RANGELEY — The Rangeley Lakes Regional Schools Drama Club danced us down the Yellow Brick Road for three fun performances of The Wizard of Oz on November 15th, 16th and 17th. The 19 members consisted of students from fifth grade all the way through twelfth. Elementary and middle school music teacher Erin Smith, in her 20th year, directed this particular musical for the third time, with the help of her longtime cohorts, Brittany Wetherill, Sue Downes-Borko and Rowenna Hathaway.

Brittany, a 2009 RLRS graduate, describes her job as “helping the kids figure out how to be other people … and they’ve done that very well. A lot of the kids started out stiff and unsure of what they were doing when they started, until they completely became the characters they were playing, it’s so funny.” Brittany’s energy and commitment is infectious and her attention to detail translates fully to the live stage.

Ana Orazi as The Wicked Witch of the West. It’s not easy being green. (Photo by DB Hathaway)

There is no need to provide a plot summary of The Wizard of Oz, a fantasy musical adapted from L. Frank Baum’s novel, because WoZ is deeply ingrained in the American psyche. It was a perennial favorite on television for Boomers and Millennials for decades. Quoting lines and singing songs from it is common practice. However, the lessons it teaches can be easily overlooked as we wedge ourselves along the winding golden road.

Dorothy’s plight can be considered traumatic if you really think about it. She is a runaway girl who gets lost in a distant land and is desperately trying to get home. Her house has fallen on and killed a “wicked” witch whose sister arrives intent on killing Dorothy in revenge. The journey only gets trippier from there, with munchkins and winkies and flying monkeys (oh my!), not to mention a brainless scarecrow, heartless tin man and cowardly lion that Dorothy befriends on her way to Oz in search of the all-powerful wizard she hopes help her find home. The beautiful, bouncy music makes it easier for children and adults alike to smooth over the story’s darker elements.

They’re going to see the wizard! (Photo by DB Hathaway)

This is what Brittany is referring to when she says, “Storytelling, but especially theatre, teaches empathy because you’re literally stepping into someone else’s shoes. I feel that the children who do theater learn to see themselves through the perspective of others.” The main cast of the play shows this feeling flawlessly, starting with Shirley Truland as Dorothy Gale.

Shirley started in theater her first year in Big Fish and says it’s great to be “the star of the show in such a popular play. And when Erin asked what show we wanted to do, I watched a bit of Wizard of Oz on TikTok and I was , like, yup, I want to be Dorothy, that’s my role.” Shirley was saccharine perfect as Dorothy, embodying the innocence of a farm girl as she transformed into a steely survivor. the movie. I chose to play her as a very annoying middle schooler.” Maybe, but an annoying middle schooler whose voice carried the entire audience over the rainbow to where dreams “really do come true.”

Scarecrow gets a brain. (Photo by DB Hathaway)

After parting ways with the ruby ​​slippers, Dorothy’s first encounter is with the Scarecrow, played by stage veteran, and newcomer Rylan Bottger. Rylan is new to RLRS and hails from Westford, MA where he first played the scarecrow with Open Door Productions. “I think this character is the most relatable because he’s so human.” Rylan gives an exuberant portrayal of the straw-filled scarecrow, a true-blue friend to Dorothy and a loyal companion to the Tin Man and the Lion. “Scarecrow learns that he really did have a brain all along even though he was always told he didn’t.” Asked if he learned anything by stepping into the role: “The biggest thing I learned is ‘be yourself’ and be nice to people. Don’t put yourself down. Whether we are a protagonist or an ensemble member, we are all important. Everyone brings something special with them.”

The set design had many moving parts that stage manager Millie Hoekstra and the crew made sure they got where they were meant to be. Val Zapolsky’s fingerprints were everywhere. There were so many props backstage that there was little room to move. Munchkinland was colorful, the forest was scary, Oz was bouncy and green, and the Witch’s Castle was dark and forbidding. Justin Orazi’s lights helped set the right mood. The twister played out on the front curtain, much like in the movie, with a little help from a green screen and hammy cameos. The ensemble played multiple roles and required many, many costumes which were perfectly curated by Mary Boothby-Brown and others.

