The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a play written by L. Frank Baum. On June 16, 1902, The Wizard of Oz opened at the Grand Opera House in Chicago. It was a huge summer hit. After playing for twelve weeks, it set out on a tour of the upper Midwest, then returned to Chicago for a few more weeks while Julian Mitchell, stage director, tinkered with the script and score in preparation for taking the show to Broadway. The Wizard of Oz play opened on Broadway on January 21, 1903, at the Brand New Majestic Theater on Columbus Circle. On August 25, 1939, the first Wizard of Oz movie was released; this movie was based on the original book. The book was written by L. Frank Baum on May 17, 1900. It is one of the most popular plays that is recreated among high school drama casts’.

Pennridge is one school district that has done this play on multiple occasions throughout all levels of the drama program. Lots of preparation is done well in advance for these plays to be as successful as they are. When PHS director, Christa Schimitsch was asked what the cast has done to prepare for the musical, she said, “The cast auditioned in late November and is learning dances, songs, and memorizing lines. Some have put in extra hours to help the crew build the set.” She followed by also saying, “The cast has had to work in-depth to get into character because the story is a fantasy. There is a lot of lack of humanity in the characters because they aren’t really humans.” These two quotes are solid proof that playing in a play isn’t just about reading lines with a smooth voice but delivering them as if you were actually the character. Transforming into a character is very difficult and to do it in front of a live audience takes bravery and preparation for which most people are not equipped.

This year, Pennridge High School has been putting in hours every day to prepare for this classic play to be performed for a live audience in the school’s auditorium. The cast consists of many talented actors and actresses along with crew members working behind the scenes to make these shows appear as magical as they do. These plays are also made possible by the wonderful directors behind the show. This year the musical director is Christa Schimitsch. It’s clear that the cast is very important to her and that she loves what she does, but that doesn’t mean it comes without some challenges to face. Schimitsch is a seasoned director, having directed more than ten plays in her time.

Auditions are arguably the most important part of any production. With every play completely relying on the actors to portray their roles well, this is a very important step in the process of putting on a production. When Brook Weiss, a member of the ensemble, was asked to describe what the audition process was like, she said, “For the audition, you first start by learning a dance a couple of weeks before the actual audition. Then on the day of your audition, you will run through that dance twice with a group of other students in front of the directors. After that, you will go into the auditorium one at a time and sing a part of the song the director has selected for you. This year it was somewhere over the rainbow.” Auditions are not an easy process, and Weiss is living proof of that.

This year’s cast has their show coming up and definitely does not lack any talent. They are well prepared, and if the hard work they have been putting in is any indication, this show will undoubtedly be one to remember. Come out and see the show this weekend at the Pennridge High School auditorium! Tickets are $10 each and can be bought at the door.  See the showtimes below:

Thursday April 21, 2022 @ 7:00 p.m.

Friday, April 22, 2022 @ 7:00 p.m.

Saturday April 23, 2022 @ 7:00 p.m.

Sunday April 24, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.