Inside The Wizard of Oz

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On Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, you will find Katy Nahra, director, and her Theatre West cast putting on the production The Wizard of Oz in the Arganbright Auditorium of West High. The cast has been rehearsing since early September, when auditions first took place. Auditioning is a long and tedious process, beginning with one day of students reading lines of multiple characters with directors to show their different abilities. The following day, a list of callbacks is posted for the students that the directors want to see audition again. Then, results from the callbacks are looked over and are posted within the following week. Theatre West rehearses an average of 3 hours a day, four days a week, working on memorizing lines and getting into character. With nearly 200 students total working on the production, it is pretty easy to have a good time. “There are always shenanigans, some of which I’m privy to, some I’m not,” said Nahra. Don’t be fooled, cast is just one part of the production: the play would not be possible without hair, makeup, costumes, props, set, sound, light and production. These groups are in charge of setting the scene and making sure everything runs smoothly. For set design, this means building different components for the scenery and insuring the safety of the cast. Each piece typically takes one week to build. “We kind of help each other out, everyone puts equal amount of effort and time into set. It’s really good, absent-minded work.” said Bernardo Pérez ’20, a member of the set crew. When nearing showtime, the cast and crew come together to add the final touches, and make sure everything runs well. “Nahra always says ‘It’s your show. It will be as good as you make it.’” said Kate Vanderleest ’17, actress portraying Dorothy. Both the cast and crew take this to heart, putting in their best work over the course of two months to make sure every detail in the show has been adjusted to their liking. “They are just a really good group of people. I mean, they are fun. Anything I ask them to do they do without question, they are willing to take risks, and they are just the kind of people you want to work with, who will go above and beyond.” said Nahra. To see what the Theatre West cast has accomplished, see The Wizard of Oz in the Arganbright Auditorium on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3rd. They hope to have a good turn out!