NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

4/14/2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES ­The Northwestern Theatre will present an original play A Journey through Oz April 21-23 at 7:30 p.m. in the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium. Tickets are $10. NSU students with a current I.D. are admitted free.

The play is an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz written by Northwestern theatre major Jacob Justice of Abbeville. Dr. Vicki Parrish is the director.

In the play, Dorothy is given a reading assignment. While reading the book, she falls asleep and is transported to the land of Oz.

"Dorothy finds the book so interesting that she finds herself wrapped up in a different world," said Parrish. "She is in this land meeting people and having adventures because of reading a book."

Parrish said working with a student playwright has been a good experience for her and the cast.

"This has been part of the teaching experience," said Parrish. "I have found myself mentoring a person to see the talent within them and helping them expand their thoughts further than they thought they could go."

The actors and the playwright have also learned from each other.

"It has been a collaborative effort and a great teaching tool," said Parrish. "As the actors perform, Jacob may see that a line doesn't work. The actors can also take his characters and see things he didn't imagine."

Members of the cast are Kelly Airhart of Natchitoches as Dorothy, Lindsay Visicaro of Shreveport as Princess Celandra, Erin Segura of New Iberia as Glenda the Good Witch, Luke Sexton of Lake Charles as the Scarecrow, Jarrad Baker of Donaldsonville as the Lion and Robert Robinson of Lake Charles as the Tin Man.

The cast also includes Bonnie Gordon of Lafayette as the Wicked Witch, Lasonna Frierson of Shreveport as Kitty, Paul Jannise of Lake Arthur as Oz, Abbey Peterson of New Orleans as the Emerald City Gatekeeper and Kierstin Curtis of Monroe and David Combs of Bossier City as guards.

The citizens of Emerald City are played by T-Bo Hampton of New Orleans, Jackie Cooper of Natchitoches, Amanda LaVergne of Opelousas, Allison Carpenter of Pineville, Rebecca Russell of Alexandria and Van White of Leesville. The Winkies are played by Travis Fontenot of Ville Platte, Lawryn Wallace of Baton Rouge, Jessica Miller of Baton Rouge and Tracey Tousek of Natchitoches. Hope Gilmore of New Orleans is the Queen of the Field Mice, Jeff Springman of Kenner is Piedra and Kent Bernard of New Iberia is the understudy.

Playing the munchkins are Hillary Goff, Kaitlynn Bedgood, Catherine Burke, Faith Stanfield, Anne Marie Wolff, Brooke Shirley, Landon Sturdivant, James Armstrong, Justin Goff, Jeffrey Goff, Madison Conlay, Chelsea Fletcher, Emily Heard, Elizabeth Hyde, Elaina Jackson, Monet' LaCour, Mariah Blanchard, Abby Nealy, Keator Poleman, Roxy Ramirez, Caitlin Raupp, Chelsea Winder, Nicolas Wiggins and Kathryn Wiggins.

"The characters may have the same name, but they are not like the characters in the movie," said Parrish. "And the play is not a musical, but it does have music. The music will have a Cajun flare."

For ticket information, call (318) 357-5744.

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