by Tori Newby ’22

Sherwood CAST (Creating Awesome Sherwood Theatre) will be presenting “Wizard of Oz” this weekend in the Ertzman Theatre on November 21, 22, and 23 at 7:00 pm and November 24 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are selling on showtix4u.com and at the door; $10 for students and $15 for adults.

The audience will enter CAST’s production with high expectations from the world-renowned 1939 film starring Judy Garland, which Director Elizabeth Kominski is embracing. “I chose this play to bring the community in,” said Kominski. “The ‘Wizard of Oz’ is a beloved story that people have known for decades.” 

The musical is double-casted, with one set of actors performing Thursday and Saturday, and the other performing Friday and Sunday. Dorothy will be played by junior Maddie Rohan and senior Victoria Murray, Scarecrow by senior Nick Rossi and junior Rachel Ng, Tin Man by seniors Ally Newby and Elizabeth Oliver, Cowardly Lion by juniors Dylan Campbell and Sean Paton, and the Wicked Witch of the West by junior Elizabeth Ludwick and sophomore Leila Wolf. 

The Munchkinland scene is played by elementary school students from the community. “They are very eager to learn, and they learned their parts much faster than I thought they would,” Kominski said. While the director must work harder to maintain their attention and energy, she believes they are a great addition to the production. 

To live up to the Academy Award-winning movie, CAST is going above and beyond in terms of sets, costumes, and effects. Kominski vows that the audience will be blown away. A snow machine was purchased and poppy costumes were hand-made to enhance the iconic poppy field scene that is known from the film. Tin Man bears an authentic-looking funnel hat and silver makeup, while the Wicked Witch will be painting herself in green. Sherwood also invested in a projection system, custom-made in Germany, that will further develop the detailed scenery and special effects the musical requires.