ESCAPE Theatre and 245 talented youth and teens from the SCV will be performing The Wizard of Oz, June 26 to 28 at College of the Canyons PAC.  Public performances include Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 27 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, June 28 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.  Their community outreach performance on Friday, June 26 at 10 a.m. is sold out.  Enjoy the exciting adventures of Dorothy and Toto in both Munchkinland and Emerald City in this familiar show that is great for the whole family.  You haven’t seen The Wizard of Oz until you’ve seen 80 munchkins and 40 monkeys singing and dancing on stage at the same time!  A live orchestra will accompany the production, along with beautiful costumes and sets, amazing choreography, and flying effects by ZFX Inc.  Tickets go on sale May 4.

ESCAPE is a non-profit organization that is designed to teach youth and teens about teamwork.  ESCAPE provides children with a setting that enhances self-esteem and creativity, and develops their skills in singing, dancing, and acting in a fun environment. 

Directors Kyle and Elizabeth Burson started ESCAPE Theatre back in October 2002, and have worked with over 2,800 kids in the last six years.  Their amazing team includes Donna Herbst, Barry Kemper, Moki Duncan, Cissi Larsson-Dally, and Dorrie Deakins. With the support of their staff, Board of Directors, and a tremendous amount of wonderful parent volunteers, they all play an important role in the success of the program.

This summer they will be offering both youth and teen workshops.  The K to 6th grade workshop will take place July 20 to 31.  Visit the website for more up-to-date information for teens.  In September, they begin rehearsals for a fun-filled, foot-stompin’ musical taken directly from the comics, LIL ABNER.  Performances will be at the end of January, and all kids ages 5 to 19 are invited to participate.  All students rehearse every Monday evening for four months, and lead roles also attend Wednesday evenings.  Next March they will begin rehearsals for The Sound of Music, with performances scheduled for June 2010.

If you are interested in purchasing tickets for The Wizard of Oz or want to participate in their Summer Workshops, call 661-299-5264 for tickets and registration information.  For more information on ESCAPE, visit their website at www.escapetheatre.org .