If you walked into Murray Hall anytime in the past few weeks, you would be forgiven if you thought you had found yourself in the Kansas Prairie, on the Yellow Brick Road, or even in the Emerald City. That’s because from November 30th to December 1st, the St. Paul’s Dramatic Society, led by Ms. Jennifer Walker, put on a stellar performance of The Wizard of Oz.

Auditions began immediately with the resumption of classes, with rehearsals beginning shortly after. Hundreds of students jumped at the opportunity to perform, with only an elite few of the most talented being selected by Ms. Walker to bring her vision to life. This year’s fall production was marked by the incorporation of St. Mary’s students for the first time since the pandemic. The cast was led by Derek Barrientos ’26 as Donnie, Owen Taylor ’25 as the Cowardly Lion, Hollie Horner as the Tin Man, and Toe Toe Moo ’24 as the Scarecrow. 

Over months, the cast learned their cues, practiced their lines, and readied their emotive talents to bring the World of Oz to the stage. Meanwhile, the stage crew, headed by Mr. Sterner, was hard at work trying to bring the World of Oz from the imagination of Ms. Walker to the sets of Murray Hall. 

Before the doors to the Emerald City even opened, excitement for the play was at an all-time high. Each night, the play was sold out a week in advance, with audiences eager to see the students of St. Paul’s and St. Mary’s take the stage. 

Although he may have played the villainous Wicked Witch of the West, Baljot Rai ’24 inspired the cast brilliantly moments before they took the stage, reciting the Actor’s prayer on each night of performance with each prayer ending: “…Through every scene please hide my gaffes, grant me power over tears and laughs, prompt me to speak my lines as writ, and make this play a smashing hit!”

The cast took those lines to heart and made every night a smashing success. Murray Hall was packed, achieving record attendance on every night with cheers only getting louder as the play progressed. The first night went seemingly well, followed by a second night disrupted only briefly because of the utterance of a certain Scottish tragedy. The final night was certainly the finest of them all, capped off by the infamous St. Mary’s scream after the current call and the traditional postproduction Boston Pizza dinner on Saturday night. Now the St. Paul’s Dramatic Society turns its attention to its spring production. Although it won’t take place until Spring 2024, one thing is clear: just like the Wizard of Oz, it’s likely to be a smashing hit.