The Wizard of OZ
A play in three acts by Adele Thane from a story by
L. Frank Baum
February 10, 11, 12, and 13, 2005
produced by special arrangement with Anchorage Press Plays, Inc. of Louisville,
Kentucky
Director's notes, Crew, Review, Special thanks
Bios: Amber Julianne Sam Lauren Rob Lauren Jo Delaney Jessalyn Maggie Harley Zoey Maddie Chelsea Chandler Hana Christiana Elizabeth Drew Whitley Spencer Jana Jasen Micah Alexa Adam Rilla
PROLOGUE - Kansas
ACT I
Scene 1 - Land of the Munchkins
Scene 2 - A Cornfield
Scene 3 - Edge of the Forest
ACT II
Scene 1 - Throne Room in the Palace of Oz
Scene 2 - Land of the Winkies
Scene 3 - The Yellow Castle
ACT III
Throne Room in the Palace of Oz
EPILOGUE - Kansas
Director's Notes
It
has been an absolute joy working with all of these young people on my first
foray into Children's Theatre. I can compare it to having a child and I am
very thankful that the labor pains for this first one were so easy. You
never know what's going to happen when you have a group of children ranging in
age from 8 to 15 come together with only one thing in common - the play.
They were well behaved, got along with each other and I think they've even made
new friends. At the first read through, I was the only adult in the room
of 30 children. We all sat in a circle and listened to each other read the
lines out loud from the script. Everyone just sat there and read along
with the story - they didn't fuss or fidget at all. Now, how impressive is
that!
I'm very glad that I chose this particular version of The Wizard of Oz. As
part of my research I read the original story and I was very pleased to learn
that the script I had chosen was a truer adaptation of Baum's original
story, unlike the movie that everyone is so familiar with. The children
were very surprised to learn how the Tin Man became tin, why everyone in Emerald
City wears glasses and the real story behind the winged monkeys. At
various times throughout rehearsals, the kids have said, "That's not like
the movie at all!" And some have even read the book since being
involved in this show. So sit back and enjoy this first trip into the new
Children's Theatre and I hope to see you here again in the near future. -Sabra
Hayden
Amber Brubaker (Dorothy)
Age: 15. Grade: 9. School: Petoskey High.
"I may look like a soft-spoken girly-girl, but I love to play video
games!"
Julianne Richey (Toto)
Age: 11. Grade: 6. School: Alanson Littlefield
"My acting inspiration is Jennifer Lopez and singing is Gwen Stefani.
And I like trying things unique and new.
Sam Hayden (Scarecrow)
Age: 14. Grade 8. School: Boyne City Middle
"I really like to snowboard, do impressions and play football."
Lauren DeMeyre (Tin Woodman)
Age: 15. Grade: 10. School: Petoskey High.
"When the director first called me and said, 'Congrats, you're the
woodman!' I thought I had been cast as a lumberjack."
Rob Manges (Cowardly Lion)
Age: 10. Grade: 5. School: Lincoln Elementary.
"I read a lot!"
Lauren Jo Sypniewski
Age: 16. Grade: 10. School: Home-schooled.
"I LOVE to act and to perform in plays. I also like to write, and at
the present I am writing my own fantasy titled, "Eltheria".
The Witches
Delaney Welsh (Glinda, the
Good Witch of the South)
Age: 11. Grade: 6. School: Harbor Springs Middle
"Within the last year, I was runner-up in the "When I Grow Up"
speech contest and I won best performer in my school debate."
Maggie Hayden (Witch of the
North)
Age: 8. Grade: 3. School: Boyne City Elementary
"I love to read so much that I want to be an author."
Jessalyn Lange (Wicked
Witch of the West)
Age: 11. Grade: 6. School: Home-schooled.
"I like to dogsled race in the winter with my dog, Owlmoon."
The Munchkins
Harley Guswiler (First
Munchkin)
Age: 9. Grade: 4. School: Lincoln Elementary.
"When I grow up I want to be a crime attorney!"
Zoey Reager (Second Munchkin)
Age: 9. Grade: 4. School: Lincoln Elementary.
"I want to become a famous actress like Shirley Temple."
Maddie Nemecek (Third
Munchkin)
Age: 7. Grade: 2. School: Sheridan Elementary.
"I really like to dance."
Chelsea Bednar (Munchkin)
Age: 10. Grade: 4. School: Home-schooled.
"I'm in two plays at once. I'm Michael in Peter Pan and a Munchkin in this
play. Also, I've been in over 7 plays. I've counted."
Chandler Cummings
(Munchkin)
Age: 10. Grade: 4. School: Shay Elementary
"I want to be a fashion designer and start trends."
Hana Ketterer (Munchkin)
Age: 9. Grade: 4. School: Shay Elementary.
"I want to work at a humane society."
Christiana Manthei
(Munchkin)
Age: 8. Grade: 4. School: Walloon Lake Academy (home-shooled)
"I performed in New Zealand."
Elizabeth Webb (Munchkin)
Age: 10. Grade: 4. School: Ottawa Elementary.
"I love to read. Some days I will just shut myself in my room for
hours."
The People of Oz
Drew Dean (The Wizard)
Age: 11. Grade: 8. School: Harbor Light Christian School.
"Besides drama, I love to play sports and travel with my family."
Whitley Brochu (Lady Oz)
Age: 11. Grade: 8. School: Petoskey Middle.
"Well I was in the play Snow White and I was Nin-com-poop (Dopey)."
Spencer Nemecek (Soldier
with Green Whiskers)
Age: 11. Grade: 5. School: Sheridan Elementary.
"My favorite interest is airplanes. I know about most of the planes that
are flying. This is my 2nd LTCT play. Hope you enjoy the show. Yeah!"
The Winkies
Jana Tahtinen (Madame Winkie)
Age: 10. Grade: 4. School: Lincoln Elementary.
"I love to do origami in my spare time."
Jasen Garborg (Winkie 1)
Age: 12. Grade: 7. School: Concord Academy Boyne.
"Micah Manthei and I are practically like brothers. We love playing video
games in the maximum allotted time. You can find our club website at
www.freewebs.com/tudohi"
Micah Manthei (Winkie 2)
Age: 12. Grade: 8. School: Home-schooled.
"Jasen Garborg and I are practically like brothers. We love playing video
games in the maximum allotted time. I have also performed many skits including
some in New Zealand.
Alexa Manthei (Winkie)
Age: 11. Grade: 6. School: Walloon Lake Academy (Home-schooled)
"I performed dance in New Zealand, and performed many plays that the
babysitter wrote."
Adam Roth (Winkie)
Age: 11. Grade: 5. School: St. Francis
Xavier.
"I read Greek myths for hours."
Rilla Snedden (Winkie)
Age: 11. Grade: 5. School: Ottawa Elementary.
"I like to play baseball and softball and dance and be in plays."
The Crew: 
Special Thanks: 
This production made possible in part by a grant
from the Petoskey/Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation 