March 5, 2025
from Sarah Ley ’18
“There’s no place like home” is a quote you may recognize from the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz.” Dorothy, the story’s protagonist, discovers that “home” isn’t so much a place as it is the people and experiences that bring her feelings of belonging and comfort. MPA often acted as a second “home” for us, thanks to wonderful faculty and staff, unique courses, and cherished friendships.
When I was a student, I found a home in the theater department. Thinking back on my favorite memories, many are defined by the musicals I acted in during Upper School. In Spring 2015, the first was “The Wizard of Oz,” directed by Elizabeth Seal. Opening after the retirement of beloved longtime theater director Barb Bradley, Oz marked a new era in the department. With a cast and crew of 60+ (no small feat considering graduating classes of ~50 students), the show drew veteran actors, newbies excited to explore theater, and, as munchkins, roughly 20 Lower and Middle Schoolers.
Since then, the theater department has continued to grow and adapt. Despite smaller cast and crew numbers following the pandemic, Middle and Upper School drama teacher and director James Lekatz shares that interest increases every year. In fact, the 2025 musical’s cast size will be double last year’s. Audiences have also returned en force, with several performances of the Winter Show selling out. Heather Mastel, Lower and Middle School drama teacher and director sees similar growth: this year’s Middle School Show, “Little Women,” boasted a cast of 25 and sold out all shows.
Interest in specialty topics is being nurtured by a slate of performance and technical theater courses. The popular Stagecraft course ties directly to the Spring Show and provides experience building props, sets, and more. Emily Jacques, Middle and Upper School technical theater director, supports these classes and special opportunities, such as fifth/sixth grade days, when Middle School students assist with prop and set builds.
The MPA theater department has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years and is again poised to develop the next generation of actors and stage crew. It seems fitting that this year’s musical, opening 10 years (to the day) after the 2015 production, is The Wizard of Oz. James Lekatz, who will direct the Spring Show, shares the unique take on the classic story:
“This Wizard of Oz [will] be set in our current time. Dorothy is a typical teenager who is misunderstood by everyone she cares about… [When the tornado hits], the audience does not get transported into the traditional land of Oz, but rather a place based on Dorothy’s reality: a dream-like high school. All of the traditional songs and characters are still there; we will just see them in a new light.”
We invite you to join us when the production returns to the MPA stage from April 24-27. Whether it’s been years or days since you’ve visited MPA, I hope you’ll always find that “there’s no place like home.”
