Monrovia Thespians work with Professionals on Local Production

Pictured are the principals from the Taylor Performing Arts Center’s production of the Wiz of Oz reacting to seeing the Wizard for the first time, in a recent rehearsal. From the left are Taylor Wesselman, the pleased Tin Man, Francesca Sola, a surprised Dorothy, Mitch Rily, the appropriately fearful Cowardly Lion, and an aptly befuddled Musique Cooks as the Scarecrow.

By Susan Motander
With a largely professional cast and crew, the Taylor Performing Arts Center, in partnership with the Boone Foundation, is presenting The Wizard of Oz this summer. The production will not only provide the community with delightful summer viewing fare, but will also give students in the Monrovia schools a chance to work with professionals in various aspects of stagecraft.
Patrick Garcia, Director of Performing Arts for the Monrovia Unified School District, explained that while the “professionals” make up the majority of the cast, several high school students had also auditioned for, and garnered, roles in the show. “The choreographer, Paul David Bryant, and the music director, Brigham Freeth, were among the professional staff members who helped prepare our students for their auditions by giving a class at the high school in professional audition etiquette and attire,” he said. ” It was a nuts-of-bolts class on what to expect.”
The Monrovia School District has been working to prepare students for various career paths. “We feel that by including the students in all aspects of the performing arts we are giving them ideas of different pathways to careers in the entertainment industry,” Garcia said.
To that end, this performance, while hiring professionals to head up the various behind-the-scenes aspects of a production, has a staff largely made up of students gaining needed work experience. For example, Martyn Tyler is the production’s stage manager, however, as he explained, his crew is made up of 12 students from Monrovia High School.
“I am also the Technical Director of the Theater and work here throughout the year.” he said. “The students have gotten to know me over the course of the year and through the student productions we held here. They may have been reticent to become involved in our earlier professional productions, but now they are more comfortable with me and with getting involved.”
Allen Hunt expressed the same enthusiasm about working with the students. He said that the production has 8 or so local high school and middle school students in supporting roles such as Nicco Ganley, the ‘captain’ of the flying monkeys. In addition, there are 42 elementary school children cast as munchkins and flying monkeys. “The very little ones are our ‘enchanted poppies’,” Hunt explained with a grin.
“I have been in many aspects of the business and am a teacher now myself,” Hunt said. “It is a nice thing to pass along to these young people what I have learned.”
There will be eight performances of the Wizard of Oz: Fridays July 11 and 18 at 8 PM; Saturdays July 12 and 19 and Sundays July 13 and 20 at both 2 and 8 PM. Tickets for all performances are $25 for general adult admission, $15 for students and children age 12 and younger. Discounts are available for groups and seniors. VIP Tickets for the Center Section, Rows 2 through 6 are available for $35. Rush tickets for $10 will be available for the front row on a first come first served basic before each performance. The Taylor Performing Arts Center is located on the Monrovia High School campus at 845 West Colorado, Monrovia.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-838-3006, available 24 hours per day, or online at www.brownpapertickets.com. Advanced tickets may also be purchased at Monrovia Travel located at 401 South Myrtle Ave. in Monrovia. Tickets may also be purchased at the Taylor Performing Arts Center beginning one hour before show time.

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