During the first week of November, Duanesburg Central School put on the yearly (and only) drama production. The Duane Players opened the school year off with a classic production of The Wizard of Oz.
Nearly everyone is familiar with the cute, slightly outrageous plotline. Young Dorothy and her dog Toto are thrown into the Land of Oz where she struggles to find her way home. Along the way, she meets friendly midgets, witches and all assortments of odd beings. There are minor line changes in the play version. Including the ‘Jitterbug’, which can be viewed in the deleted scenes of the DVD version.
The Duane Players did a fair job considering the size of the school district and the technical limitations of a ‘gymnasium.’ The sets, compliments to the art class, were a major step up from previous years productions. However, the beautiful sets came with a hefty price. The scene changes took an eternity. Countless minutes were wasted between scenes.
But there was a monstrous issue when the beautiful scenery was in place and the scene began: the actors could not be heard. The brand new microphone system purchased last year failed the audience. Actor’s lines were choppy and often hard to hear. Mark Villanti, former superintendent of the school district said the amplifiers were too high on the walls, creating distortion for the front few rows. It was hard to handle.
Talent sufficed even though the sound system hindered the sound quality. Mira Ordon, the director, cast the show very well. Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Lion moved fluidly with each other and had a solid presence on stage.
Directing The Wizard of Oz is difficult. The performance needs to present ‘magic’ with evil-talking mechanical heads and when the witch is melted. An award for trying can be given to the cast. A giant white head illumined by a green light was used for the “Oz, the great and powerful.” The melting witch could have been more creative. Some flashing lights and a wall of people were effective, but not enough.
The Duane Players deserves a round of applause for hard work. It’s not easy to open a show in less than two months and still do an adequate job. The production required intelligence, devotion and courage to put on and the cast certainly prevailed.
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