We're Off To See The Wizard

For many SHS seniors, the upcoming Scarsdale Senior Class production of the Wizard of Oz will be their debut on stage. Eighty members of the class of 2013 are now preparing for the show, which will be performed on Friday May 31 and Saturday June 1 at 7:30 PM, and on Sunday June 2 at 2 PM. With just a week left until the premier, rehearsal is in full swing and the directors and the cast are working hard to perfect the show.

A large group of directors and coordinators were necessary to manage the cast of eighty. The show is directed by SHS drama club veteran Sunny Feinstein and assistant director Melissa Duarte. The two handled auditions, callbacks, casting, scheduling, running rehearsals, and worked with cast members. Choreographer Ali Whitney both developed the dance numbers and instructed cast members on how to perform them. Sophie Laruelle is Music Director, Rachel Josselsohn is managing the stage, Thomas Kurien designed the sets, Sam Giddins is in charge of lighting, with costumes by Taylor Yu and Tshara Barnes and props by Doug Berman.

Though the directors and coordinators have been active members of the high school drama club for years, only Melissa Duarte has had experience directing a show. Earlier this winter, Melissa directed Almost Maine, the student directed Drama Club production. For both Melissa and Sunny, casting was the first big task.

After two weeks of auditions, the lead parts were chosen. Emily Bochner is playing Dorothy, Eli Panken is cast as the Tin Man, Nick Meisel is the Lion, and Jacob Kirschenbaum is the Scarecrow. As Dorothy, Emily Bochner sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The other three leads all wish for what they are missing in each of their main songs. Eli Panken's laments If I Only Had a Heart, and Nick Meisel sings If I Were King of the Forest. As the Scarecrow, Jacob Kirshenbaum's big number is If I Only Had a Brain. Other notable roles include Gaby Czarniak as Glinda, Jacob Cannon as the Wizard, Becky Goldberg as Aunt Em, Peter Simon as Guard, Jason Altabet as Coroner, Evan Hendel as Toto and Max Grippo as Mayor of Munchkin City. Although they will not be appearing on stage, faculty advisors Mrs. Barton and Mr. Noble have also had key roles in making the play possible.

For Sunny and Melissa, directing the show has been as challenging as it has been rewarding. Reflecting on her experience to date Sunny noted, "directing is a long complicated process because we have about 80 cast members down from the original count of 117actors. In addition to the changes in the cast, "we only have about two hours to rehearse every night and almost two months to put together a show with an 80 person cast, which is almost unthinkable. To put it in perspective, drama club shows are usually 3 months of production with a cast of 35." The show has also been a learning experience for Melissa, who said, "it's been really hectic, this is a much bigger show that Almost Maine because it is a musical, so I have to work with many more people, including the choreographer, the music director, and the entire production team." She added, "You learn a lot as director; there were sides of lighting, staging and set design that I never really knew before even though I have been a part of a lot of shows over the years. One of my favorite parts is learning what goes on behind the scenes."

Putting the play together and rehearsing has been a learning experience for cast members too. Gaby Czarniak, who plays Glinda the Good Witch, admitted, "I had no acting experience prior to this, so I am glad I'm acting, getting out of my comfort zone and singing in front of people, which is not an easy thing to do." For Gaby and the other cast members, "It's also been a great bonding experience." Seniors act, hang out, plan, joke, dance and sing together in every rehearsal.

Music Director. Sophie Laruelle explained her role in the production, saying, "I run all of the music rehearsals, so usually I call a group into the band room and they all gather around the piano. I basically play them their parts and teach them all of the music." Sophie also works closely with individual members of the cast, lending helpful tips for singing. She explained, "I also have the leads perform for me and give them vocal notes on ways they could improve. I've worked with many of the leads on breathing and singing technique, which they've begun to utilize in their songs."

The entire cast is proud of the play and feels people will be pleasantly surprised by their production of The Wizard of Oz. Sophie Lareuelle smiled as she exclaimed, "the play has turned out really well, they're so good...it's much better than I thought the senior class play could be." Not only are cast members proud of the play, but also they are proud of their unique choice for Senior Class Play in The Wizard of Oz. According to Becky Goldberg, "Usually the Senior class play is more along the lines of High School Musical or Grease, so this type of show is something new for SHS." With the combination of hardworking directors and cast members, and a refreshing new take on the Senior Class Play, the show is bound to impress the Scarsdale community.

Tickets can be purchased $10 for students and $15 for adults and seniors (the 65+ crowd, not the high school seniors) online at Eventbrite. Prices will be more expensive at the door so be sure to get your tickets soon!

This article was contributed by Brian Shabto, a senior at Scarsdale High School.