The Big Sandy Theater will be putting on a production of “OZ” (a comedy drama) the first week of December this year. The community theater production returns after taking last year off. Tickets will be $2 and are available at the door on the day of the shows. Dianna Upham Keane, one of the directors, explains: “We have a fantastic cast and crew of all ages who are working hard to put on an entertaining and lively show… We hope the audience of all ages will laugh, be entertained, and be challenged.” The show, written by Don Zolidis, is a different take on the traditional Wizard of Oz story.
The Big Sandy Theater group is a recent addition to our community life and exists because of the support of our town, its organizations, and businesses. “We are so thankful for the amazing support we have gotten so far,” Dianna said regarding the theater group. “This is our third production, and we could not do it without the support of the community. The Rotary Club provided the initial investment to help us order scripts and do our first production and since then, the donations of sponsors and donations at the door have paid for the following year’s cost. We are also very grateful to the Big Sandy High School that allows us to use the auditorium for practices and performances. We are still looking for any individuals or businesses who would like to sponsor and advertise in our play bill this year to help provide funds for a fourth production next year. We will charge $2 per ticket at the door, and we also accept donations at the door.”
Many of the parts in the play will be played by young people from Big Sandy, but this does not mean that the play is for children or that no adult participation is needed. Quite a few adults are involved both on stage and behind the scenes. Amanda Hoffman returns again as co-director dealing with costumes, props, sets, and other backstage roles. “Our Community Theater is not just for children although we have a fantastic turnout of children wanting to be involved. We could not do our performances without the participation of adults: from our actors, to parents, to snack providers, to our costume, make-up, concessions, and set design help, the adults are super important to our productions. We are always looking for more adults to come join us. One of the fun things that I’ve noticed in our productions, is that the kids and adults in our community get to spend time together doing something we all enjoy. This creates some wonderful opportunities for mentorship and for neat relationships that might not otherwise happen. We are always looking for more adults to be involved, so come join us next time!”
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to one of the directors via Facebook or email: “We have a Big Sandy Theater Facebook page that announces productions, auditions, and provides a way to contact us. Amanda Hoffman and Dianna Keane are co-directing this year and would happily answer any questions. We also have an email address at bigsandytheater@gmail.com.”
Community response for the theater productions has been encouraging and have given birth to some large dreams for the future of local theater: “Goals for the future of Big Sandy Theater include fundraising and grant writing to purchase wireless microphones to help improve the quality of our performances. We want to continue to offer productions as an artistic outlet and have the opportunity for our community to have fun together, build relationships and community, improve confidence, and try something new.”
Perhaps the most basic way to support the theater group is to attend the show and bring friends: “Our performances are on Friday Dec. 3rd at 7:00 and Saturday Dec. 4th @ 3:00 at the Big Sandy High School Auditorium. C
