Double the Dorothy for Robinson Drama

If you see multiple performances of Robinson High School's production of 'The Wizard of Oz,' you might wonder if you're seeing double. That's because stars Maya Davis and Molly Johnson are dueling Dorothies, trading performance nights in the spotlight.

"They were both so darn good that we couldn't decide," said Director Chip Rome, who made the decision to give the role to both students.

Davis and Johnson each bring a different brand of sweet and earnest delivery to the show's main character. Both sophomores, the girls have rehearsed together to get the role down pat, often running scenes simultaneously or doing double rehearsals to ensure both stars got a chance to learn the role.

"It will help to rest our voices between shows, but it made it much harder in rehearsals," said Johnson, who loves to dance and is excited to perform her first lead role in a musical. The girls are joined by talented castmates Michael Lamar as the Tin Woodsman, Ben Johnson as the Scarecrow and the comedic Dan Bonilla as the Cowardly Lion, with Alyssa Hard shining as the Wicked Witch of the West.

The Wizard of Oz is demanding not only for its cast, but particularly for its crew. With 23 scenes taking place in 19 locations, a large number of set pieces are required to create the magical world of Oz. Freshmen crew members took the lead on the majority of set creation, backed by more experienced management including junior Allison Poms, who took the lead as stage manager. This span of age and experience is even across the production, with around 90 veterans and new folks working together to bring the show to life.

"The best part of this is how famous the story itself is, how familiar it is to the audience," said Assistant Director Caitlyn Viccora. "To bring that forward is really cool."

Telling such a familiar story brings about other challenges for the production: a complicated flying rig had to be constructed to help monkeys and witches soar above the stage, and an obedient Toto had to be found and trained (a dog called "Peanut" proved up to the task). All of the elements of the show came together for its opening last weekend, and the cast and crew are now preparing for their final three shows after nearly five months of devoted effort.

'Wizard of Oz' will be performed at Robinson Secondary School at 7:30 p.m. on May 5, 6, and 7. Tickets are available for $15 ($10 for 5/5/11 if bought in advance) and can be purchased online by clicking here.