Oz comes to life: Monterey High students stage winter show in renovated auditorium

A vibrant green glow illuminated the stage inside Monterey High School's auditorium as student thespians swayed under the guidance of their directors. Symbolizing months of hard work, a colossal Emerald City towered behind during one of their final rehearsals ahead of this weekend's Wizard of Oz production.

But it's more than just another high school production for many students at Monterey.

Just as Emerald City marked the culmination of a journey of self-discovery for the fictional characters of Oz, the stage has become their own Emerald City — a magical place where they can explore their inner selves and uncover their best qualities.

Much like the Tin Man discovering his heart, one student found self expression through dance. As the Lion found courage, one student discovered their voice on stage. And, akin to the Scarecrow gaining knowledge, some students opted to learn new skills backstage, creating the magic that breathes life into the performance.

Director Christopher Hensley, who himself performed in theatre at Monterey in the early 2000s and now serves as the high school theatre teacher, said this sentiment soared to even greater heights with the recent renovations of the auditorium, which were completed last year after a passed bond election in 2018.

The recent upgrades — including new lighting, new seating and improved sound among other updates — enable them to appeal to a broader range of students, he said.

"The thing I love about theatre is that there's an avenue for every person, so it you're a performance type person, there's an obvious avenue for you. But not everybody is wanting to get out in front of the audience, and there are so many opportunities behind the scenes. Now that we have some of these bells and whistles, we can appeal to those kids."

Morgan Henson, who is cast as the lead character Dorothy in the upcoming show, is one of the students who's discovered their avenue in the theatre.

Morgan also shares the same stage at Monterey in choir.

"This stage means everything to me," Morgan said. "I've done a lot of things on this stage, and when I'm on the stage, I'm a whole different person. It feels like such an outlet for me personally — to the point where sometimes I feel more comfortable on here than I do anywhere else."

A senior, Morgan said she's sad this will be her last year using the stage she's grown so close to. But she feels honored that she got to use it within the time that it was newly restored.

Hensley said he considers himself successful based on the passion for students like Morgan to continue into the arts, but also if their time in the theatre lends itself to another career opportunity through the skills they learned there.

"This is the most cross-curricular subject in my mind," Hensley said. "It's a big science experiment; it's trial and error. But also, every day we're studying history; we're studying literature; we're using mathematics — all these things ... and then the kids start to put those dots together and get to actually implement some of these things here and be successful.

"Sometimes, a kid might struggle in class, but then they can come here and do something and be proud of themselves. We see it happen all the time with kids; I see it with a lot of my freshmen who don't know how to express themselves, and then they get in here, and we create something together, and before you know it, they're talking about their lives. It's just kind of a cool way to make an impact," he added.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock Monterey High stages Wizard of Oz in renovated auditorium