Mo Webber as the coroner who declares the Wicked Witch of the East dead. (Photo by DB Hathaway)

Make-up required a lot of grease paint in this production, particularly the greening of The Wicked Witch and silvering of the Tinman, expertly defined, measured and applied by Audrey Sutherland and Mariah Hanson.

Troy Hathaway was the tinkling, tinkling Tinman who got a heart only to have it broken when he had to say goodbye to Dorothy. He delighted the audience with his metallic pirouettes and low bass notes that came from deep within his cavernous chest. Kayla Brewer was absolutely adorable as the Cowardly Lion. There were hints of Bert Lahr in her comic timing and intonation, but Kayla made Lion the lovable, natural cuddly animal that he is. She deserved every laugh she got.

Courage, brains and a heart. (Photo by DB Hathaway)

Stella MacFawn likewise imbued her matronly Aunt Em with a Midwestern sternness and a fond kindness. Stella’s Glinda the Good Witch (not a princess, bro) also captured Glinda’s essence with all her statements and poised movements. Lance Cunningham showed real growth in his latest appearance on stage as Uncle Henry. He got his fair share of laughs when he delivered his low-key zingers on Miss Gulch, played by Ana Orazi.

Which brings us to senior Ana Orazi as the Wicked Witch of the West. There was no holding back on Ana’s part. She was all in as the green, malevolent maw of devastation. Her ominous cackles and menacing turns turned everyone in her presence into a shaking, shaking mess. Ana allowed her antagonist to rev up to such an extent that when Dorothy threw the water on her and she melted, the audience applauded because “ding-dong” the witch was dead but also in appreciation of how Ana did the melting. Well done, Ana.

Ana commands the Winkies. (Photo by DB Hathaway)

And some notable shoutouts: Kylie Slagg chewed up the stage every second she was on it as the Emerald City Guard; Hannah Snow’s bravura portrayal of a huckster and self-confident man as Prof. Marvel and the Wiz; Sarah Murphy and Mo Webber do Pam Ellis proud as they dance Erin’s choreography; Toto was the best trained dog ever – never missed his turn; Alden Sutherland’s spotlight was perfect; and the whole ensemble was a well-oiled machine, crows crying, monkeys flying, winkies “Oreo”-ing, all kept the rapt children in the audience thoroughly entertained.

And thanks to Sue Downes-Borko for putting together an elite band of musicians: Ethan Wright on percussion, Mike Schrader on bass and Andrea Keirsted and Sue on keyboards; and also the heavenly backup vocals from the Pitties.

Starring The Wizard of Oz. Front row, left to right: Sarah Murphy, Emily Slagg, Blake Gage, Sash Hines. Back Row: Mo Webber, Rylan Bottger, Kylie Slagg, Ana Orazi, Troy Hathaway, Skyler Thompson, Stella MacFawn, Shirley Truland, Lance Cunningham, Kayla Brewer, Harper Wright, Hannah Snow, Olivia Heatley and Jordan Atkinson. (Photo by DB Hathaway)

Dave Hathaway chronicled all three performances with photographs whose frozen moments have melted our hearts.

Erin Smith is a godsend. A product of the theatre, she promotes the best it has to offer children, young and old, teaching them lifelong skills such as problem solving, interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, creative collaboration, empathy, all while creating a confidence that encourages taking risks outside their comfort zones. “I wouldn’t be doing it year after year,” she said, “if I didn’t love watching the kids grow and learn and shine. Their faces and their joy on stage is my favorite thing. When they nail a dance, or get a song right, or remember all the lines of a giant play we’ve been rehearsing every day for weeks, I’m like a proud mom.” As parent Lily Weber put it, “Every year our society is swept away from our somewhat sleepy town into immersive stories from Whoville to Oz, from the gritty streets of NYC to under the sea. In some magical, cosmic way, you do this, Erin.”

And thank you, as always, with an abundance of gratitude, to the Rangeley Friends of the Arts for all they do for the children of the Rangeley community.

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