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16-yeard-old Ivy Creel plays Dorothy in the Renaissance High School production of Wizard of Oz. Photos by Ericson Calderon.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Winkies and talking apple trees are roaming the halls of Renaissance High School. Flying monkeys and representatives from the Lollipop Guild congregate outside the auditorium, their chatter denouncing any kind of division between good and evil. And, at least one mettle-challenged lion is on the prowl, sneaking up on unsuspecting bystanders, hoping to strike fear into their hearts.<\/p>\n Strange things are afoot at this small performing arts school, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n It\u2019s production week, and the campus is throbbing with energy as the countdown to curtain-rise on the school\u2019s production of the musical, Wizard of Oz<\/em>, nears its end.<\/p>\n And, while Long Beach Poly prepares for a Friday night C.I.F. Southern Section showdown with Mission Viejo on the gridiron, the kids of Renaissance will shine on a different stage. Their completely student-run performance of the timeless L. Frank Baum classic opens at the Terrace Theatre Downtown at 7PM.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have any football teams here so our productions are kind of like our football team or our basketball team,” said Susan Thrasher, the play\u2019s director and a theatre teacher at Renaissance. \u201cIt\u2019s what we do here. It really brings our small community together.\u201d<\/p>\n The Terrace Theater seats over 3,000 people and provides a stage area that some cast members jokingly suggested could house several of their school\u2019s auditoriums. The setting is a huge departure from the 825-person capacity Center Theater where Renaissance has traditionally performed its plays and musicals. Freshmen Jeremy Michaels, the Munchkin Mayor, admits that it may seem daunting but he\u2019s ready for the challenge. \u2028<\/p>\n “It\u2019s really cool getting to perform at the Terrace Theatre for my first play ever,” Michaels said. “I did come to this school for acting and performing in front of a lot of people.”<\/p>\n The long road to opening night began about ten weeks ago when auditions were held just three days after the semester started. Nearly 150 students tried out and were whittled down to a cast of 65 singing, dancing, flying citizens of Oz. Altogether, roughly 140 students will contribute to the production, from belting out the score from the orchestra pit to controlling the lighting and set design.<\/p>\n Zachary Ates, 17, and Ezekiel Bennett, 16, or “Z&Z Productions” as they prefer to be called, designed the massive Emerald City gate that will be used in the play. Though not typically behind the scenes, the two liked being recruited for set design duties and it has changed their perspective as actors.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I act on stage, I don\u2019t really pay attention to the set,\u201d Ates said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a big piece of wood with something drawn on it. Now that I see how much work and effort goes into building something and painting something I really, really appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n First time set building, though, pales in comparison to the path that Dorothy, the Wizard and other cast members will be asked to blaze. For the first time in school production history, actors will be utilizing a fly-rail system, making for a more authentic Kansas-tornado experience. Though the facilities at Renaissance haven\u2019t allowed for practice flights, the fate of the monkeys and Wicked Witch shouldn\u2019t be in question because a fly-technician that\u2019s worked on over 90 Wizard of Oz<\/em> performances will be supervising. Dorothy, played by 16-yeard-old Ivy Creel, is unfazed by the thought of soaring through the air.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited because a lot of people don\u2019t get this opportunity this young,\u201d Creel said. \u201cI had a dance teacher that told me she didn\u2019t get to fly until she was 30. So I feel kind of honored.\u201d<\/p>\n Creel, who along with the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man make up the \u201cFab-4\u201d, says the need to portray genuine friendship on stage has created a close-knit family because of countless hours spent practicing lines together. The family ties are more literal between Creel and Toto, who\u2019s played by her recently adopted Maltese-mix, Chiqui. The logistics of using a live animal have been navigated by hiding treats in Dorothy\u2019s basket, but for the more technical scenes, Toto will give a way to a stunt double\u2014a stuffed animal.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the most part, she\u2019s a really good dog and she kind of just stays,\u201d said Maria Dowell, the vocal music director, as she cradled Chiqui in her arms. \u201cBut our main concern is she might wander off stage when she\u2019s not on the leash.\u201d<\/p>\n Renaissance is becoming more and more of an anomaly as budget cuts have forced schools to abandon the arts. But, through the help of fundraisers and highly involved parents who help transport kids and even feed students at rehearsals, the school has continued to flourish since being established in 2004. The fact that students attend Renaissance strictly to take part in performing arts is something that Thrasher appreciates immensely.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s not a day that goes by that I don\u2019t recognize how lucky I am to work at Renaissance,\u201d Thrasher said. \u201cBeing in a group of people who want to do this versus people who have to do it makes any job more exceptional.\u201d\u2028 Expectations vary from actor to actor and anticipation for Friday is growing, but the Wizard, played by 16-year-old William Ardelean, speaks for the entire cast with what he hopes the audience takes away from the finished product.<\/p>\n \u201cI really want them to walk away and feel like they haven\u2019t gone to a high school performance,\u201c Ardelean said. \u201cI want them to see it and feel that it was a well rounded, enjoyable performance. I want them to come back and go, \u2018Wow, that was good. I\u2019d see it again.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n {gallery}jason\/oz{\/gallery}<\/p>\n
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