Local theater buffs will be off to see the wizard this month when Spotlight Community Theatre presents a fun take on the classic The Wizard of Oz.
Director Shannon Rempel based her adaptation on the well-known novel by L. Frank Baum, one of her favorites.
“Since I was a child, I have been singing songs and collecting memorabilia of Oz,” said Rempel, a big fan of the Baum classic. “The characters are so lovable and fun to follow.”
Rempel describes life as “boring” for the lead character, Dorothy, who lives with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry on a farm in Kansas. Dorothy fears Miss Gulch will take her adventuresome little dog, Toto, until one day a tornado swoops in and takes them “over the rainbow” to the wonderful and magical land of Oz.
Dorothy and her little dog set off on a journey down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. The new friends encounter a wicked witch and her two apprentices and a haunted forest as they travel to find the wizard, who promises to grant their respective wishes for a brain, a heart, courage, and a way home.
Performances will be on Fridays and Saturdays are at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. from Aug. 12 to Aug. 28 at the Spotlight Community Theatre, 383 N. Third Ave., Stayton. Tickets are on sale at spotlightct.com.
“This is an adaptation of a classic tale that has drawn audiences of all ages for many, many years,” Rempel said. “The element of fantasy and such engages kids and adults and brings families together.”
Rempel credits her “awesome” cast of 14 for helping her meet the challenge of navigating the theatre’s return after so much time off because of the pandemic.
“We seem to be adapting well,” she said. “We are all bonding and having so much fun. And the costumes are so awesome!”
In the time the cast and crew have had together, words on a page and memories from childhood have become a fun and enchanting piece of theatre, Rempel said. “Suddenly, we are no longer a student of Aumsville Elementary School, an employee at Star Theater, a resident of Scio, or a Family Outreach Coordinator – we’ve become Munchkins, Oz People, Glinda the Good Witch, Cowardly Lion, or jitterbugs,” she said.
The cast list is Liberty Bundy as Dorothy, Melodie Weeks as Auntie Em and Glinda, Bryan Morris as Uncle Henry and the Wizard of Oz, Elizabeth Hirsch as Hickory and the Tin Man, Jaxon Grow as Hunk and the Scarecrow, Maggie Shook as Zeke and the Lion, and Angela Smith as the Wicked Witch and Miss Gulch. Other cast members are: Elliott Lee, Julie Murphy, Ximena Garcia, Annalee Elijah, Lucy Garcia, Emmylou Shook, and Vikki Pointer.
For more information, call 503-302-0936 or visit
SCT’s Facebook page.
