efficient -slash- optimistic director! I love that our rehearsal shoes are ready for us when we get here. Rehearsal props are here right away, rather than having to mime props. The fact that our stage manager is efficient and starts everything on time and that I get to practice my quick changes all make this experience a good one.”

Raine is ready. What to do next is no mystery! Get your tickets here.

Watch Raine as he guides us Into the Woods September 13-22 at The Paramount Center for the Arts.