Emerald Spotlight: Students Take the Stage

Emerald Spotlight: Students Take the Stage

Dec 8, 2025

Yellow Brick Road, Student Style   

Find Video Here

December 8, 2025 — From staging to set design, these students didn’t just perform; they managed the entire production from start to finish.

LCA gives students the chance to perform a show that is entirely their own. This year, the drama club presented a student-led version of The Wizard of Oz, directed by junior Natalie Whitaker.

“I’ve been doing theater for a little while now, and I’ve been interested in directing,” Natalie said. “So I asked if I could direct this year because previously others have directed. Since we didn’t have a senior who hadn’t directed before, I asked if I could do it this year.”

From setting the stage to running rehearsals, preparing a show is no easy task. The team overcame every obstacle to bring the performance to life in early December, with three successful shows.

“This will be great experience for future things I want to do as a job potentially,” Natalie said.

Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow are all iconic characters, and Natalie said that was one reason the play was chosen. It also came with some fun new twists.

“I was trying to find something that would incorporate our growing cast of the drama club, and I was able to find The Wizard of Oz, which is fun and very well-known,” Natalie explained. “This version was a little different with some new characters and varying storylines, so it’s fun to work with something that’s so well-known while also being new.”

Opportunities like this allow students to take the lead, creating lasting memories and building valuable skills along the way.

“I’m so glad that we have the drama club as an opportunity for students who may be a little bit more nervous about acting to join because it’s a smaller scale as opposed to the musical,” Natalie said. “It provides great opportunities for people to have leadership roles and get more hands-on experience with this being student-led.”