The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY KRISTI FISH | MIRROR REPORTER — Ninety students at St. Joseph’s Catholic School will help stage this year’s production of The Wizard of Oz at the Maumee Indoor Theater.
Three performances are scheduled for Friday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, April 2 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.00 for adults and $8.00 for students in grade school and can be purchased at the door.
“It’s been a journey for us filled with exciting singing, wonderful dancing and extraordinary acting,” said director Marissa Minnick-Metcalf. “The kids have been working really hard and it’s been really neat to watch their love for theater grow.”
The students have been working together to perfect the production, with the younger students looking up to the older students for guidance.
All of the seventh- and eighth-graders in the production have previously been on the stage and have been proven to be good role models for the younger students, Minnick-Metcalf noted.
“The kids’ growth has been really fun to watch. We’ve watched a lot of kids coming out of their shells and growing in confidence,” she said.
With the direction of Minnick-Metcalf, producer Julie Gorman and choreographer Maria Galati, the students, who have been working since their auditions in October, will be able to showcase their skills to friends and family in just a few days.
Many family members, Minnick-Metcalf noted, are also excited to see the play and talk about it with their children because it’s something they’re all familiar with, too.
“It’s such a nostalgic show, and it’s really neat to bring a show that was meaningful to a lot of us adults and being able to introduce the next generation of kids to The Wizard of Oz,” Minnick-Metcalf said.
The Wizard of Oz was actually one of the first shows she participated in as a student at St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Minnick-Metcalf added.
Continuing to provide more children access to the theater and fueling a love for it remains important to the school, Minnick-Metcalf said. She noted that they have remained as inclusive as possible to allow all students the opportunity to be on the stage if they want and to learn about the theater.
“Learning and seeing that they can do anything has been a blessing,” Minnick-Metcalf said. “It’s been a blessing to watch these kids grow and blossom right in front of us.”
The Maumee Indoor Theater is located at 601 Conant St. in Maumee.
