The daily Astorian., November 15, 2018, Page 9, Image 19

NOVEMBER 15, 2018 // 9
Theater community
The show includes actors who are new
to theater, coming back to it or are regulars
in Coaster productions. Many are from
Cannon Beach, Seaside and Nehalem and
enjoy the community aspect.
Ellen Jensen, who plays Glinda the
Good Witch of the North and Aunt Em,
said she went as Glinda four times for
Halloween and is excited to wear the iconic
costume.
For Kelsie Peterson, who plays a tree,
Winkie and Ozian, this is her first time
being part of a large production.
Rosalie Ennis, who plays a Winkie and
Ozian, is getting back into theater. Ennis
grew up in Astoria and earned degrees in
theater but hasn’t acted for many years. “I
wanted to get back into it because it was
a huge part of my life since I was really
little,” she said.
Coaster regulars David Sweeney and
Sue Neuer play the Tinman and Hickory
and the Wicked Witch of the West and Miss
Gulch.
Lathrop said he’s playing the characters
as not really women or men but just as their
character: “They’re farm hands, and then
they’re a lion and scarecrow,” he said.
Allison Johnson plays the Cowardly
Lion and Zek, and Katherine Lacaze plays
the Scarecrow and Hunk.
Lacaze, a Coast Weekend contributor,
said she auditioned specifically for the role
of the Scarecrow.
“I’ve always wanted to play this role
since performing arts camp in high school.
I thought it would be really cool to do it as
a woman,” she said.
Magic moments
The Coaster has never staged “Oz”
before.
“I think we wanted to challenge our-
selves and see how we could do with it,”
Lathrop said.
The show is a Royal Shakespeare Com-
pany production and is based on a stage
that is four times the size of the Coaster,
Lathrop said.
The show will have a set that changes
from Munchkinland to the Poppy Field,
Emerald City and the Wizard’s Chamber.
Other scenes will utilize wagons to repre-
sent the corn field and the Tinman’s house.
Costumes are designed by Judith Light.
Lathrop said that Dorothy, Glinda and the
Witch’s costumes will stay true to the ones
in the film.
The show is using pre-recorded music to
accompany the cast.
Choreographer Lisa Fergus, who also
directs shows at the Coaster, said she wants
to honor the choreography from the film
while still being original.
Fergus said it’s exciting to see the actors
COLIN MURPHEY PHOTOS
Performers portraying the Munchkins react to seeing the Wicked Witch of the West on the set of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at the Coaster Theatre.
master the movements.
“There’s just a magic moment where all
of a sudden their bodies know what to do
without thinking about it,” she said. “That’s
the best part of choreography to me is when
you see that moment, when it becomes
easy.”
While larger productions might have
bigger sets, audiences don’t get the intima-
cy a smaller stage provides.
Lathrop said one of the most intriguing
aspects of the show is that the audience will
only be 6 or 8 feet from the characters on
stage.
“I think audiences will walk away
with a closer relationship with the
characters because they’re so close to
them … They see all their expressions,”
Lathrop said. CW
Sue Neuer, left, and Emily Dante
during a rehearsal of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’